New Delhi, Nov 30(DC): Thousands of farmers from all across the country began a 2-day protest in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Thursday with demands including debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce among others.
The protesting farmers plan to walk to the Parliament today.
The police have made special arrangements for the protest with 3,500 personnel pressed into service.
Gaining support from the Left and a number of farmer groups, they marched to Ramlila Maidan from five different locations.
Farmers converged in the national capital on Thursday from different corners of the country, including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, to participate in the two-day Kisan March.
Banded under the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), which claims to be an umbrella body of 207 organisations of farmers and agricultural workers, many of the farmers came in trains and other packed into buses and other modes of transport.
The historic Ramlila Maidan, known for hosting big political events over the years, turned into a sea of red as farmers wearing caps and carrying flags gathered there.
Some farmers resonated with slogans like 'Ayodhya nahi, karz maafi chahiye' (‘We don't need Ayodhya but debt waiver’) earlier on Thursday.
Battling Delhi’s cold, a group of farmers were heard raising chants of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'.