Farmers observe 'Black Day' to mark 6 months of protest, vow to carry out agitation for long

Similar protests were also reported from a few places in neighbouring Haryana

With no sign of the government acceding to their demands for withdrawing three contentious farm laws, farmers' bodies on Wednesday observed "Black Day'' in various states to mark the six months of their agitation and send a message to the Modi government that is completing seven years this month.

Farmers agitating at three Delhi border points raised black flags, shouted anti-government slogans, burnt effigies, and took out protest marches and their leaders vowed to continue the protest for long ('ye aandolan lamba chalega').

A ruckus took place at the Ghazipur protest site, which is one among three sites along with Singhu and Tikri, where farmers burnt effigies of the central government leaders and put up black flags amid heavy police deployment.

In Pics — Farmers observe 'Black Day' by hoisting black flag & burning effigies

"If laws can be made in coronavirus times, why can't they be withdrawn. The government has been trying to crush the agitation and will do so in the future as well but farmers are not going to leave the borders of Delhi unless the government nullifies the three laws and enacts a law on Minimum Support Price," Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said.

Tikait led the protest at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, where several BKU leaders held black flags as well placards condemning the government.

Amid uncertainty over the next course, Tikait highlighted, "I don't know what will be the fate of the agitation. But if the agitation fails, the government will start acting arbitrarily (Sarkar manmarji karegi). If the agitation is successful, coming generations of farmers will benefit."

Amid concerns over Covid-19 spread due to large gatherings by farmers, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued notices to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana on the alleged flouting of norms by the protesting farmers.

Also read — NHRC seeks report from three states on alleged flouting of Covid appropriate behaviour at farmers' protests

Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said farmers are prepared to end the protest today if the Centre agrees to our demands but we are also ready to continue our agitation so long our demands are not fulfilled.

Black flags were hoisted also in villages in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, where villagers put up black flags atop their houses as well as on their vehicles. Farmer leaders said they have urged people to support farmers by putting black flags at their residences and other places.

In Punjab, protesting farmers burnt effigies of the BJP-led government at many places including Amritsar, Muktsar, Moga, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, and Bathinda in Punjab.

Sukhbir Singh Badal from Shiromani Akali Dal, which had walked out of NDA last year protesting against the farm laws, also put up a black flag at his house. Badal tweeted, "As #KisanAndolan completes 6 months today, I again urge the Centre to deal compassionately with farmers & repeal the black laws. Have hoisted a #BlackFlag atop my Badal residence today & likewise @Akali_Dal_ leaders & workers have done the same observing #Black_Day_Of_Farmers."

In neighbouring Haryana, farmers held protests in Ambala, Hisar, Sirsa, Karnal, Rohtak, Jind, Bhiwani, Sonipat, and Jhajjar.

Haryana Congress president Kumari Selja said that their party stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the farmers while AICC Communication department chief Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the Centre of having adopted an adamant attitude towards their demands.

Twelve Opposition parties, which had on May 12 written a joint letter to Modi demanding the repeal of the three farm laws passed by the government last year, have extended support to the farmers' nationwide call.

"Modi government will have to withdraw three laws at all costs. Any conspiracy to destroy farmers will not be allowed to succeed," the Congress said on hashtag #NationalBlackDay".

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said, "Farmers who give blood for every food grain that reaches us are observing 'black day' today. Every citizen of the country is angry with the insult meted out to farmers due to the ego of the BJP government." He tweeted, "We are indebted to farmers for every single morsel we eat," with hashtags #Kisan and #KisanEktaMorcha.

Read | Navjot Singh Sidhu hoists black flag at his house in support of protesting farmers

The protest happened five days after Samyukta Kisan Morcha sent a letter to the Prime Minister for restarting negotiations. But there was no forward movement. Modi had earlier said the government is just a call away. The last talk between the government and farmers had taken place on January 22, which was the 11th round of conversation between them.

After the 10 rounds of talks with farmer bodies, the government had proposed to suspend the three contentious laws for one and half years and set up a joint committee to discuss them. However, the farmers' bodies rejected it. After January 26 violence during the farmer protest in Delhi, the government did not get back to the farmers for a talk saying it had already made the best possible offer.