Thousands of farmers from different parts of the country converged in Delhi on Monday, demanding that a Minimum Support Price (MSP) be introduced for their produce.
Other demands were also put forward in a protest organized by major Indian farmer organization the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), including waiving off the Goods and Service Tax (GST) on all kinds of farm activities.
The rally was organized as part of a public awareness program launched four months ago by BKS, which is an affiliate of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organization of federally governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
As part of the program, the BKS has organized a 20,000 km foot march, 13,000 km cycle rallies, and 18,000 street gatherings across India to spread awareness about farmers' needs.
Farmers rally in Delhi on December 19
© Photo : Twitter/ Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
Farmers Demand Increased Minimum Income Support
A farmer participating in the rally at Ramlila Maidan told Sputnik that “we have gathered here to press for our demand about implementing MSP and the roll-back of GST on farm activities. We also want the farmers to get profitable prices on all their produce and remunerative prices on the basis of cost, increase in proportion in the Kisan Samman Nidhi (a farmers' fund).”
“We are paying GST on the agriculture inputs. But we are not getting input credit. This results in losses. Apart from this, the 'Kisan Samman Nidhi' should be increased, as INR 6,000 ($72.63) is insufficient in today’s time,” he added.
"Kisan Samman Nidhi" was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 to provide minimum income support to farmers. As part of the initiative, INR 6,000 ($72.63) is credited to the bank accounts of farmers every year in three installments.
The BKS hopes to see a congregation of about 100,000 farmers from 60,000 village committees in 560 districts of the country at the the city's protest site Ramlila Maidan for the rally.
The farmers warn that if their demands are not met, it would mean trouble for the government.
Barricades in Place to Ease Delhi Traffic
Meanwhile, the Delhi police have barricaded the border areas of the national capital to facilitate the smooth movement of traffic.
A police official told Sputnik: “Barricades have been placed at all the borders of Delhi not only to ensure smooth traffic movement but also to avoid any untoward incident during the rally. There is no instruction to stop anyone from entering Delhi.”
On Sunday, the Delhi Traffic Police released an advisory for Delhi citizens warning about traffic diversions and restrictions. According to the authorities, around 50,000 to 55,000 people would visit the rally site commuting with 700 to 800 buses, and 3,500 to 4,000 private vehicles.