Delhi Police have granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) to Sanyukt Kisan Morcha for holding a one-day Kisan Mahapanchayat at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Thursday (14th March). However, the farmer union will have to follow several conditions, as part of the agreement between the protesting SKM leaders and Delhi Police.
Notably, SKM leaders P Krishna Prasad, Hanan Mollah, Prem Singh Gehlawat, and Ashish Mittal signed the agreement with Delhi Police on Monday night following which the Police allowed them to hold the Mahapanchayat with the following conditions.
According to the agreement reached between the police and SKM leaders, a maximum of 5,000 people have been permitted to attend the mahapanchayat. It must conclude by 3 pm, and protesters will not be permitted to stay overnight in Delhi either before or after the mahapanchayat.
Further, no tractor and trolley are allowed for tomorrow’s event and the protestors can’t bring weapons of any kind. The program will strictly last only for three hours from 11 am to 2 pm, after which the protestors will have to head back.
After the maha panchayat, the protestors are not allowed to take out marches. During the event, no instigating/intimidating speech will be allowed. In case anyone tries to give a provocative speech, the public address system will be switched off and speakers will be removed from the stage, as per the conditions.
While only 5,000 participants are allowed at tomorrow’s event, according to the SKM, more than 50,000 farmers from Punjab are expected to attend the event.
The farmer union added that preparations are in full swing to ensure the massive participation of farmers in the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’. In its official release, the Kisan Morcha noted that the Mahapanchayat will adopt a ‘Sankalp Patra’ or ‘letter of resolution’ to intensify the fight against the so-called “pro-corporate, communal, dictatorial policies of the Modi Government, to fight to save farming, food security, livelihood and the people from corporate loot.”
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have made proper arrangements for the event including adequate parking space and other basic amenities like water, toilets, and ambulances with the support of the municipal administration of Delhi. The traffic police have also issued a traffic advisory and a list of alternate routes to avoid traffic congestion.
Commuters are advised to check the traffic advisory in the wake of the Kisan Mahapanchayat to avoid inconvenience and getting stuck in traffic jams.