As the ten-day ‘gaon bandh’ reached its midpoint on Tuesday, farm leaders vowed to widen their agitation if the government failed to respond to their demands by June 10.
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“Farmers are giving an ultimatum to the government: if they do not listen to what we are saying by June 10, we will take our protest to the whole country, make it a jan andolan, and give the BJP a nationwide shavyatra (funeral),” said Shiv Kumar Sharma, president of the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, a platform of 130 farmers groups which is leading the protest along with the Ekta Kisan Manch. Their demands include a complete loan waiver, higher support prices and an assured minimum income for farmers.
The Mahasangh held an emergency meet of its core committee in Delhi on Tuesday after its alliance suffered a breach in Punjab. Unions from the State will pull out of the protest after June 6, uncomfortable with the outbreaks of violence and the forcible closure of roads to prevent farmers heading to market. On Wednesday, protesters will commemorate the death anniversary of six farmers killed in police firing during a similar agitation last year. On Saturday, the Mahasangh is calling for a nationwide hunger strike by farmers.
