NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian farmers began meeting on Saturday to block a six-lane expressway outside New Delhi to mark the 100th day of protests against the deregulation of agricultural markets, to add pressure to the Prime Minister’s government Narendra Modi.
Young and old farmers drove in cars, trucks and tractors to the highway for a five-hour blockade to oppose three agricultural laws enacted in September 2020, they say it hurt them by opening up the agricultural sector to private participants.
Modi called the much-needed reform laws for the country’s vast and outdated agricultural sector and described the protests as politically motivated.
“The Modi government made this protest movement a matter of ego. They can’t see the farmers’ pain, ”said Amarjeet Singh, a 68-year-old farmer from the state of Punjab. “They left us no option but to protest.”
Tens of thousands of farmers from various northern Indian states have been camped outside the capital in the cold since December, demanding that the laws be repealed.
His movement has gained international attention and support, including from celebrities like climate activist Greta Thunberg and American singer Rihanna, but several rounds of negotiations between farm leaders and the government have failed.
Modi’s government attacked supporters of the protests and was accused by human rights activists of using violent tactics to contain the protests.
Although the protests were mostly peaceful, a brief wave of violence on January 26 led to the death of a protester, and the police brought criminal charges against eight journalists for allegedly incorrect information about the day’s events.
“The Indian authorities’ response to the protests focused on discrediting peaceful protesters, harassing government critics and prosecuting those who report the events,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement last month.
As the capital prepares for difficult summers and the harvest season begins, farmers who met on Saturday said they had no plans to return until their demands were met.
“The intense cold did not affect our movement and neither did the deadly heat,” said Raja Singh, a 58-year-old farmer from the state of Punjab.
Editing by Jacqueline Wong