Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

A huge protest called ‘Kisan-Mazdoor Sangharsh’ was organised by outfits affiliated to Communist Party of India (Marxist)— Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agriculture Workers Union (AIAWU) on Wednesday. Thousands of farmers and workers from all over the country started their rally from Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi today, The Indian Express reports. The protestors who earlier in the year participated in the Kisan March in Maharashtra also arrived for the agitation.

The Hindu quoted Tapan Sen, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) as saying, “This is a historic union. For the first time, workers and farmers have marched together in such numbers to protest the government policies.”

The agitators started coming to the national capital on Tuesday and camped at the Ramlila Maidan. From Ramlila Maidan, they marched to the Parliament Street, The Indian Express reported. The protestors could be seen carrying red flags in the streets of Delhi.

Their main demands include–a reduction in price rise, farm loan waivers for poor farmers, higher minimum support prices (MSP)for crops, putting an end to anti-worker labour reform, social security and food security benefits, ‘recognition of one crore Anganwadi and ASHA workers as a workforce’ and minimum wages of at least ₹18,000.

S. Thirunavukkarasu, president of the All India Agricultural Workers Union slammed the Centre saying,”This year, rural agricultural workers got only 27-days of work through MGNREGA. What has happened to ‘acche din’ promised by the Modi government? It was only acche din for corporates, not for people like us.”

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told the media, “We will have to intensify our protest in the days to come, as the government will not listen to our demands. We will take the struggle to every district…This government has to go”, The Hindu quoted him.

By isha

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