Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers hold nationwide protests, reiterate demands

Nationwide demonstrations were held on Wednesday, with farmers burning effigies of the Modi government and hoisting black flags on their rooftops and vehicles to mark six months of their sit-in at the Delhi borders seeking the withdrawal of the three farms laws. The demonstrations were held in response to a call by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a coalition of hundreds of farmer unions, to observe May 26 as a “Black Day”. Twelve Opposition parties had on Sunday issued a statement in support of the call. Though Haryana and Punjab witnessed spirited demonstrations across almost all districts, there were reports of protests held in several parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. Farmers and locals marked the “Black Day” in different ways in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir and various places in Tripura and Assam in large numbers, said the SKM. In Punjab, farmers affiliated to various outfits staged sit-ins at almost all the toll plazas on the highways. They squatted on roads and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendera Modi. The protest sites at Delhi’s borders saw the numbers swell, with hundreds of farmers joining the protest. The demonstrators hoisted black flags on their tents, trolleys, cars, tractors and temporary structures at the Singhu border. Led by All-India Kisan Sabha national president Ashok Dhawale, several leaders of the outfit held “Black Day” demonstrations in New Delhi. Balbir Singh Rajewal, who heads his own faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union in Punjab, said creating awareness about the farmers’ issues was the biggest achievement of the movement.

The Hindu

2021-05-27

NEW DELHI