Celebrations at Ghazipur border, crowd expected to swell after farm laws repeal announcement

Ghaziabad, November 19

Celebrations erupted on Friday morning at Ghazipur – a landmark farm laws’ protest site at Delhi’s border – with the Centre’s announcement that the contentious legislations will be repealed.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), which is leading the protest at Ghazipur, however, said the protest would not be withdrawn until the laws were repealed in Parliament.

Hundreds of farmers were seen offering sweets to each other at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border to celebrate the “half victory” of their almost year-long protest.

“We had two main demands. All three black farm laws be repealed and a legal guarantee ensured for minimum support price (MSP) for crops through a new law. Our protest will continue till both demands are met,” BKU spokesperson Saurabh Upadhyay told PTI.

Addressing the nation on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the three farm laws were for the benefit of farmers but “we couldn’t convince a section of farmers despite best efforts”.

The goal of the three farm laws was to empower farmers, especially small farmers, he said.

Sunil Pradhan, a BKU office-bearer from Gautam Buddh Nagar district, said the crowd at Ghazipur is expected to swell manifold later in the day.

“Many people have gone to Garh Mukteshwar to attend the Kartik fair and would return after taking a dip in the Ganga,” he said.

“Celebrations have already begun here at Ghazipur. But this is just half victory as other issues, including law on MSP, are yet to be addressed,” he told PTI.

The BKU says further decision on the protest would be taken by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).

The BKU is part of the SKM, a farmers’ collective which has been leading the protest at Delhi’s borders. PTI