Farmers on Sunday, December 20, held prayer meets across the country for those who lost their lives in the ongoing protests against the three farm laws. They marked the day as ‘Shradhanjali Diwas’ to recognise the sacrifices of the farmers ever since the agitation started.
The call for the day was given by the joint front of farmer unions, Samyukta Kisan Morcha. The prayer meetings were held from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Delhi: Agitating farmers pay tributes to the farmers who died during the ongoing protest against three farm laws, at Delhi-UP border in Ghazipur. ‘We are paying homage to the farmers who lost their lives during the agitation,’ says a protester. pic.twitter.com/L7mUIcbuxs
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2020 Nearly 33 farmers have died since November 26, due to biting cold weather, accidents, illness, while some during the clash, and one by suicide, Scroll.in reported.
Farmers Observe ‘Shradhanjali Diwas’ For Those Who Died During Protest Read more: https://t.co/UDcgo6YDD0 pic.twitter.com/Qq9RWQm1zq (via @ndtv)
— India News (@dailyindia) December 20, 2020 Manoj Yadav, director-general of police in the northern Haryana state, told Al Jazeera on Friday, that at least 25 farmers have died since the beginning of the protest.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Haryana and Punjab, have been staying at several border points of Delhi for more than three weeks, demanding a repeal of the new agriculture laws.
Several rounds of talks have taken place between the Centre and the farm union leaders in the past few weeks, but no definitive solution has been achieved to break the deadlock.
One of the farm unions, The All-India Kisan Sangarsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, clarifying the protests had no political inclination.
It comes a day after the Prime Minister accused the opposition parties of misleading farmers over the three farm laws.
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