Mega farmer rally today as thousands descend upon national capital

New Delhi, Nov 30: Thousands of farmers converged in the national capital ahead of the two day protest, which includes a march to Parliament.

The farmers are pressing for various demands that include debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce. In addition to this, they are also demanding that a special session of Parliament be convened to discuss issues relating to agrarian distress across the country.

The farmers under the banner of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee arrived at the national capital from various parts of the country. They marched to Ramlila Maidan from four corners of the city- Anand Vihar, Nizamuddin, Bijwasan Railway Station and Sabzi Mandi.

"Over 3L farmers have committed suicide in India in last 15 yrs, due to successive govts betraying them. Tomorrow 1 lakh farmers from across the country are marching to Delhi to ask for fair prices & freedom from debt. Let's stand in solidarity with them," advocate Prashant Bhushan said in a tweet.

The Delhi Police is yet to give permission for Friday's march, citing guidelines that only allow 1,000 people to protest at Parliament Street. However the farmer leaders insist that the march will go ahead.

Apart from the Left, no political party has issued any statements as yet. This despite the agrarian crisis taking centre stage in the ongoing elections to the state assemblies. The NDA has failed to engage with the farmers or even respond to a letter sent to the Prime Minister regarding their demands.