NEW DELHI: Delivering an ultimatum to the government ahead of the next round of talks on January 4, farmers’ unions opposing central farm laws said on Saturday that farmers, stationed on the Delhi borders, would be forced to march towards the capital and keep ‘Kisan Gantantra Diwas Parade‘(Parade of the Day of the Republic of Farmers) if its main demands for the repeal of the laws and legal guarantee to MSP are not fulfilled before January 26.
Noting that they have not even written down what the government had agreed on their “minor demands” during the previous round of talks on December 30, they said that their position was absolutely clear on their core demands and that the time for “action has come. decisive “.
However, farmers will not interrupt the parades or official functions in any way and start their march, using tractors, carts or any vehicle they can obtain or on foot, only after the conclusion of the official parade on Rajpath.
“We intend to be peaceful and we told the government long ago during our talks that it has only two options: either repeal the three core farm laws or use force to evict us. The time has come to take decisive action here,” he said . union leaders at a joint press conference, held for the first time in the capital since they met at the borders around Delhi.
The press conference was delivered by Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Ashok Dhawale, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Abhimanyu Kohad and Yogendra Yadav on behalf of the union coordinating body, representing the 41 peasant leaders who attended the the previous round of conversations. .
“We call on farmers in the adjoining areas of the national capital to be prepared and ask every farmer family in the country to send at least one member to Delhi, if possible, to participate in the ‘Kisan Parade Gantantra Diwas ‘, “said Yogendra Yadav of Jai Kisan Andolan – the agricultural union that has been part of the group of 41 teams, involved in a discussion with the government about the farmers’ demands. Although Yadav himself did not attend the talks with the government, he is one of seven members of the union coordinating committee.
As different issues related to farmer protests and farm laws will go up for a hearing in the Supreme Court on January 5, the farmers’ unions will begin their next ongoing protest phase starting on January 6, comprising multiple programs “absolutely peacefully” in different parts of the country.
“We chose January 26 because Republic Day represents the supremacy of the people and also because we had patiently and peacefully demonstrated on the borders of Delhi for two full months in extreme weather conditions by then our determination to meet our demands,” the union the leaders said.
On the government’s call to them for an “alternative to repealing agricultural laws”, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said: “We have no alternative and if the government does not meet our demand by January 26, we will not be left. another option than to start a peaceful march towards Delhi across the borders. ”
Explaining his claim for legal guarantee to MSP, another farmer leader, Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, said: “The government has refused to accept, even ‘in principle’, our claim for the legal right to buy from MSP.” He said the government had a lot of money for businesses and others, but not for farmers.
However, farmer leaders have so far not applied for any permission for their march on January 26. Krantikari Kisan Union’s Darshan Pal said the permit will be applied for in due course, insisting that whatever the farmers intend to do will be done peacefully. way and there would be no interruption of official functions.
On the outcome of the December 30 talks, Avik Saha, national coordinator of Jai Kisan Andolan and general secretary of the coordinating body of agricultural groups, AIKSCC, said: “We have not even received in writing what the government agreed at the meeting. above. I urge the government to issue a statement, stating what it has agreed to and how it intends to implement what it has agreed to. ”
Prior to their plan to hold the ‘Kisan Gantantra Diwas Parade’ on January 26, the unions would organize a nationwide fifteen-day campaign, called “Desh Jagriti Abhiyan”, during the period from January 6 to 20, in the They will hold rallies, conferences and ‘dharnas’.
As announced at the Singhu border on Friday, farmers will march down the KMP highway on January 6 and subsequently move towards the Delhi border from Shahjahanpur if the January 4 talks fail to achieve any results.
In Lohri on January 13, they will observe ‘Kisan Sankalp Diwas’ burning the copies of the three agricultural laws. They will observe January 18 as ‘Mahila Kisan Diwas’ to underline the role of women farmers. Additionally, Azad Hind Kisan Diwas will mark the birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on January 23 by protesting in front of the official residence of governors in all state capitals.
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