Farmers Movement Archive

'Kisan Mahapanchayat' in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday, UP govt beefs up security

The farmers protesting against the three central laws are organising a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' in Uttar Pradesh Muzaffarnagar on Sunday. According to farmer leaders, discussions will be held on issues concerning farmers, including the contentious three laws passed by the Centre last year.Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the anti-agriculture law stir, has claimed that farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra will take part in the Mahapanchayat."It is expected that lakhs of farmers will take part in the Kisan Mahapanchayat that will inaugurate Mission Uttar Pradesh of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, on 5th of September in the city's GIC Ground," SKM said.The farmers' body said that mobilisation meetings have taken place in several places in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.The SKM also said that if cases against farmers were not withdrawn by September 8, an action plan for a larger protest will be decided on the day after a meeting among the protesting farmer unions.The Uttar Pradesh government has made elaborate security arrangements in view of the farmers' gathering. Six companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC) and two companies of rapid action force (RAF) are being deployed in Muzaffarnagar.DIG of Saharanpur range Preetinder Singh said on Saturday that the event will be videographed while five SSPs, seven ASPs and 40 police inspectors will be posted on security duty.The farmers' protest against the three contentious laws has been going on for more than nine months at the Delhi borders. The farmers have been demanding the repeal of the laws which they claim will do away with the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.More than 10 rounds of talks with the government that has been projecting the laws as major agricultural reforms have failed to break the deadlock between the two sides.

Hindustan Times

04-09-2021

India