NEW DELHI: People from all walks of life, including women and students, traders associations and resident welfare associations are likely to join the ‘People’s Kisan Sansad’, scheduled on January 23 and 24 at Guru Tegh Bahadur Memorial, Singhu Border to discuss and debate the Centre’s three farm laws.
Announcing the upcoming Sansad, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said it is going to be “historic” and will be a prompt reply to those who call the farmers’ movement as ‘state and agenda-based’. “The movement is not merely against the three farm laws brought in by the government, initially through an ordinance and then passed by Parliament without any discussion. The Sansad is also raising the long-standing demand for farmers to get a minimum support price among others,” said Bhushan.
Commenting on the proposed tractor rally of farmers on January 26, Bhushan said the farmers want to celebrate the Republic Day and the government has no right to stop them from doing so. “It is their right,” the veteran lawyer said. Former agriculture minister Sompal Shashtri said,
“The government tried to crush the unprecedented farmers’ movement by stopping them from coming to Delhi, then by trying to defame by calling them Khalistani terrorists and now finally, by trying to use the court to somehow weaken the movement and stop the proposed peaceful events being organised on January 26.”
Shashtri said, “The farmers want to conduct a parade on the Outer Ring Road on the Republic Day and it is their right.” The Kisand Sansad on January 23 and 24 will be organised in collaboration of three organisations — Nation for Farmers, People First and Jan Sarokar.
Experts in organising team
The organising committee of Kisan Sansad will have eminent personalities such as P Sainath, former agriculture minister Sompal Shastri, Medha Patkar, Prashant Bhushan and others