The farmers’ organisations said on Saturday that they will march into Delhi on January 26 if the Centre continues to ignore their demand to repeal the three farm laws.
In a joint press conference, leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee said they will hold a Republic Day parade of farmers after the official parade using tractors, trolleys and other vehicles.
The press conference was addressed by Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshanpal, Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Ashok Dhawale, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Abhimanyu Kohad and Yogendra Yadav. The seventh meeting between the protesting farmers and the Centre will take place on Monday.
“We intend to be peaceful and we told the government during our talks that it has only two options - either repeal the three central farm acts or forcefully evict us. The time has come for decisive action here, and we have chosen January 26 because the Republic Day represents the supremacy of the people and also because we would have demonstrated peacefully at Delhi’s borders for two full months in extreme weather conditions by then to get our demands met,” they said.
‘Desh Jagriti Abhiyan’
They also announced their plan of action till January 26 to intensify and deepen the movement. A fortnight of nation-wide campaign called ‘Desh Jagriti Abhiyan’ will include rallies, conferences and dharnas. “Lohri/Sankarnati will be marked as Kisan Sankalp Diwas by burning the copies of these three laws. January 18 will be celebrated as Mahila Kisan Diwas to underline the role of women farmers. Azad Hind Kisan Diwas will be marked on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary on January 23 by protesting outside Governors’ official residence in all State capitals,” the leaders added. They have also warned that if the talks fail on Monday, farmers protesting at Singhu border will march to Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway.
‘Repeal the farm laws’
The major demands of the protesting farmers remain unresolved, the leaders said. They added that on the demand to repeal the three farm acts, the Centre had asked the farmers’ organisations to come up with ‘alternative proposals’, and their stand was that there is no alternative for the laws other than repeal the acts. ‘The government has refused to agree, even in principle, to our demand for legal right to purchase at MSP. We have no alternative and if the government does not meet our demand by January 26, we will be left with no option other than to start marching peacefully into Delhi,” the leaders added.