With the temperature further dropping around Delhi, the farmers' protest in the region is gaining more empathy and support from the general public. In a bid to support them, 83-year-old Indian social activist Anna Hazare has written to the government, saying that he will be initiating a strike in January 2021 if the newly-passed farm laws are not scrapped.
In a two-page letter written in Hindi to the government, Hazare has expressed severe disappointment against the Narendra Modi government.
“The government is just giving empty promises due to which I do not have any trust left (in the government)…Let's see, what action the Centre takes on my demands. They have sought time for a month, so I have given them time till January-end. If my demands are not met, I will resume my hunger strike protest. This would be my last protest," the elderly social activist has noted.
Social activist #AnnaHazare says he will launch a protest in #NewDelhi in January 2021 if his demands concerning farmers are not fulfilled in time. pic.twitter.com/tPUff3MDlD
— Megha Kejriwal (@MeghaKejriwal19) December 29, 2020
Calling it his “last” strike, Hazare has insinuated that at his delicate age, he is willing to fast until death to support the protesting farmers.
Protesting farmers from India’s agricultural states of Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are upset that the Modi government plans to liberalise pricing, allegedly backing out from its role as a price guarantor under these new laws.
Thousands of farmers young and old have joined in the protests, which are concentrated along Delhi's borders.
Despite several rounds of talks with government officials, no middle ground on the situation has been agreed upon as yet that resolves the protests; the Indian capital is shivering in the cold with the temperature dipping to around 3 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the government has proposed another round of talks with farmers on 30 December to break the impasse over the laws.
