Farmers called off their protest early on Wednesday morning after they were allowed to march to Kisan Ghat, the memorial of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, who is often referred to as the “champion of peasants”, IANS reported. The police allowed the Bharatiya Kisan Union-led Kisan Kranti Yatra to enter the national Capital around midnight on Tuesday after unsealing the border between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Thousands of farmers from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana were expected to converge at Rajghat on Tuesday to protest against the policies of the Narendra Modi government, and to remind it of its promises. But they were stopped at the border and not allowed inside. The Delhi Police fired tear gas and used water cannons to stop them from entering the Capital, which triggered protests. At least seven police personnel were injured.
Some of the farmers met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, among other top officials, and submitted 11 demands to the Centre, including implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, free electricity to farmers and waiver of farm loans.
Initially, Bharatiya Kisan Union President Naresh Tikait said the government had accepted only seven demands, and so the protests will continue. Later, he said the government has accepted most of their demands and farmers are tired. “The farmers remained unfazed despite all hardships,” Tikait said. “We have been marching for 12 days now, farmers are tired as well. We will continue to demand our rights to the government but for now we are ending the march.”
The Kisan Kranti Yatra started out on September 23 from Haridwar in Uttarakhand. The farmers began dispersing around 5.30 am on Wednesday.
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