New Delhi: Farmers are gearing up for a new wave of protests across India’s capital to demand guaranteed minimum crop prices, three years after a major demonstration forced the government to repeal a proposed reform of farm laws.
The farmers, who are expected to move through the state borders today and attempt to enter Delhi to put pressure on the government, will face barricaded highways and movement restrictions.
Government officials had been expected to hold talks with farmer leaders yesterday evening to resolve the issue.
Indian authorities have invoked orders which prohibit public gatherings at certain points of the border.
They have barricaded roads with nails, concrete blocks and spiked rods, and issued advisories asking people to take alternative routes for travel.
The Internet was suspended in certain parts of the state of Haryana, according to local media.
The heavy-handed response to the protest comes after farmers went on strike for almost a year and blocked arterial roads leading into the capital. At the time, the farmers were protesting three contentious farm laws which the government was eventually forced to repeal.
One of the key demands from the farmers is to set a minimum price for each crop – a system that the government said in the past will be difficult to adopt universally. Since farmers are a hefty voter base and the elections are just a few weeks away, a protest may pose a challenge for the government seeking a third term in power.
The farmers’ groups also called for a national strike on Friday. — Bloomberg
