Swaraj Abhiyan to launch farmers movement from June 13

NEW DELHI: Swaraj Abhiyan, a group formed by ousted AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, will start a farmers movement to address the agrarian crisis in the country.

Commencing from June 13, Abhiyan volunteers will fan across the country and will launch a mass-contact programme, Jai Kisan Movement, in about 1 lakh villages. It will kick start from some of the significant and historic sites of peasant locations.

"It will cover states like Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan," Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav said.

The campaign demands include withdrawal of the Land Acquisitions Ordinance and a legislation to guarantee minimum income of farmers and assured and adequate compensation against natural calamity.

"As part of the Jai Kisan movement, farmers from across the country will march towards the parliament of India, during the monsoon session in August to present the pots filled with earth from the villages," Yadav added.

"The National Working Committee decided to set up Swaraj Kendras, Aman Committees and anti-corruption forum," said a statement from the group.

Yadav said that a decision has also been taken to appoint Anand Kumar, who was also ousted from AAP along with Ajit Jha, as the national convener of the organisation.