(Image source from: The Week)

The farmers protest in New Delhi is turning out be full of vexation as several participants say they will believe the promises made by political leaders at the protest once they see a change on the ground.

Around 35,000 farmers, from across India, which is also dubbed as the largest farmers' congregation in Delhi, converged at the Parliament Street police station on Thursday after their march was stopped by the administration.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury, Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh, and CPI leader S. Sudhakar Reddy were among the leaders who joined the farmers at Jantar Mantar.

ImageSource: The Wire

Voice of Farmers

Kumud, a farmer from West Bengal's Sunderbans, demanded middlemen are removed and loans waived and said all her life she has heard promises of opposition parties, but she will believe them only if they stay true to their word.

She was among the farmers, who marched to the Ramlila Ground on Thursday, took out a rally to Parliament Street on Friday morning to press for their demands, including debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce.

The carrot and tomato farmer undertook a 48-hour journey from the Sunderbans (a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers) to reach Delhi.

"I want them to remove the middlemen, they eat most of our profits and leave us nowhere. Their commission at times is 200 percent," the 50-year-old farmer said.

She alleged that even this year, the middlemen bought tomatoes from her at Rs 5 and sold it for Rs 30 per kg to consumers.

"I know a number of leaders here who promised us many things, but I will believe their promise only when they fulfill it," she said.

ImageSource: The Wire

Ram Kumar from Bihar's Sigori village said they are here to demand their rights and not ask for alms.

"I have seen all leaders who are not in power make tall promises but as soon as they come to power they have memory loss," he said.

"The protest was held to make people realize of our plight which has brought us on the brink of starvation. Even if a fraction of the promises made to us are fulfilled then we would not return back to Delhi to protest," the farmer said.

A Telangana man, Srinivas, who came with his 15 family members to take part in the rally, said it is their warning to not only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but to all political parties that they should not be considered weak.

"We can topple the government if needed. We must be taken seriously," he said.

Another farmer from Punjab said he is hopeful by the promises but time and again they have been cheated so till their loans are waived and they get remunerative prices for their produce they would not be sitting at peace.

The farmers' march in the morning through the streets of the national capital with their respective outfit flags and chanted slogans, only to be stopped at the police station.

ImageSource: The Straits Times

The farmers, political leaders, and social activists slammed the Union government alleging that it has not implemented a "single major initiative" for farmers in the past four and half years.

Indian National Congress President Rahul Gandhi said leaders of all opposition parties stand united with farmers in ensuring their good future and called for a farm loan waiver.

He also claimed that no one will be able to mute the voice of farmers and youth and said if the Indian government insults them, then they will guarantee its removal.

Farmers are not seeking a "free gift" from the government by asking for a farm loan waiver. They are only asking for what's due to them, Gandhi said.

Delhi chief minister Kejriwal asserted that the Centre had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, saying it would not implement the M.S. Swaminathan Commission report.

"The government had also made a lot of promises to farmers in last elections (2014), but it has not fulfilled those promises.

"By not implementing the Swaminathan Commission report, Modi Ji has stabbed the farmers in their back ('kisano ke peeth mey chhura bhonka hai')," he alleged.

Kejriwal alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "stabbed farmers in the back" by not fulfilling the promises made to them and warned him that they would "wreak havoc" in 2019 general elections if those promises are not kept.

The farmers began their march to Parliament Street around 10.30 a.m. amid heavy policy deployment. More than 3,500 police personnel have been deployed on the route of the march.

-Sowmya Sangam