NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian farmers began rally on Saturday to block a six-lane highway on the outskirts of New Delhi on the occasion of the centenary day of protests against deregulation of agricultural markets, to add pressure to the former government Minister Narendra Modi.
Farmers, young and old, drove cars, trucks and tractors on the road for a five-hour blockade to oppose three agricultural laws enacted in September 2020, they say, which hurt them by opening up the sector agricultural to private agents.
Modi has called the laws much-needed reforms for the country’s vast and outdated agricultural sector, and has painted the protests as political motives.
“The Modi government has turned this protest movement into an ego issue. They are not able to see the pain of the farmers,” said Amarjeet Singh, a 68-year-old farmer from the state of Punjab. “They have left us no choice but to protest.”
Tens of thousands of farmers from various northern Indian states have been encamped on the outskirts of the capital with a severe cold since December demanding the repeal of the laws.
His movement has gained international attention and support, even from celebrities such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and American singer Rihanna, but several rounds of negotiations between farmer leaders and the government have failed.
The Modi government has attacked supporters of the protests and has been accused by rights activists of using heavy tactics to curb the protests.
Although the protests have been mostly peaceful, a brief period of violence on January 26 resulted in the death of a protester, and police filed criminal charges against eight journalists for alleged misinformation about the day’s events.
“The Indian authorities’ response to the protests has focused on discrediting peaceful protesters, harassing government critics and persecuting those who reported the events,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement last month.
As the capital begins for the harsh summers and harvest season, farmers who met on Saturday said they had no plans to back down until their demands were met.
“The bitter cold did not affect our movement nor did the deadly heat,” said Raja Singh, a 58-year-old farmer from the state of Punjab.
Edited by Jacqueline Wong