Thousands of farmers and workers took part in the Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh rally from Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan to Parliament Street on Wednesday morning. The farmers have demanded effective implementation of labour laws, waiver of farm loans, minimum wage of Rs 18,000 a month, more employment, recognition of one crore anganwadi and Accredited Social Health Activists as a workforce, among others, reported The Indian Express.
The rally is being organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, All India Kisan Sabha, and All India Agriculture Workers Union. Other demands include remunerative prices for farmers as per Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations and timely public procurement of produce.
All India Kisan Sabha General Secretary Hannan Mollah claimed that the government has not done anything for the farmers since it came to power, PTI reported. “For the last four years, this Bharatiya Janata Party government has fooled us,” he told the gathering. “We have always demanded that the government should give farmers remunerative price as per the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee.”
“Now it is high time. We will continue our struggle till our demands are met,” he added.
Centre of Indian Trade Unions General Secretary Tapan Sen said that a rally will be held on November 3 protesting against unemployment in the country. “Before that, they will hold a 24-hour dharna in front of all central government offices in all districts.”
The leaders warned that they will continue the struggle until the central government was “changed”.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) termed it a “historic rally” which “marks a new stage in the struggle of working people of India”. “This historic Kisan Mazdoor Rally signifies worker-peasant unity [and] organised resistance to [Narendra] Modi govt’s neo-liberal policies as well as communal and casteist agenda,” the party tweeted.
The Delhi Traffic Police have issued a traffic advisory in view of the rally.
The protestors started arriving in the national capital from across the country on Tuesday and were camping at Ramlila Maidan. Protestors who participated in the Kisan March in Maharashtra in March demanding a loan waiver and proper minimum support price for farmers are also taking part in the rally.
On Tuesday, CPI (M) leaders Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat and Prakash Karat met the protestors. A four-member team of the Delhi government’s Mobile Health Scheme have been providing painkillers, diarrhoea medicines, and pills for cold and fever to the protesters. “From 10 am to 5 pm, we have treated 699 people,” said Dr Vineet Kumar Sahu, a medical officer.
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