Farmers in Indian Punjab have intensified their protest against New Delhi, announcing a new phase of action as a group of 111 farmers began fast-unto-death on Wednesday.  Clad in black clothes to symbolize their defiance, the farmers are escalating their demands for justice and seeking resolution of pending issues that have been ignored by the Modi government in Centre. The ongoing protests highlight the ongoing struggles of Punjab’s Sikh farmers, who are considered the backbone of India’s agriculture.

These farmers, long subjected to indifference and brutality, are now forced into hunger strikes as their peaceful pleas fall on deaf ears, with the BJP government continuing to overlook their plight. The intensification of the protest comes in the face of continued police repression and an unwavering stance by the ruling Hindutva-driven BJP government, which the farmers argue seeks to undermine the Sikh community and erase Punjab’s cultural identity. 

With the demands of Punjab’s farmers ignored, their struggle has evolved into a fight for survival, not just for economic justice but for their very dignity. The fast-unto-death is a desperate move against the oppression they face under Modi’s administration, which the farmers accuse of transforming India from a democracy to a dictatorship.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)