24-hour relay hunger strike, halting toll collection on Haryana highways: How farmers plan to intensify stir
Thousands of farmers continue to protest Centre's new agri reforms at various Delhi border points for over four weeks now. A number of farmer leaders on Sunday said that they would intensify the stir in the days to come. Camping at the Delhi borders, farmers have been demanding a complete repeal of the farm laws, which have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country. The protesting farmers, however, expressed apprehensions that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and do away with mandis that ensure income, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
HOW FARMERS PLAN TO INTENSIFY STIR
- Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav said that the farmers will begin a day-long relay hunger strike on Monday at all sites of protest against the new agri laws. It will be started by a team of 11 members at protest sites here, Yadav said at a press conference at the Singhu border.
- Yadav also urged people demonstrating against the laws across the country to observe a day-long hunger strike at their respective protest sites.
- Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjeet Singh Dalewala said farmers will halt toll collection on highways in Haryana from December 25 to 27.
- Singh also "appealed" to the people to beat "thalis" at their homes during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat radio programme on December 27.
- Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that the protesting farmers will celebrate Kisan Diwas on December 23 and urged people not to cook lunch for a day.
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