Protesting farmers set for nationwide 'Rail Roko'; Delhi march in focus

Farmers protest: The 'Delhi Chalo' march will resume on March 6, followed by a nationwide' Rail Roko' on March 10

The protesting farmers will resume their agitation with a nationwide 'Rail Roko' on March 10 from 12 pm to 4 pm, farm leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal announced on Sunday. The farmers, currently camping at the border points between Punjab and Haryana, will begin marching towards Delhi on March 6 in a "peaceful manner," according to the farm leaders.

Speaking in Punjab's Balloh village, the hometown of a farmer who recently died in skirmishes, Pandher and Dallewal stated that the farmers will intensify their agitation at existing protest sites until the Centre meets their demands.

"The farmers from faraway states, who cannot reach on tractor trolleys, should head to Delhi by trains and other means of transport. It will also become clear whether the government allows those farmers to enter, those who go without tractor trolleys… At Shambhu and Khanauri, the agitation will continue like before and will be further intensified. Our agitation will continue until the demands are met," Pandher said.

He further stated that all Punjab panchayats should pass a resolution in favour of the farmers' demands and that the Centre is employing "all tactics" to stop their 'Delhi Chalo' march.

"The Centre is trying to build a perception that the current agitation is limited to Punjab and the fight is led by only two forums. But we want to make it clear that more than 200 outfits in the country are part of the two forums… The perception being created that the agitation may die down when the Model Code of Conduct for the polls comes into force is not correct. We may have to fight today, tomorrow, but we will continue to fight for our rights," the farm leader was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Over 200 farmers' unions, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), began the 'Delhi Chalo' march on February 13 to press the Centre to accept several demands. These include a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP), as agreed upon in 2021 when they withdrew their agitation against the now-repealed farm laws. Additionally, they are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, and farm debt waiver.