Farmers to hold mahapanchayat in UP today

MEERUT: Security has been stepped up in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar ahead of Sunday’s ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in the district, with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions, saying that thousands of people from across the country were set to take part in the meeting.

The SKM, which is at the forefront of the protest against the three contentious farm laws, said that gathering will prove that their agitation has the support of “all castes, religions, states, classes, small traders and all sections of the society”.

“The mahapanchayat of September 5 will make the Yogi-modi governments realize the power of farmers, farm labourers, and supporters of the farm movement. The Muzaffarnagar mahapanchayat will be the biggest ever in the last nine months,” the SKM said in a statement. Muzzafarnagar is the home district of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, who is scheduled to share the stage with t SKM leaders Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Balbeer Singh Rajowal and Yogendra Yadav.

Hundreds of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders since November last year, seeking a repeal of the new farm laws, which they say will erode their bargaining power, weaken a system of assured prices, and leave them vulnerable to exploitation by agri businesses. The government has maintained that the laws aim to ease restrictions on farm trade by setting up free markets, allow traders to stockpile large stocks of food for future sales and lay down a framework for contract farming.

Six companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC) and two companies of rapid action force (RAF) will be deployed at the farmers’ gathering to maintain law and order, officials familiar with the matter said.