Chhavi Bhatia-

Tikri: On May 26, the otherwise green and yellow hues of Tikri border had turned black as farmers marked completion of six months of their protest on Delhi borders with Kala Diwas or Black Day. Lakhs of farmers including women wore black to register their indignation towards the Centre for not heeding to their demands of repealing the three controversial Farm Laws and assured MSP.

Wearing Black turbans and dupattas, a departure from their usual green and yellow—representing colour of kisaniand farmers’ union, thousands of agitating farmers raised black flags and burnt effigies of the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to address their issues. They also put black flags atop their tractors and trolleys, their makeshift homes, as a sign of protest. “We are raising our voices against anti-farmer policies of this corporates driven government. We will continue to do so till the laws are rolled back,” said Abhimanyu Kuhar, member, Samyukta Kisan Morcha.

For six months now, lakhs of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh are camping on various Delhi borders, demanding a rollback on the new farm laws which farmers say will put them at mercy of corporates. The sit-in began on November 26 when hundreds of farmers from these parts of the country reached the outskirts of Delhi. A lot of these peasants have now even set up homes of bricks and mortar to deal with the vagaries of weather, expecting the battle to go on for long. “If this government is so obstinate, we are no less. It is hond di ladai (it is a fight for our existence). We can live here for six years if need be,” 51-year-old Ranjodh Singh, a farmer from Moga district, Punjab.

Thousands like Singh are unanimous in this decision, swearing to fight to finish. “We are being forced to do this. Who wants to live on the roads for months, away from families? The moment the government accepts our demands of dissolving the new Act and gives us assurance of MSP, we will go back,” said Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president, Bharatiya Kisan Union(Ugrahan).

Multiple rounds of talks between the farmers’ unions and the government have hit a roadblock.Earlier this year, Modi’s government had offered to put the farm laws on hold for 18 months, but the farmers rejected the offer, saying they want a complete repeal.