India’s capital is under siege from more than 2 million farmers, who are currently gathered at the city’s border in a massive protest that started three weeks ago. Old and young men, women, and even children from farming families are camping on open roads in the bitter cold of a Delhi winter. They have abandoned their concerns about viral infection and come prepared for the long haul, bringing enough food to last for several months.
The movement began when several thousand farmers from the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana drove their tractors toward Delhi in the hope of publicising their grievances. The protests subsequently swelled as more farmers arrived from other states, and show no sign of dissipating.
More than 500 farmers’ organisations across India are supporting the protesters’ demands, and the farmers’ calls for “Bharat Bandh”, or a national…
