Farmers Protest: 500 farmers to participate in a peaceful tractor march to Parliament everyday from November 29

News Desk: To mark one year of the agitation against the Centre’s three agri laws, 500 farmers will participate in a peaceful tractor march to Parliament every day during Winter Session starting November 29, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha Tuesday said.

The SKM has also called for massive mahapanchayats in all state capitals on November 26 as part of the first anniversary of the agitation at Delhi borders. That day, the farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan will gather at the borders of Delhi to participate in the mahapanchayats.

The farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, had started an indefinite protest against the laws, which were later stayed by the Supreme Court in January, at the Delhi borders on November 26 last year. The SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions leading the stir, held a meeting at Singhu border protest site and later announced that it will observe one year of the movement on and after November 26 in a “massive way” all over India.

“From November 29 until the end of the winter session, 500 selected farmer volunteers will move every day to Parliament in tractor trollies peacefully and with full discipline, to assert their rights to protest in the national capital” the farm body said in a statement.

This will be done to “‘increase the pressure” on “this obstinate, insensitive, anti-people and pro-corporate BJP central government, to force it to concede the demands for which farmers across the country have launched a historic struggle for the past one year” it added.

The winter session of Parliament will begin on November 29 and go on till December 23.

Earlier in March too, farmers had taken out “foot march” to Parliament to oppose the contentious three farm laws.

Incidentally, a tractor rally on January 26 had turned violent with protesters breaking barricades, attacking security personnel and storming the Red Fort, where they also hoisted a religious flag.

The SKM said that on November 26, there will be huge mobilisation of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan at all the Delhi borders “All farm unions in the SKM will mobilise farmers in strength for this occasion. Huge public meetings will be held there (at borders) that day. Homage will be paid to more than 650 martyrs in this struggle so far” it said.

Referring to the mahapanchayats, the SKM said: “They may be held with wide participation of farmers, workers, employees, agricultural labourers, women, youth and students in all state capitals”.

November 26 is also the Constitution Day when the Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. According to the SKM, November 26 also marks one year of the all India strike by the working class in 2020.

On November 28, a massive Kisan-Mazdoor Mahapanchayat will be held at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. The event will be jointly hosted by over 100 organizations under the banner of Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha (SSKM) to mark the completion of one year of the historic farmers’ struggle. November 28 marks the death anniversary of great reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. The SKM said: “The mahapanchayat will denounce the Modi-led BJP government on all fronts and will raise several burning issues of the working people, including the repeal of the farm laws and the labour codes, a central law to guarantee a fair MSP, halving the price of diesel, petrol and cooking gas, and a halt to privatization and selling off the country for a pittance”.

All the Lakhimpur Kheri Shaheed Kalash Yatras, which began from Pune on October 27, and are now being taken all over the state by various kisan organizations, will converge in Mumbai on November 27.

Citing media reports, the SKM said that forensic investigation has revealed that that shots were fired from the licensed guns of accused Ankit Das and Ashish Misra during the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3. “It vindicates our stand that the farmers were shot at, and clearly implicates the son of Union Minister of State for Home, Ajay Mishra Teni. The facts of the case are now well established. Yet, Modi and Yogi governments continue to unashamedly protect the minister and his son” said the SKM reiterating its demand for the dismissal and arrest of Ajay Mishra, and a Supreme Court monitored investigation in the case.