A fortnight of nationwide campaign to counter the government’s propaganda called “Desh Jagriti Abhiyan” during January 6-20 will include rallies, conferences and dharnas all over the country

 NEW DELHI – Farmers protesting against three Central farm laws since November 27 while camping around Delhi’s borders gave an ultimatum to the Narendra Modi government on Saturday that they would march into the national capital on the Republic Day (January 26) with their tractors, trolleys and other vehicles if their core demands were not met by then. 

Addressing a press conference at the Press Club here, the first organised by the 7-member Coordination Committee of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha here, leaders of the various farmers’ unions said, “We have no alternative and if the government does not meet our demands by January 26, we will be left with no option other than to start marching peacefully into Delhi.”

The press meet was addressed by Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Ashok Dhawale, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, and Abhimanyu Kohad and Yogendra Yadav.

“We intend to be peaceful and we told the Government of India long ago during our talks that it has only two options–either repeal the three Central farm Acts or use force on us to evict us. The time has come for decisive action here, and we have chosen January 26 both because the Republic Day represents the supremacy of the people and also because we would have demonstrated patiently and peacefully at Delhi’s borders for two full months in extreme weather conditions by then for our resolve to get our demands met”, said farmer leaders.

The Morcha also announced its plan of action till January 26 to intensify the movement. A fortnight of nationwide campaign to counter the government’s propaganda called “Desh Jagriti Abhiyan” during January 6-20 will include rallies, conferences and dharnas all over the country.

Lohri/Sankranti will be marked as Kisan Sankalp Diwas by burning the copies of the three laws. January 18 will be celebrated as Mahila Kisan Diwas to underline the role of women farmers. Azad Hind Kisan Diwas will be marked on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary on January 23 by protesting outside Governors’ official residence in all state capitals.

In a press conference at Singhu Border on Friday, it was announced that if the talks on January 4 did not succeed, farmers would march on KMP Expressway on January 6 and subsequently the Shahjahanpur blockade would also move towards Delhi.

Farmers’ leaders have made it clear that in the last round of talks with the government, though the government agreed to two minor demands of the farmers’ movement, the major demands of the protesting farmers remain unresolved.

On the demand to repeal the three Central farm acts, the Government of India had asked the farmers’ organisations to come up with ‘alternative proposals’, and the farmer leaders responded by saying that there was no alternative other than the repeal. The government has refused to agree, even in principle, to another core demand for legal right to purchase at MSP.