One year of farmers' protest LIVE Updates: Thousands throng Singhu border to mark protest anniversary

Hundreds of tractors bedecked with lights and posters rolled through the Singhu border protest site as loud Punjabi and Haryanvi songs filled the air on Friday to mark one year of the protest against the three farm laws that the government is set to formally withdraw. Farmers flaunting colourful turbans, sunshades, long beards and twirling moustaches danced on tractors, distributed sweets and hugged each other to mark the occasion that seemed like a festival.

As the farmers' movement completed a year, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday said their non-violent struggle is a unique saga of valour, patience and determination not only for repealing the farm laws but also to uphold the ethos of democracy and human rights. Channi said he salutes the indomitable spirit of farmers who have been sitting at Delhi's borders for a year. The farmers have been camping at three border points of Delhi -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- for the last one year. The movement against three new farm laws of the Centre began with a "Dilli Chalo" programme on November 26-27 last year.

Hundreds of farmers in tractors started arriving at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border as Friday marked one year of the ongoing farmers' protest against the central laws. Many of them brought along vegetables, sacks of flour and lentils, spices and cooking oil on their tractor-trollies, saying they have come prepared for a long haul.

The Delhi Traffic Police on Friday asked commuters travelling from Ghaziabad towards Delhi to take alternative routes, anticipating traffic gridlock owing to its security arrangements. Commuters have been advised to take Vikash Marg or GT Road to reach Delhi, police said. "Traffic coming from Ghaziabad towards Delhi side remains heavy due to barricading by local police at roundabout Gazipur Underpass. Commuters are advised to take alternative Vikash Marg/GT Road to Delhi," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted.

Amritsar | A group of farmers pays tribute to those who lost their lives during the year-long protest against the Centre's three farm laws.

With the protests against the Centre's farm laws completing a year, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said the agitation will be remembered for the farmers' unshakable 'satyagraha', the "martyrdom of 700 farmers" and the arrogance of the "ruthless" BJP government. "One year of farmers' movement. Will be known for the unshakable satyagraha of farmers, the martyrdom of 700 farmers, the arrogance of the ruthless BJP government and the atrocities on 'annadatas'," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

A massive Kisan-Mazdoor Mahapanchayat is scheduled to be held in Mumbai's Azad Maidan on November 28. The Mahapanchayat will be organised under the joint banner of Samyukta Shetkari Kamgaar Morcha (SSKM) comprising over 100 organisations, and will see the participation of farmers, workers and common citizens from across Maharashtra.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the Centre withdrew its agriculture laws as the BJP is "sensitive" towards farmers. He also attacked the opposition Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), saying his party can never "fire bullets" on farmers and "Ram bhakts". "Our party is always sensitive towards farmers, that's why our prime minister has repealed the farm laws," he said.

The farmers' agitation will continue till their demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP, are fulfilled and also until the Centre holds parleys with them, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said. BKU national spokesperson said they (BJP government) announced repealing of the three farm laws, but it will not solve the issues. There are several issues of farmers that need to be resolved. "The farmers' protest will continue till the central government resumes talks on their demands, including Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee law," Tikait said.

The SKM had on Sunday written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Centre should announce compensation and rehabilitation for the families of the farmers who died during the movement, and allocate land at the Singhu protest site of the farmers to build a memorial in their name. A meeting of the SKM will be held at the Singhu border on Saturday, where the protesting farm unions will take a call on the future course of action.

In Karnataka, farmers will block major highways. In Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, protests will be jointly organised with trade unions at all the district headquarters. Tractor rallies will be taken out in Raipur and Ranchi.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of various farm unions spearheading the ongoing stir, on Thursday said that thousands of farmers are arriving in Delhi to mark one year of the protests. "Farmers and workers are responding in huge numbers. Thousands of farmers have started arriving at the various morchas in Delhi," an SKM statement said. Tractor rallies will be taken out in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal.

The SKM has reiterated its demand raised in its letter to the Prime Minister, that the government should announce compensation and rehabilitation to the families of the farmers died in the movement, and allocate land at the Singhu morcha to build a memorial in their name.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait made it clear that the protest by farmers will continue for MSP law and to oppose various legislations which are in pipeline and are harmful to their interests. He said though the Central government has announced repeal of three farm laws, the farmers' problems will not come to an end with this as the government is trying to bring in various anti-farmer laws.

The Delhi Police on Thursday said security arrangements have been beefed up at various border points of the national capital. A number of events have been planned across the country to mark the completion of a year of the movement. The farmers have been camping at three border points of Delhi -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- for the last one year. The movement against three new farm laws of the Centre began with a "Dilli Chalo" programme on November 26-27 last year.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a consortium of 40-odd farmers' organisations, said in a release: "The fact that such a long struggle has to be waged is a clear reflection on the insensitivity and arrogance of India's Government towards its toiling citizens." "Over the course of twelve months of one of the largest and longest protest movements across the world and in history, crores of people took part in the movement which spread to every state, every district and every village of India," SKM said.

Massive protests on Friday in Delhi, and other places, will mark one year of what the farmers called as "historic struggle" to demand repeal of the three contentious farm laws. The farmers' movement had begun with a call of 'Dilli Chalo' on November 26-27 last year not just protesting the three farm laws but also putting forth several other demands.