Farmer unions on Sunday, 20 December, decided to step up the pressure on the government as they continued to protest against the Centre’s contentious farm laws, and announced that they would hold a relay hunger strike starting Monday.
The farmers have decided to begin relay hunger strikes across all protest sites, with an 11-member team starting it across the nation, reported news agency IANS.
The agitation by the farmers at the borders of the national capital, defying water cannons, tear gas, and the cold wave, entered Day 26 on Monday.
Farmer union leaders have also requested the protesting farmers to skip a meal on 23 December, celebrated as Kisan Diwas.
“On this Kisan Diwas, farmers across the country will skip a meal. Those who provide food to the nation will stay hungry because of the government’s anti-farmer’s stance. I request everyone not to cook lunch that day and join the farmers,” said Rakesh Tikait, leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union Tikait (BKU) faction in Uttar Pradesh, reported Hindustan Times.
Farmers Threaten to Make Toll Plazas Free for 2 Days
The agitating farmers have also said that they will make all toll plazas free from 25-27 December.
“All farmers leaders would go to the NDA partners asking them to compel the government to take back the laws. If they don’t agree with us, we would boycott them too,” said Jagjit Singh Dalewal, of the Bharatiya Kisan Union-Sidhupur, added IANS.
The farmers have also reportedly decided to boycott any NDA constituent who does not back their agitation.
Further, addressing a joint press conference at the Singhu border on Sunday, the farmers unions said: "On 27 December, PM Modi will speak in 'Mann ki Baat' but we want to appeal to all of you to bang utensils till the time the PM is speaking."
On Sunday, farmers across the country paid tribute to their fellow farmers who had lost their lives during the ongoing protests. Farmers protesting at the Delhi-UP border joined in to pay homage, while those at Nirankari Samagam ground in Burari took out a procession to pay their tributes. However, the gesture was not restricted to Delhi alone.
(With inputs from IANS and Hindustan Times.)
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