Tens of thousands of Indian farmers, protesting over agricultural laws that they say threaten their livelihoods, have vowed to carry on their around-the-clock sit-ins despite cold weather that has already led to some deaths among them.
Since late November, when thousands of farmers arrived in trucks and tractors to camp out on the borders of New Delhi, nearly 30 people have died, several of them as a result of freezing weather, farmers said.
Thousands of farmers angered by three agricultural laws that they say threaten their livelihoods have intensified their protests by blocking highways and camping out on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi.
Petitioners had approached the Supreme Court to complain that the protests had hampered drivers and making it difficult for people to access emergency medical services.
Kisan Morcha says most of the death occurred due to cold wave conditions as protesting farmers have been exposed to the extreme weather condition at Tikri and Singhu borders.
Farmers have been protesting against the ‘farm sector reform’ initiated by Narendra Modi-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Police fired several rounds of tear gas at some places on the outskirts of Delhi and used water cannons at entry points to stop the farmers coming into the city centre.