NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian farmers began rallying on Saturday to block a six-lane highway outside New Delhi to celebrate the 100th day of protests against deregulation of agricultural markets, to put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government fit.
Farmers, young and old, sent cars, trucks and tractors to the highway for a five-hour roadblock to oppose three farm laws passed in September 2020.
Modi called the laws much-needed reforms for the large and outdated agricultural sector in the country, and viewed the protests as politically motivated.
“The Modi government has turned this protest movement into an ego issue. They can not see the farmers’ pain, “said Amarjeet Singh, a 68-year-old Punjab farmer. “They left us no choice but to protest.”
Tens of thousands of farmers from various North Indian states have been camping out in bitter cold on the outskirts of the capital since December, demanding that the laws be repealed.
Their movement received international attention and support, including from celebrities such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and American singer Rihanna, but several rounds of negotiations between peasant leaders and the government failed.
The government of Modi has expressed support for the protests and is accused by rights activists of using heavy-handed tactics to quell the protests.
Although the protests were mostly peaceful, a brief spate of violence on January 26 led to the death of a protester, and police filed criminal charges against eight journalists for alleged misreporting of the day’s events.
“The Indian authorities’ response to the protests has focused on discrediting peaceful protesters, harassing government critics and prosecuting those who report on the events,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement last month.
As the capital begins for hard summers and the harvest season, farmers who met on Saturday said they have no plans to return until their demands are met.
“Bitter cold did not affect our movement, nor did deadly heat,” said Raja Singh, a 58-year-old farmer from Punjab.
Edited by Jacqueline Wong