Farmers to march to Delhi on February 13, demand legal guarantee for MSP

Farmers will march to Delhi on February 13 to press the Centre for accepting several demands, including enactment of a law to guarantee MSP for crops, a top farm leader said on Monday.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal claimed more than 200 farmers' unions from across the country will participate in the "Delhi Chalo" march.

These unions are part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) is a breakaway faction of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha.

Addressing reporters in Chandigarh, Dallewal alleged that the Centre had made a commitment for giving legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP) when the farmers protested against the three now-repealed farm laws.

But the government is not fulfilling its promise because of pressure from the corporate sector, Dallewal claimed.

He said preparations for the march have been going on with farmers taking out tractor rallies at many places.

"Not only from Punjab, farmers from other states, including Haryana, will be participating in the march," said Dallewal.

The farmers will head to Delhi from the Shambhu, Khanauri and the Dabwali borders, he added.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said besides legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are also demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Farmers mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh held a year-long protest on Delhi's border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- against the three now-repealed farm laws.