Farmers protesting the center’s agricultural laws have announced a second hunger strike (Archive)
New Delhi:
Farmers protesting the center’s farm laws will take part in an indefinite relay hunger strike starting Monday, Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav, who is one of the protest leaders, said late tonight. . Yadav also asked people to “bang thalis during the next PM Modi Mann ki Baat (expires next Sunday) “to ask the Prime Minister” when will they hear our (farmers’) baat“.
Monday’s indefinite relay hunger strike will be the third major national event organized by farmers, after last week “Bharat Bandh“and a previous hunger strike, which attracted widespread support from opposition parties, in their fight to eliminate contentious laws.”
“The farmers made five important announcements today. First, starting Monday we will hold an indefinite relay hunger strike here, with 11 people taking turns fasting for 24 hours each,” Yadav told NDTV.
“The second announcement is that on December 23, which is Kisan diwas (Farmer’s Day), to honor the men and women who put food on your table for three meals a day, fast once. This is our humble calling, “he added.
Yadav also said that on December 26 and 27 the farmer groups would send letters to BJP allies (those who are members of the NDA) to withdraw their support. In the same days, the farmers also asked the indigenous residents abroad to approach their respective embassies and urge the center to withdraw the agricultural laws.
The fifth and final announcement, Yadav said, was the request to hit thalis during the Prime Minister’s meeting. Mann ki Baat speaks.
“Finally, on December 27, when the Prime Minister gives his Mann Ki Baat radio address, the farmers will say ‘we are tired of hearing your Mann ki Baat, when are you going to hear our Mann ki Baat? ‘Then we will hit the utensils so that the noise of their Mann ki Baat it does not reach us, “he explained.
The farmers’ Mann ki Baat The request is a reference to the Prime Minister asking people in March to strike thalis to show their support for frontline workers in the battle against the novel coronavirus.
Meanwhile, at today’s press conference, farmers also attacked TI’s raids on commission agents, known as Arhityas, who support them in their agitation against the agricultural laws.
“We have never received money from industrialists, political parties or Arhtiyas. These (the funds in question) are the money of our fans whom we ask for help. We will give you an answer to the warning if you ask, “said Joginder Ugraha, the head of BKU (Ugrahan).
The protest entered its 25th today, which was called Shradhanjali Diwas, with a moving tribute to the 29 lives reportedly lost since thousands of farmers defied lathi and tear gas charges to march on Delhi late last month.
In Singhu, the prayers were read before the posters of the 29 people. Another poster said that farmers would not rest before achieving what their brothers and sisters had died for.
Several rounds of talks between the farmers and the center have failed and neither side is willing to compromise its positions. Farmers want the laws removed and the center is only open to amend more problematic sections. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will meet with farmers this week for further talks, according to the PTI news agency.
Voted in parliament in September with little debate, the center says the laws give farmers additional options for selling their produce. Farmers, however, fear the loss of MSP (minimum support price) and even their livelihoods once corporate houses enter the market.
With input from PTI
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