In an attempt to intensify the farmers’ protest which entered its 14th day on Wednesday, a few workers of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) started providing free fuel at a petrol pump at Delh-Amritsar national highway to encourage more and more farmers to head towards Delhi. “We have started this to encourage more and more people of Punjab to join the agitation and further strengthen it. We are doing this with the help of the local youth and our NRI friends,” Gursharan Singh, a SAD worker said.
A day after Bharat Bandh, the protest seems more on track as the late-night talk between the farmers’ union leaders and Amit Shah offered no way out of the ongoing impasse. Meanwhile, traffic in and around the Capital remained congested as Singhu, Auchandi, Piao, Mangesh borders remain closed.
Earlier, the farmers had said that unless their demands are met, they are prepared to be on the road. They have set up langar at Singhu border. The farmers have come with ration, cylinders, stoves and other necessities. Arrangements of WiFi, tractors with amenities, air-conditioning are also there. If the protest goes on till May, June, we can conduct our meetings in the tractor, a protester said.
The farmers were supposed to meet Union ministers for the sixth round of talks over the farm bills that were enacted in September, but after the meeting with Amit Shah where, as farmer leaders claimed, it was made clear that the Centre won’t repeal the laws, the meeting stands cancelled. The Centre will send a draft proposal to the farmers and the next course of action will be decided after that.