Indian farmers plan nationwide three-hour blockade of major roads
The farmers say new laws which the government sees as necessary to modernise Indian agriculture will leave them at the mercy of corporations.
Tens of thousands of protesting Indian farmers plan to blockade major roads across the country for three hours to press their demands for the repeal of new agricultural laws.
Authorities deployed thousands of security forces mainly outside India’s capital, where farmers have camped at three main sites for more than two months.
They say they will not leave until the government rolls back the laws it says are necessary to modernise Indian agriculture.
The scheduled highway blockade is set to start at noon local time (6.30am GMT).
Several rounds of talks between farmers with the government have failed to produce any breakthroughs.
The farmers say the laws will leave them poorer and at the mercy of corporations. Their action is a major challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Friday, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar defended the laws in parliament, dampening hopes of a quick settlement as he made no new offer to resume talks with the farmers.
The largely peaceful rally turned violent on January 26, India’s Republic Day, when a group of farmers riding tractors veered from the protest route and stormed the 17th century Red Fort.
Hundreds of police officers were injured and a protester died.
Scores of farmers were also injured.
Farmers’ leaders condemned the violence, but said they would not call off the protest.
Since then, authorities have heavily increased security at protest sites outside New Delhi’s border, adding iron spikes and steel barricades to stop the farmers from entering the capital.
