Farmers observing 'Black Friday' today, planning more agitations

Chandigarh: Protesting farmers will observe ‘Black Friday’ today in response to the death of a farmer at Khanauri Border during the ongoing protests against the Centre.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said that the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the platform spearheading the protest, will alongside take out a tractor march on highways towards New Delhi, ANI reported.

‘We will observe a 'Black Friday' tomorrow condoling the death of a farmer at the Khanauri Border crossing in Punjab. We held a tractor march yesterday as well, ANI quoted Rakesh Tikait as saying.

Tikait also said that a tractor march will take place on February 26.

‘On February 26, we will take tractors to the highway, and towards the way that goes to Delhi. It will be a one-day programme, and then we will return. Then, all across India, our meetings will go on. On March 14, there will be a programme at Ram Leela Ground in Delhi for one day. People will go without tractors to that event. The government keeps saying that they are not stopping us so let's see if they will stop us or not,’ he reportedly said.

Tikait was at the forefront of a similar protest previously in 2020-21, which led to Centre repealing three farm laws.

It is reported that ‘Dili Chalo’ protest taken out by the farmers have been halted for two days to monitor the situation on the Shambhu border in Haryana.

The general secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee on Thursday condemned the Central Government for using paramilitary forces to take action against the protesters.

Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said that ‘several rounds of discussion with farmers’ were carried out and batted for more efforts from both sides for a consensus.

Farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border near Ambala since the protest began.