Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 13
The Swaraj Abhiyan, the breakaway faction of the Aam Aadmi Party, today launched a nationwide "Jai Kisan Movement" to address the agrarian crisis in the country.
The movement demands withdrawal of the land Bill, introduction of a legislation guaranteeing minimum income and a comprehensive, assured and adequate compensation against natural calamity to farmers.
The Abhiyan has submitted its suggestions to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the land Bill arguing that "farming has become unremunerative".
Led by Yogendra Yadav said Prashant Bhushan, the movement targets to cover one lakh villages through a mass-contact programme in the first phase followed by a "tractor march" starting from Punjab on August 1.
The march will pass through Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and culminate in Delhi on August 10 when the monsoon session is expected to discuss the disputed amendments to the Land Acquisition Act. Yadav said the Jai Kisan Movement was aimed at reshaping the country's future.
“Volunteers will travel to villages and reach out to farmers, who will be asked to fill pots with soil as a mark of protest against the Centre," said Abhiyan's media coordinator Anupam Singh.
Those who are willing to join the movement can give a missed call on 011-46666662.
The coordinator said parties were holding rallies in the name of farmers, but not one of them was interested to initiate a dialogue with them to understand their problems and issues. “This is a movement of farmers, but not just for farmers, nor merely by farmers. We aim at involving urban citizens, especially the youth," Yadav said.