Farmers March To Parliament Today In Delhi; Arvind Kejriwal, Sharad Pawar Expected To Attend Rally At Jantar Mantar

After braving the night’s cold at Ramlila Maidan, farmers, who have gathered in the national Capital from across the country, will march towards Parliament street for a rally on Friday morning.

Many farmer leaders will address the gathering at the street next to iconic Jantar Mantar, once the site for dissent in central Delhi. Representatives from political parties will also give speeches in support of the two-day “Kisan Mukti March” demanding a 21-day special session of Parliament to discuss agrarian crisis.

Among leaders expected to attend include Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Loktantrik Janata Dal’s Sharad Yadav, to name a few.

A group of farmers from Tamil Nadu carrying skulls and bones to symbolise the suicides of their colleagues will also participate in the march. They have threatened to go naked if they are not allowed to march to Parliament on Friday.

Read: With photos, skulls and placards, thousands of farmers march to Parliament today

Delhi Traffic Police said on Friday traffic will be affected on roads surrounding Ramlila Maidan, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Deshbandhu Gupta Road, Rani Jhansi Road, Mandir Marg, Panchkuian Road, Barakhamba Road, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Janpath, Ashoka Road, Ferozeshah Road, Baba Kharak Singh Marg and Jai Singh Marg, and inner and outer circles of Connaught Place.

“Commuters going to New Delhi Railway Station are advised to keep this factor in view while planning their journey,” the department said in a statement.

It also asked commuters to avoid Sansad Marg, saying the movement of traffic is closed on the stretch because of the march.

Farmers are demanding loan waiver, higher minimum support price and clearance of two bills that have already been introduced in both Houses of Parliament. In 2004, the National Commission for Farmers headed by MS Swaminathan submitted five reports, which contain a draft of recommendations that safeguarded the interest of farmers.

The formation of national and state disaster relief commissions that can declare a region or a crop as distress-affected, and provide necessary relief, is also a demand.

The two-day march has been organised under the banner of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella body of about 200 farmer organisations from across the country.

It is the second major farmer’s protest in the national capital in two months. At least 20 people, including police personnel, were injured in a clash between protesters and security personnel on October 2 at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh gate border on National Highway-24 when Delhi Police denied entry to thousands of farmers into the city.

“We are expecting more farmers, other than those who came yesterday, to join us. We will march towards Parliament street in some time,” said Vijoo Krishnan of All India Kisan Sabha, one of the AIKSCC affiliated body.

The Delhi march comes just a week after farmers from all across Maharashtra marched to Mumbai to reiterate their demands for loan waiver and land rights among others, eight months after they were promised reforms by the BJP government.

And on March 12, more than 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, led by Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), took out a march’ from Nashik to Mumbai to press for their demands. Their 180km march over several days culminated in Mumbai on March 11.

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