Farmers' alliance holds protest in Indian capital

NEW DELHI, March 20 (Xinhua) -- An alliance of farmers' unions Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) Monday staged a protest in the Indian capital city seeking redressal of their demands.

Thousands of farmers have assembled at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan area, seeking a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) and fulfilment of their other demands.

Apart from the MSP, the SKM's demands include the procurement of all crops, loan waiver, pension for farmers and agricultural workers, and a pro-farmer policy for insurance claims of the damaged crops.

"The government must fulfil the assurances it gave to us in writing on December 9, 2021, and also take effective steps to mitigate the ever-increasing crisis faced by farmers," Darshan Pal, a farmer leader told media.

Authorities have deployed police contingents at Ramlila Maidan and made security arrangements.

A traffic advisory has also been issued in anticipation of the huge participation at the rally. The advisory has asked commuters and motorists to avoid roads around Ramlila Maidan.