Farmers protest day 19: 10 major issues agitating farmers are facing now

As the ongoing farmers' agitation against the three new farm law enters 19th day on Monday (December 14), the farmer unions said they will hold a one-day hunger strike on Monday. The farmer unions also said that protests will be held in all district headquarters to press their demand for the repeal of the new farm laws.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he too will observe a day-long fast on Monday and appealed to the central government to shun ego and scrap the legislation. The farmers will hold the hunger strike from 8 am to 5 pm today. 

On Sunday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar met Home Minister Amit Shah. Tomar was accompanied by BJP leaders from Punjab. It is to be noted that Tomar along with Commer Minister Piyush Goyal had led the Centre's talks with the protesting farmers.

But the farmers who are protesting at Singhu border, Tikri border and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh are facing several issues now and are hoping that the ongoing stalemate ends soon.

Here are 10 major issues protesting farmers are facing now:

1. As the temperature in falling in Delhi adn adjoining areas, farmers, specially senior farmers, are finding it tough to cope with the change in temperature.

2. Since the farmers are away from their homes for 19 days now and those who are not economically sound are now facing the pinch of depleting funds too.

3. Some reports claimed that there is a rift between farmers' unions on blocking the highways and there are many farmers who want to open the borders for normal transport.

4. Farmers are also facing issue of contracting coronavirus as it is impoosible to maintain social distancing at the protest site.

5. Though the farmers are claiming that they have the food items to last for six months, it seems highly unlikely that they would be able to sustain for so long on the road.

6. One of the major issues in front of the farmers is government's stand over the laws. The Centre has made it clear that it it will not repeal the laws while the farmers are putting pressure on the government to repeal the three laws.

7. It is learnt that one group of farmers want to end the protest after accepting the amendments suggested by the Centre but there are farmers unions which are unwilling to call off the strike unless the government repeal the laws. This lack of unity has become another issue.

8. Another issue which the farmers are facing is the entry of some anti-national elements in the protest.

9. Farmers are also facing trouble of sanitation as the mobile toilets which are installed for the farmers at the protest site are not cleaned on time.

10. Many women farmers have returned home after few days because they were finding it tough to use dirty toilets and were unable to bath in the open.