Delhi police on Monday held preliminary discussions with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which has announced plans to hold a farmers’ parade in New Delhi on Republic Day after the official parade ends.
Joint commissioner of Delhi police Surinder Yadav held the meeting with the farmer leaders at Singhu border after the Supreme Court said it was up to the police to decide whether or not to allow the tractor parade.
According to farmer union leaders, the main concern of the police was that security personnel are already stretched on Republic Day because of the main parade and other related events.
“He will hold more discussions with us and put up a report to his seniors to take a final call,’’ said Hannan Mollah of All India Kisan Sabha, a constituent of the Morcha.
The union leaders told the police officer that farmers are invested in ensuring that the Kisan Parade goes off peacefully as the success of their movement lies in the fact that it has been peaceful.
Farmers during their protest at the Singhu border PTI
“Our own credibility will go if it is not peaceful, we told him,’’ the AIKS general secretary told The Telegraph.
Darshan Pal of the Krantikari Kisan Union, also part of the Morcha, said: “We gave them details of our route plan and assured the police that we do not intend to leave the Outer Ring of Delhi. Also, that our parade will in no manner disrupt the Republic Day Parade. The Joint CP was non-committal, saying ‘we will see’.”
Preparations for the parade are in full flow even as the union leaders prepare for their 10th meeting with government interlocutors. The meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, but on Monday night the government postponed it to Wednesday afternoon, citing unavoidable reasons.
Farmer leaders intend to again raise the issue of the government using the National Investigation Agency to browbeat people backing the protest into withdrawing their support.
Over 40 farmer unions and collectives are agitating under the Morcha banner for repeal of the three new farm laws and for a legally guaranteed minimum support price. Tens of thousands of farmers have been gathered at Delhi’s borders since the last week of November to press the government to accept their demands.
The Supreme Court-appointed committee on the farm laws is scheduled to meet for the first time on Tuesday.
Elderly women at Delhi’s Singhu border on Monday PTI
Women lead
Women took the reins at the protest sites as they marked the day as “Women Farmers’ Day”, adds PTI. “The stage at the Singhu border was managed by only women and all the speakers were women. In different places across India, women farmers organised rallies, dharnas, and meetings,” said Kavitha Kuruganti of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee.