On Monday, Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, is set to visit the agitating farmers at the Singhu border of the Indian capital to check the arrangements put in place for the protesters. These farmers have marched to Delhi from several Indian agricultural states including Punab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Farmers have decided to occupy toll plazas around Delhi and across the country if the laws are not pulled back by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, that has advocated the new legislation as “progressive” and in favour of the farmers.
Meanwhile, visuals of severely jammed traffic blocking Delhi roads amid the protests have surfaced on social media.
Meanwhile, traffic comes to a grinding halt at the DND, crazy jam! This, primarily because of several layers of barricading by Delhi Police along the highway.
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) December 7, 2020
Wonder why Delhi Police has to make people crawl on a Monday morning when farmers are not even here on DND. pic.twitter.com/amwNV77pa4
Videos of Indians living in other countries including the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, who have come out in support of the farmers have also emerged on Twitter as the movement seems to be gathering a momentum globally.
California Rally for Farmers Protest in India
— Vijay Prakash ( बेबाक विजय ) (@VijayPrakashJi) December 7, 2020
Thaks you california wale verro..to #FarmerProtests
lets see#कल_भारत_बंद_रहेगा #कल_किसानों_का_भारतबंद_रहेगा
pic.twitter.com/Yo81GfTbIA
Wow what a powerful protest and message of solidarity by the UK sikh sangat for the #FarmersProtest outside the Indian Embassy in London! Bolle Soun Nihal! Sat Sri AkkkaaaaL#कल_भारत_बंद_रहेगा#कल_किसानों_का_भारतबंद_रहेगा#8दिसंबर_भारत_बंद
— Vijay Prakash ( बेबाक विजय ) (@VijayPrakashJi) December 7, 2020
pic.twitter.com/tCiPel5wRO
London protest at front of Indian high commission
— Vijay Prakash ( बेबाक विजय ) (@VijayPrakashJi) December 7, 2020
Thousands of Protesters held signs in their hands gathered in front of Indian high commission office London.#कल_भारत_बंद_रहेगा#कल_किसानों_का_भारतबंद_रहेगा#8दिसंबर_भारत_बंद#FarmersProtest
pic.twitter.com/pC5t5gi4Mw
Peaceful protests in support of Farmer Protests in Melbourne, Australia.#SpeakUpForFarmers #Tractor2Twitter #BycottAdaniAmbani pic.twitter.com/qt4ncibnDz
— SpeakUpForFarmers (@dhillonaman) December 2, 2020
The three laws that sparked the controversy are -- The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
The farmers fear that with these new laws, the BJP government is backing out from its role as a price guarantor for their produce while leaving their earnings to be influenced by market forces.