NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian farmers began gathering on Saturday to block a six-lane highway outside New Delhi to mark the 100th day of protests against agricultural market deregulation to put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government .
Farmers, young and old, took to the highway in cars, trucks and tractors for a five-hour roadblock to oppose three agricultural laws that went into effect in September 2020, harming them by opening up the agricultural sector to private players.
Modi called the laws much-needed reform for the country’s sprawling and obsolete agricultural sector, portraying the protests as politically motivated.
“The Modi government has turned this protest movement into an ego issue. They cannot see the pain of the farmers, ”said Amarjeet Singh, a 68-year-old farmer from Punjab state. “They have left us no choice but to protest.”
Tens of thousands of farmers from various northern Indian states have been camping in bitter cold on the outskirts of the capital since December, demanding that the laws be repealed.
Their movement has received international attention and support, including from celebrities such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and American singer Rihanna, but several rounds of negotiations between farmer leaders and the government have failed.
Modi’s government has lashed out at supporters of the protests and has been accused by rights activists of using harsh tactics to curb the protests.
While the protests were mostly peaceful, a short wave of violence on Jan. 26 led to the death of a protester, and police have filed criminal charges against eight journalists for allegedly misreporting the day’s events.
“The Indian authorities’ response to protests has been aimed at discrediting peaceful protesters, harassing government critics and prosecuting those reporting the events,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement last month.
As the capital braces for harsh summers and the harvest season begins, farmers who gathered on Saturday said they had no plans to return until their demands were met.
“Bitter cold did not affect our movement, nor will lethal heat,” said Raja Singh, a 58-year-old farmer from Punjab state.
Editing by Jacqueline Wong