Protesting farmers, including at the Singhu border of the national capital, banged thaalis (utensils) and raised slogans amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio address Mann ki Baat, NDTV reported. The idea of banging utensils was first mooted by PM Modi in a lockdown message, when he asked the public to clap and beat plates during the 'Janata curfew' as an "expression of gratitude towards those risking their lives and working tirelessly during the coronavirus outbreak".
Thousands of farmers agitating against the three new Central agriculture laws stayed put at their agitations venues near Delhi, which is going through a harsh spell of winter, unrelenting in their demand of withdrawal of the legislations. The farmers had reached Singhu border over a month ago. The protesting farmer unions had on Saturday decided to resume their dialogue with the Centre, and proposed December 29 for the next round of talk.
They had also decided that a tractor march will be held on Kundli-Manesar-Palwal highway on December 30. Security remained tight at the Delhi borders with hundreds of personnel deployed at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri where the farmers have been camping.
The protests have also led to traffic congestion forcing police to divert vehicular movement.
Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the Central government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middleman and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country. However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of MSP and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The government has repeatedly asserted that the MSP and mandi systems will stay and has accused the Opposition of misleading the farmers.
-Inputs from PTI
