India: Thousands of farmers reach Delhi protesting government apathy
Farmers affiliated to the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) flagged off the ‘Kisan Kranti Yatra’ on September 23 from Haridwar’s Baba Tikait Ghat, named after the legendary leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, who established the BKU in western UP. The march comes 30 years after farmers led by Tikait famously brought Delhi to a standstill for a week, forcing the Rajiv Gandhi government to accept all their demands.
The march, which is currently on their way to Ghaziabad from Modinagar, is making an attempt to underscore the issues faced by farmers – low minimum support prices (MSP), hike in diesel and electricity prices and pending sugarcane dues of farmers.
The Kisan Kranti yatra started off on September 23 from Haridwar and proceeded to Patanjali Yogpeeth, where the march was delayed for two days due to incessant rains. The farmers then spent a day at a government college in Muzaffarnagar and reached Meerut on September 28. The farmers are scheduled to camp in Ghaziabad on October 1 and proceed to Delhi on the morning of October 2.
The BKU has submitted a comprehensive list of demands to the Centre for immediate implementation.
This artilce appeared on The Wire on 01 October. Read the full article, click here