Collection of tolls to be halted in Haryana from Dec 25 as Farmers intensify stir

The farmers protesting near National capital seeking repeal of contentious three farm laws are intensifying their stir by announcing they will halt toll collection in Haryana from December 25 to 27. The farmers have urged people to skip cooking to show their solidarity with the movement, media agency reported citing Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait. 

Farmers have been intensifying their demonstrations against the three farm laws 2020 enacted by Parliament in September as the unions said that they are seeing any pragmatic changes from the government’s side. 

Media agencies have reported Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Manjit Singh Rai who said, “The government is delaying our matter unnecessarily. They should have repealed the laws by now and send the farmers back to their homes. Although the government has stated that before the new year begins there would be a solution, however pragmatically speaking, we are not seeing anything hopeful or even close to that.” 

Several protesting leaders demanding the complete withdrawal of the laws also threatened to step up their agitation and said that they are prepared to celebrate the Republic Day (January 26) next year with their tractor rally on Delhi borders. 

The three farm laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the nation. 

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The Central government has repeatedly asserted that these mechanisms will remain.