Farmers take out tractor march against WTO, seek MSP

The solidarity among farmers for the ongoing agitation resonated beyond Punjab as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana farmers joined the tractor march on the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). The protesting farmers also burnt effigies of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which, they said, was preventing the Indian Government from procuring farm produce on MSP beyond a certain limit. This is for the first time that the SKM, an umbrella body of around 40 farmer organisations, has lent support to Punjab farmers, who have been protesting under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) since February 13. The SKM had given a call for the nationwide tractor march from 12 pm to 4 pm in around 400 districts of the country under which farmers were instructed to park their tractors along the highways to express solidarity with farmers protesting in Punjab and Haryana.