Thousands of farmers staged a march on Delhi’s Parliament Street on Friday with their demands including debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce. These farmers arrived in Delhi’s Ramlila Ground on Thursday.
They spent their night in the freezing cold of the national capital, but the adverse weather hasn’t dampened their spirit as they chanted slogans in favour of their rights. One of their songs read, “Ab haq ke bina bhi kya jeena, yeh jeene ke samaan nahi (Live has no meaning without rights).”
These farmers have travelled from states such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, to participate in the two-day Kisan March. Among those who arrived in Ramlila Ground to lift their morale was former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. He was quoted by news agency ANI, “PM should personally take note of this. I would like to appeal to Union Govt to try to solve the problem. Farmers are awakened now. They know how to punish. No govt can survive without farmers.”
40-year-old Rita Devi from Lakhanpur in Bihar said that she had lost her land and home recently for the government to be able to construct a road. She told news agency PTI that she lost her single-room hut that accommodated her, her husband, eight children and also a goat and a couple of hens, when it was razed to the ground during the construction of a bypass road through her village.
“We have no land of our own to grow crops. There is no earning. And, now we don’t even have a house because of the bypass. How will we live?” she said.
Another farmer, 68-year-old Sauraaj Singh from Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, was quoted as saying, “There is no money for sugarcane. There is no electricity. Government has been talking about waiving off loans, but that hasn’t happened.”
Vijay Manjhi and Gorelal Ram from Nawada in Bihar agreed as he shared his own woes. “We are small time farmers with no land of our own. If the harvest dies because of insufficient rain, there is nothing we can do,” he was quoted by PTI.
Ram added, “Be it (Bihar Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar or (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, this double engined government is a failure. They say a lot of things, but there is no ground work,” Manhjhi said, in agreement with the songs playing in the backdrop — “Mere voton ko janne ka haq hai, Kyun ek din bade bade vaade, Kyun paanch saal koi kaam nahi”.
Here are the live updates:
#WATCH Former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah speaking at farmers' protest at Jantar Mantar,New Delhi pic.twitter.com/JpdhBgea82
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Farooq Abdullah at farmers protest in Delhi pic.twitter.com/ThHeMKGrpm
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
Arvind Kejriwal at farmers’ protest in Delhi: Five months are left, I demand that the Central Govt implement Swaminathan report. Warna 2019 mein ye kisaan qayamat dha denge pic.twitter.com/wkTyPJgA1n
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
Rahul Gandhi at farmers’ protest in Delhi: If the loans of industrialists can be waived off, then the debt of farmers must be waived off as well. I assure the farmers of India, we are with you, don't feel afraid. Aapki shakti ne is desh ko banaya hai pic.twitter.com/r8Lzew4Ay0
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
Rahul Gandhi at farmers’ protest in Delhi: Modi ji had promised MSP will be increased, PM promised bonus, but look at the situation right now, empty speeches are being given and nothing else pic.twitter.com/JVYM1RJOpf
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
Congress President @RahulGandhi will be joining the #KisanMuktiMarch shortly to stand in support of India's farmers. #CongressWithKisan pic.twitter.com/AEsWpSEABs
— Congress (@INCIndia) November 30, 2018
DCP (New Delhi) Madhur Verma on farmers' protest: Proper arrangements done for security, traffic, & law and order. Around 8,000 farmers have reached Ramlila Maidan. They will conclude their march at Parliament Street & culminate their protest from there pic.twitter.com/12xnngv7np
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
Traffic Alert
अखिल भारतीय किसान संघर्ष समन्वय समिति मार्च अब संसद मार्ग (पुलिस स्टेशन के पास ) पहुच गया है रामलीला मैदान ,जवाहरलाल नेहरु मार्ग , गुरुनानक चौक ,रणजीत सिंह फ्लाईओवर ,बाराखंबा चौक पर यातायात अब सामान्य है |
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) November 30, 2018
Traffic Alert
अखिल भारतीय किसान संघर्ष समन्वय समिति मार्च संसद मार्ग पर है | यहाँ पर यातायात प्रभावित है |
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) November 30, 2018
Delhi: Farmers from all across the nation hold protest for the second day over their demands of debt relief, better MSP for crops, among others; latest #visuals from near Jantar Mantar pic.twitter.com/zwnHQHALkk
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
Delhi: Latest #visuals from near Jantar Mantar on the second day of 2-day protest by farmers from all across the nation, who are asking for debt relief, better MSP for crops, among other demands pic.twitter.com/SIccqj6DIo
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
. The Farmers Protest: Thousands of farmers march to Parliament Street in the national capital with their demands from the government.
The Farmers' Protest: Thousands of farmers march to Parliament Street in the national capital with their demands from the government. pic.twitter.com/7Jw00vs8As
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) November 30, 2018
Jt. CP(Traffic) on farmers' protest in Delhi: Traffic police will give real-time updates on FB&Twitter of affected traffic routes. Commuters are advised to stay updated.Around 1,000 traffic personnel have been deployed in all these routes to plan diversions&to keep traffic smooth pic.twitter.com/sxKlvxDsNU
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
Traffic Alert
Head of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) procession is Guru Nanak Eye hospital.
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) November 30, 2018
Traffic Alert
अखिल भारतीय किसान संघर्ष समन्वय समिति मार्च जो अभी रामलीला मैदान से चला है जो अभी गुरुनानक चौक पर है जिसमें 7000 से 8000 लोग शामिल हैं | यातायात प्रभावित है |
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) November 30, 2018
Delhi: #Visuals from near Ramlila Maidan on the second day of 2-day protest by farmers from all across the nation, who are asking for debt relief, better MSP for crops, among other demands pic.twitter.com/j145x5uhc7
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) November 30, 2018
Delhi: #Visuals from Ramlila Maidan on the second day of 2-day protest by farmers from all across the nation, who are asking for debt relief, better MSP for crops, among other demands pic.twitter.com/Awkh9uwIbh
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018
