Indian farmers protesting against three controversial laws remained in their camps outside capital New Delhi despite the rain on Sunday.
A protester at the border with Utter Pardesh said they were living away from their families in harsh weather conditions. He expressed the hope that the government would accept their demands during the next round of talks scheduled on January 4.
After the sixth round of talks on Wednesday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said that the two sides had arrived at an “agreement” on two of the four demands.
Politician Yogendra Yadav, speaking on behalf of the farmers’ unions, said that they would intensify their agitation if the government declined their demands of a repeal of the three agriculture laws and giving legal status to the minimum support price guarantee in the next round of talks.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in the meanwhile, compared the farmers’ protests with the Champaran agitation during the British rule, and said every farmer-labourer part of the current movement is a ”satyagrahi” and they will take their rights back.
“The country is going to face a Champaran-like tragedy. British were ”company Bahadur” back then, and now Modi-friends are ”company Bahadur”,” Mr Gandhi alleged in a tweet in Hindi.
“But, every farmer-labourer of the movement is a ”satyagrahi” who will take back their rights,” the former Congress chief said.
Meanwhile, farmers were seen clearing the rainwater from the protest site. Many of them huddled together under blankets inside their vehicles to keep warm. Tents were set up with waterproof tarpaulin sheets as protection from the rain.
