Bhartiya Kissan Union (BKU) announced plans to gherao Delhi on January 5, ensuring national capital's total economic and social blockade, if the Centre failed to accept the long pending demands of the farmers, who are under heavy debt and resorting to suicides.
This announcement was made at the Maha Panchayat, the national level congregation of farmers organized by BKU at the local Bhagtanwala Grain Market where thousands of farmers from all over India gathered in the `holy city'. BKU Punjab chief and National Coordinator Ajmer Singh Lakhowal made this announcement that the Central Government has adopted an anti-farmers' stand.
He said farmers all over the country are becoming poorer and poorer while the government is keeping a blind's eye to their plight while farmers' families are attempting suicides all over. He said they will also stop rail throughout the country during a massive nation-wide agitation. "This government in Delhi is deaf and dumb. We have to stop its Roti-Roji, only then they will hear us,'' said Lakhowal at a farmers' rally. With anger written all over their faces, the blue turbaned farmers' raised slogans in support of the blockade around Delhi.
The farm leaders, including BKU President Chaudhary Rakesh Takait and other leaders Chaudhary Yudhbir Singh, Vijay Jawandhia, Bhupinder Singh Mahesari, Ajmer Singh Gill addressed the farmers. The farmers came from Maharshtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states. They said they had wanted to gherao Parliament on March 9 and again on October 18, but due to the assurances given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that their demands would be addressed, they had backed off.