Farmer awareness march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir builds momentum for March 19 Kisan Mahapanchyat

Speaking with The Indian Express, Dallewal said, “The primary objective of the nationwide outreach is to mobilise farmers for a Kisan Mahapanchayat scheduled to be held at Ramlila Maidan on March 19.”

“We are going to have a Kisan Mahapanchayat at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on March 19. This awareness march is largely aimed at mobilising farmers from across the country for the meeting,” he said.

Demands of Kisan Mahapanchayat

Dallewal said the Mahapanchayat would focus on key demands, including a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP), implementation of crop pricing based on the recommendations of M S Swaminathan, and raising awareness among farmers about the possible adverse impact of the proposed India–US trade framework.

“We are also informing farmers about the harmful effects that the India–US trade framework may have on agriculture and rural livelihoods,” he added.

Dallewal, who hails from Dallewal village in Faridkot district of Punjab, had earlier led a prolonged protest along with Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. The agitation lasted approximately 400 days, from February 13, 2024, to March 19, 2025, at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders on the Punjab–Haryana boundary, demanding a legal guarantee of MSP. At that time, farmer groups had also given a “Delhi Chalo” call but were prevented from entering Haryana by the state authorities.

Unlike the previous mobilisation, the current march is being organised independently by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and is not part of any joint programme with the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

On March 19, 2025, the Punjab Government forcibly lifted the dharnas from the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Coincidentally, Kisan Mahapanchyat was planned on the same day in New Delhi, exactly a year after the lifting of the dharna, in which farmers had even alleged that many of their tractor trolleys got stolen.

During the Punjab leg of the march, Dallewal said meetings have been organised in districts including Mansa, Sangrur, Patiala and Faridkot. The march is moving in a convoy of vehicles, though farmers also cover some stretches on foot to reach interior villages and interact with local farmers. He said that permission for the March 19 Mahapanchayat at Ramlila Maidan has not yet been granted.

No permission yet

“So far, we have not received permission for the Kisan Mahapanchayat, but we are committed to holding it peacefully. Farmers from across the country will participate. In the past, such permissions were routinely granted, but in the last few years, the government’s approach has changed,” Dallewal said.

Earlier, while passing through Samana in Patiala district, Dallewal also addressed protesters participating in the ongoing “tower morcha” at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk, where demonstrators have been sitting on a dharna since February 22, demanding stringent laws against sacrilege.

Addressing the gathering, he alleged that governments often avoid enacting strict legislation against desecration of religious scriptures and symbols because such laws could foster unity among followers of different religions, reducing the scope for political polarisation.

Another SKM (Non-Political) leader, Abhimanyu Kohar, said the government should respect the sentiments of people of all religions and enact strong legislation against sacrilege to help maintain communal harmony.

Several farmer leaders, including Kaka Singh Kotra, Inderjit Panniwala, Jasbir Singh Sidhupur, Man Singh Rajpura, Sonveer Chaudhary, Rajbir Singh, Arun Patel, Santosh Nagar, Mohneesh Rajput, Mahavir Prasad, Kesra Ram and Satnam Singh Bahru, were present during the march.