Country-wide farmer protests against new farm laws complete 100 days
As the nation-wide farmer protests against the BJP-led Central government’s three newly introduced farm laws complete 100 days on Saturday, farmer leader & spokesperson of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) vowed to keep struggling till his last breath.
Tikait posted a tweet on his official handle, which read, “100 days of farmers’ struggle. Until solution, will struggle till the last breath.”
The Kisaan Ekta Morcha Twitter Handle also tweeted about the completion of 100 days of protest at Delhi Borders.
As the protests have been stretched to last 100 days due to failed talks between the farmer leaders and the Central government, with no fresh initiative for resuming talks from the Centre, the farmer leaders have decided to block the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway and free toll plazas at multiple places on Saturday to mark hundred days of the ongoing movement.
Spokesperson of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, Jagtar Singh Bajwa said toll plazas will be freed in Dasna, Duhai, Baghpat, Dadri and Greater Noida.
The program of the farmers also includes public meetings at toll booths.
“Today, there will be a jam of farmers on the Peripheral Expressway, the expressway will be blocked for five hours from 11 AM to 4 PM,” Rakesh Tikait said, through a tweet on his official handle.
The protesting farmers have decided to observe March 6 as ‘Black Day’.
On Monday, the women farmers will be honored on the occasion of International Women’s Day as the farmer leaders have expressed to celebrate the day.
At least 11 rounds of talks between the Central government and the farmers’ union have failed to end the deadlock over the new farm laws. While the Centre has offered to put the agriculture reform laws on hold for a period of 12-18 months, farmer leaders have refused to budge from their demand of the complete withdrawal of the three laws.
In the meantime, over 200 farmers have died due to extreme weather conditions, suicide, and of hunger amid the protests.
However, the farmers protest movement has already left its mark on regional politics – with most parties backing the farmers. Shiromani Akali Dal of Punjab quit the ruling NDA at the Centre in September itself while in neighbouring Haryana, the Indian National Lok Dal also quit the NDA.
The protesting farmers have also found international support from celebrities such as pop singer Rihanna, former adult movie star Mia Khalifa, and climate change activist Greta Thunberg. In response, the Indian government has labelled the international voices as “international conspiracy” against the country.