Farmers to hold mega march in Delhi on Nov 29-30
NEW DELHI: Over one lakh farmers from across the country plan to assemble in the national capital on November 29 and 30 to participate in a mega march to protest against, what they have termed, the Centre's "failure" to address their issues.
Hannan Mollah, convenor of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella body of 208 farmers' and agricultural workers' organisations, said that on November 29, the farmers would start the Kisan Mukti March from different corners of Delhi - Bijwasan, Majnu Ka Tila, Nizamuddin and Anand Vihar - to Ramlila ground.
A cultural programme, Ek Sham Kisan Ke Naam, dedicated to farmers would be held at the Ramlila ground on the first day of the congregation, where prominent singers and poets would perform.
"On November 30, the farmers will start their march from Ramlila ground to Parliament. At Parliament Street, farmer leaders will speak on agrarian issues and also, leaders of different political parties barring the BJP will address the gathering," said Mollah, who is a senior leader of the CPI-M.
The rally has been organised to protest against the Centre's failure to address farmers' issues, he said, adding the government must come out clean on measures for them.
Atul Anjaan, national secretary of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said all top leaders of opposition parties including Congress president Rahul Gandhi and chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal have been invited for two-day meet. AIKSCC was formed under the aegis of AIKS and other left-affiliated farmers' bodies in June 2017, after struggles of farmers in different states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, for debt relief and remunerative prices.
In the last five years, the country has witnessed its worst recorded drought which has adversely affected rural India, noted P Sainath, a senior rural journalist, in a speech.
The Marathwada region of Maharashtra was the worst affected region in terms of drought and agricultural crisis.
