Sea of farmers march to Parliament seeking relief for the agrarian crisis
Around 3,500 personnel were deployed to oversee the farmers protest, Kisan Mukti March, from Ramlila Maidan to Parliament in New Delhi this evening.
Thousands of farmers from various states, such as Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, gathered in Delhi marched to the Parliament from Ramlila Maidan, demanding the government for an end to the on-going agrarian crisis of the country.
Farmers, who have banded together under All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), had gathered in New Delhi on Thursday. They also asked for a special sitting to discuss the issue in detail.
Opposition parties were seen supporting the farmers as they rallied behind the latter. Senior leaders including Sitaram Yechury, Yogendra Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi took the stage alongside farmers.
#FarmersMarch | Rahul Gandhi with other party leaders during Farmers rally Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Friday.
(Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
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Both Kejriwal and Gandhi targeted Modi government and called for farm loan waivers to provide relief to farmers. “We stand with you. We are ready to do whatever you want, even if that involves changing the law,” Rahul Gandhi told farmers at Parliament Street.
“It is high time that the Parliament debates the ongoing agrarian crisis & comes up with solutions to deal w/the fundamental problems facing our farmers. 70% of our citizens are farmers, and yet they struggle to get their voices heard,” tweeted Shashi Tharoor, who is a member of the the Lok Sabha.
Both Gandhi and Kejriwal said that farmers are not asking for gifts or any special privileges; what they seek is their right. A group from Tamil Nadu has threatened to march naked like last year if they are not allowed to go to Parliament. The AIKSCC has claimed that the two-day rally will be one of the largest congregations of farmers in Delhi.
