Prior to a proposed Kisan Mahapanchayat (grand assembly of farmers) in central Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, security and vehicle inspections have been stepped up at Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri along Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Farmers from all around the nation are anticipated to attend the assembly to advocate for issues such as passing legislation that would guarantee farmers a minimum support price for their produce.
The assembly is being conducted days after farmers gathered in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, for a 75-hour sit-in protest on Thursday and reaffirmed their demand for the resignation of Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni. Teni’s son, Ashish Mishra, is charged with running down farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in October of last year as they were protesting the now-repealed farm rules.
One of the largest protests in decades was held by tens of thousands of farmers who were opposed to three agricultural reform laws that were passed in September 2020. They camped out on highways in several states for nearly 14 months. Before the government declared the regulations would be repealed in November, they essentially established protest townships at five locations, including Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri, and clogged traffic.
The laws, according to the administration, would help farmers by enhancing their access to markets. However, farm unions claimed that they would abandon farmers to the whims of big business.
In preparation for the big gathering, the Delhi Police has doubled the number of personnel stationed at Jantar Mantar and nearby. They anticipate a sizable contingent of farmers to demonstrate in central Delhi, which could cause a traffic jam.
On Sunday, the Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory for commuters to stay off of certain roads and pre-plan their route to avoid any traffic. The roads that are most likely to experience traffic congestion were also included in the social media notice.
“In view of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha’s Mahapanchayat at Jantar Mantar tomorrow [Monday], #DelhiTrafficPolice requests commuters to plan their journey in advance…,” the police said in a tweet. “The high likelihood of congestion may be expected on roads such as Tolstoy Marg, Sansad Marg, Janpath (from Outer Circle Connaught Place to Windsor Place roundabout), Connaught Place Outer Circle, Ashoka Road, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, and Pandit Pant Marg