New Delhi (AP) – Thousands of protesting Indian farmers blocked highways across the country for several hours on Saturday, forcing their demands to repeal the new agriculture law, sparking months of massive protests.
Protesters used tractors, trucks and boulders to block the roads. Condemning the law they carried banners and flags, saying they would be left at the mercy of the poor and the corporation.
“We will fight till our last breath,” said Zajjan Singh, 80, a farmer at the protest site in Ghazipur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi “Modi should know that either he will stay, or we will stay.”
Officials deployed thousands of security forces, mainly outside the Indian capital, where farmers have been camping at three main locations for more than two months. Farmers have said they will not give up until the government returns the laws.
The blockade began on Saturday afternoon and lasted for three hours. No violence was immediately reported.
Several rounds of negotiations between farmers with the government have failed to make any success available. The government has said that laws are needed to modernize Indian agriculture.
On Friday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar defended the laws in Parliament, He has soaked up hopes of a quick settlement as he has not made any new fur to resume negotiations with the farmers.
The protests turned violent on January 26, India’s Republic Day, when a group of farmers on a tractor crossed the road and attacked the 17th-century Red Fort.. Hundreds of police officers were injured as were a number of farmers. One protester was killed.
Farmer leaders condemned the violence but said they would not protest.
Since then, authorities have stepped up security at protest sites outside New Delhi’s border, Preventing farmers from entering the capital by adding iron spikes and steel barricades.
Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on officials and protesters to exercise “maximum restraint.”
“Peaceful assembly and rights of expression should be protected, both offline and offline. It is crucial for all to find similar solutions with due respect to #humanrights, ”the UN body said in a tweet late Friday night.
.
