Farmer Protests: Farmers Desert Shahjahanpur Protest Site On Delhi - Jaipur Highway

As a large number of the protesters returned home to harvest the wheat and mustard crops, the site of the farmers’ protest near Shahjahanpur on the Delhi-Jaipur highway looks deserted.

Many of the hundreds of huts erected on the highway are empty. There are only a handful of people in the area, reports The Times of India.

“The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has allowed people to go back to their villages, though most will be back in the next couple of weeks after the harvest is done,” said Gurdar Singh from Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan.

“Most of the protesters here hail from Hanumangarh, Churu, Ganganagar and Sikar districts of Rajasthan, places where mustard is cultivated. People have small fields and the families mostly carry out the harvesting on their own, not with hired labourers. We are optimistic of people returning on a rotation basis before the march to Delhi,” said a protester Japan Singh.

"We are asking people to come here on a rotation basis. The dust-storms of April 1 damaged many tents, but we are not budging,” he said.

Maleram from Sikar district who hasn’t left the protest site since 13 December said that they have braved storms, the harsh winter and rains. He asked what is the point of giving up now? He declared that they will stay till the three farm laws are repealed.