Talks Off For Now, Farmer Leaders Call for a Peaceful Kisan Parade on Republic Day

The talks between the farmers organisations and the government failed after over three hours of discussion. The government refused to repeal the laws and the meeting ended, with the farmers adamant on their demand.

Full preparations are on now for the Kisan Republic Day Parade, with the leaders calling for peace as the tractors make their way to Delhi from neighbouring states. In other states the farmers will gather in large numbers at the state capitals for a parade, as in Maharashtra where the event will be held at Azad Maidan.

In Delhi the tractor parade, with tableaux being prepared as well, will follow the outer ring road. All the organisations have pledged to peace and made it clear that they will follow the route and return to the respective camps on Delhi’s borders without disrupting the peace in any manner.

The kisan leaders said that the only way in which the struggle could have been withdrawn honourably was if the government had agreed to repeal the laws. Piecemeal acceptance like keeping the laws in abeyance for one and a half years, they said, was not acceptable at all to the farmer community. And that there was no way they could have agreed to any such ‘deal.’

The birth anniversary of Nwtaji Subhash Chandra Bose on January 23 is being observed by the farmers as a prelude to the Parade. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has given a nationwide call from Jan 23 to 26 for rallies including the gherao of Governors Houses in state capitals.

A particularly massive rally is being organised in Maharashtra, with the ruling coalition supportive of the demands. Workers, students and others will join the farmers who will start a statewide vehicle march of at least 20,000 kisans that will start in Nashik in hundreds of vehicles. The vehicles will move to Mumbai with a sit in at Azad Maidan from January 24-26. On January 25 a public meeting is being organised here after which the rally will march to Raj Bhawan to submit their memorandum to the Governor.

The main demands of the rally remain, repeal the three anti-farmer laws, enact a central law guaranteeing remunerative MSP and procurement amongst others.

The national flag will be hoisted by India’s farmers in all state capital along with the singing of the national anthem. A pledge will be taken to make the struggle victorious.

Meanwhile farmers and their supporters continue to be served notices by the NIA with videos in circulation of arrests by police in different states. However, the enthusiasm for the parallel Republic Day parade is big, with a farmer leader saying that it has to be noted that on the one end the jawans will be marching, on the other the kisans in Delhi on January 26.

No fresh date has been fixed for the resumption of talks between the kisan organisations and the government.