Farm protesters in India burnt to death Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other portrait officials on Friday as part of the “Black Day”. It’s basically a big tractor rally with black flags flying from farm equipment, and it’s meant to keep agriculture in the spotlight. Demonstrators as government forces block a planned march to New Delhi.
farmers started their activities march of protest More than a week ago demonstration Previous marchers called for the repeal of controversial agricultural reforms. Farmers have even more demands this time around, most importantly including a demand for a guaranteed minimum “support price” that the government will pay for their crops, as well as the government’s commitments for 2021. They also claim that they were unable to fulfill some of the requirements.
Last time, farmers besieged New Delhi with semi-permanent protest camps, so this time police were determined to stop them before they reached the city.fierce brawl broke out Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police on Wednesday, leaving more than a dozen officers injured and a 21-year-old demonstrator killed.
As the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest march came to a halt about 125 miles from New Delhi, farmers pitched tentset up a community kitchen, brewed a huge vat of milk tea, and dug in for the “long haul.”
Bearing in mind that protesters had previously used tractors to break through flimsy barricades, police have erected walls of concrete blocks and razor wire to keep farmers at bay, and have periodically attacked farmers when they get too close to the walls. was sprayed with tear gas.
Haryana police fire tear gas shells as demonstrators approach a barricade during a farmers’ protest on the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana near Ambala in Chandigarh, India, on February 14, 2024. was prevented. (Ravi Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
On Thursday, farm leaders was denied Police have offered to pay $120,000 in compensation to the dead man’s family and announced “Black Day” rallies along all lines of protest on Friday. Most of the farmers are Sikhs, so in addition to hanging black flags on their tractors, they also wrapped black cloth around their turbans.
Also on Friday, a battalion of Nihan Sikh fighters was deployed to the protest front, vowing to protect farmers from excessive use of force by police.
Nihan, or “Immortal One” nomadic militaristic sect They live in temporary camps, wear flowing period robes, and fight using traditional weapons such as swords, spears, and shields. This sect was founded by his tenth great spiritual leader of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh in his 1699 AD. They were considered one of the most powerful fighting forces of their time.
Today’s Nihang people spend much of their time attending competitions where they show off their horsemanship and acrobatic skills. martial arts style is known as Gatka.
The Nihan tribe emphasizes this. Gatka They carry sharp swords and spears, not just for show, and are not afraid to use them for a good cause.
“Guru Gobind Singh preaches that Sikhs must always be ready to fight against injustice and oppression. Even in the middle of the night, if these protesters face any trouble. We have to be prepared,” said Nihan leader Sher Singh. Said Reuters on Friday.
“Farmers are being oppressed,” said another Nihan, Raja Ram Singh. “Governments should not think they can scare farmers away.”
“We stand with the oppressed, even if it means dying,” said Ran Fateh Singh, a Nihan warrior. Said Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on Thursday.
Known to be used by the Nihan tribe lethal force against those accused of desecrating sacred sites and works of art; In the 2021 farm protests, three Nihans arrested He is accused of killing the worker, tying his body to a barricade, and cutting off his legs and hands. The sect was unapologetic about the killings, claiming that the workers had flouted holy scriptures.
Thursday, Social Media Platform X Admitted Based on an “administrative order” from the Indian government, accounts and posts related to the farm protests will be deleted. Multiple complaints have been filed by prominent activists and journalists saying their accounts have been blocked.
Company X’s management disagrees with the Indian government’s censorship order and has filed a legal challenge to the “blocking order,” but said it must comply for now.
