Farmers protesting against the Centre's three new farm laws at Delhi's
periphery observed a 'black day' on Wednesday to mark the completion of six months of their agitation.
''The farmers' protests at Delhi's borders, led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha have completed 6 months of their historical struggle. The scale and style of the protests is unprecedented and is centred around farmers' demand for repeal of 3 anti-farmer laws brought in by the Central Government last year, and farmers asking for a statutory entitlement for all farmers to remunerative MSP,'' Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said in a statement.
''At Singhu Border, the day began by marking the holy occasion of Buddha Poornima. It was after
this that the protestors raised black flags on their tents, trolleys, cars, tractors and temporary
structures. Effigy-burning was taken up in several locations after this, accompanied by sloganeering,'' the statement added.
''Tikri Border also got strengthened by thousands more reaching the protest site today. Local people also joined the protestors and extended their solidarity,'' it said.
''At Ghazipur Border, farmers from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well as Himachal Pradesh joined in greater numbers. At Shahjahanpur, farmers from Haryana and Rajasthan resolved to strengthen the morcha together,'' it said.
On Sunday, a total of 12 opposition parties had supported the call given by SKM, an umbrella organisation of farmers' union, to observe a countrywide protest day on May 26, for the completion of six months of the agitation against the new farm laws.
The protest started on November 26. The farmers are demanding a complete rollback of the new farm reform laws and a guarantee on the Minimum Support Price.
Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, are staging a sit-in protest along the Delhi borders.