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    Thousands of Indian farmers protest in New Delhi

    NEW DELHI (AP) – Thousands of farmers protested in India’s capital yesterday to press their demand for a new law that would guarantee minimum crop prices, after weeks of being blocked from entering the city.

    They rode crowded buses and trains instead of their tractors to New Delhi after authorities barricaded highways into the capital with cement blocks and barbed wire. Police also banned use of farm vehicles as a condition for granting permission for the rally in the city. Participants were also barred from carrying sticks or swords to avoid clashes with police.

    The protesters held placards demanding free electricity for farming. They contended that without minimum price guarantees for their crops, they would be at the mercy of the markets and that would spell disaster, especially for the more than two-thirds of them who own less than one hectare of land. The rally, organised by the United Farmers Front, was held at Ramlila Ground, which is used for religious festivals, major political meetings and entertainment events.

    Police also set a condition for the rally that no more than 5,000 people would participate, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

    Chitwant Singh, a protester, said farmers didn’t earn enough to cover their costs. “The traders and middlemen take away all our profits,” he said. The protests come at a crucial time for India, which has a national election in April-May in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing party is widely expected to secure a third successive term.

    Indian farmers who have been protesting to demand guaranteed crop prices gather at Ramlila ground in New Delhi, India. PHOTO: AP

    Farmers are a particularly influential voting bloc because of their numbers. More than 60 per cent of India’s 1.4 billion people depend on farming for their livelihoods.

    The farmers are also pressing the government to keep its promises to waive loans and withdraw legal cases brought against them during earlier protests in 2021. Several rounds of talks have failed to break the deadlock.

    Separately, thousands of farmers have been protesting in Shambhu, a town about 200 kilometres from the capital, since February 13.

    Authorities have barricaded highways leading to New Delhi with cement blocks, metal containers, barbed wire and iron spikes to prevent the farmers from entering the capital. The farmers have brought bulldozers and excavators to try and push through.

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