Farmers urge union leaders to begin hunger strike from their place of protest
On December 11, the government had sent a proposal to the protesting farmers with some possible amendments in the laws.
After `Bharat Bandh` called earlier this month, the protesting farmers on Sunday declared a wider day-long movement, urging its leaders to undertake a hunger strike from wherever they are protesting.
The announcement comes after a meeting of farmers here at Singhu border gave their nod to the decision taken by farmer representatives of 32 different unions on Saturday for holding the hunger strike on December 14 (Monday) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Earlier, it was decided that the farmer leaders will hold the hunger strike only on Singhu border at Delhi-Chandigarh route -- one of the major protest site where thousands of farmers have been camping under open skies from November 26 seeking rollback of three farm laws enacted by the government in September during Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Addressing a press briefing here at Singhu, Bhartiya Kisan Union`s (BKU) Haryana President Gurnam Singh Chathuni said "all the leaders would be carrying out hunger strikes wherever they are leading the protest".
Bharatiya Kisan Union`s (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said: "The hunger strike would be carried out tomorrow till 5 p.m. but the farmers will have to take care that no disturbing element comes in our movement".
Amid the prevailing deadlock between farmers and the central government over the new farm laws, Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Som Parkash met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter's residence on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the farmers' agitation in and around Delhi entered its 18th day on Sunday, with farmers threatening to block the Delhi-Jaipur highway.
"Thousands of farmers will begin a tractor march from Shahjahanpur in Rajasthan and block the Jaipur-Delhi main road," Sanyukta Kisan Andolan leader Kamal Preet Singh Pannu had said on Saturday.
On December 11, the government had sent a proposal to the protesting farmers with some possible amendments in the laws.
However, the farmers had rejected the government's proposal and demanded the repealing of laws. They said they will intensify the agitation if the laws are not repealed.
The farmer union leaders have also said they will sit on a hunger strike from 8 am to 5 pm on December 14 at Singhu border.
"On December 14, all farmer leaders will sit on fast sharing the stage at Singhu border. We want the government to take back the three farm laws; we're not in the favour of the proposed amendments. The Centre wants to thwart our movement but we'll continue it peacefully," said Sanyukta Kisan Andolan leader Kamal Preet Singh Pannu.
(With IANS inputs)