ANIMUMBAI: The United Nations human rights office called on Indian authorities and protesting farmers to exercise "maximum restraint" hours before the growers impose a nationwide road blockade on Saturday seeking a repeal of new agricultural laws.
Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on the outskirts of New Delhi for more than two months, blocking key roads and demonstrating against the laws they say will benefit large private buyers at their expense.
The protests have mostly been peaceful but a tractor rally organised on Jan. 26 flared into turmoil as some farmers clashed with police in New Delhi.
Since then, authorities have shut down the mobile internet in parts of the national capital and heavily barricaded border roads to prevent them from coming into the city again.
"The rights to peaceful assembly & expression should be protected both offline & online," the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Twitter late on Friday.
"It's crucial to find equitable solutions with due respect to #HumanRights for all."
The farmers will hold a three-hour "chakka jam", or road blockade, starting around noon local time across the country except in New Delhi and a couple of neighbouring states
Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on the outskirts of New Delhi for more than two months, blocking key roads and demonstrating against the laws they say will benefit large private buyers at their expense.
The protests have mostly been peaceful but a tractor rally organised on Jan. 26 flared into turmoil as some farmers clashed with police in New Delhi.
Since then, authorities have shut down the mobile internet in parts of the national capital and heavily barricaded border roads to prevent them from coming into the city again.
"The rights to peaceful assembly & expression should be protected both offline & online," the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Twitter late on Friday.
"It's crucial to find equitable solutions with due respect to #HumanRights for all."
The farmers will hold a three-hour "chakka jam", or road blockade, starting around noon local time across the country except in New Delhi and a couple of neighbouring states
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2 Comments on this Story
 | Vadisa Ramarao6 minutes ago And these UN rights activists never comment on human rights violations of Uighur Muslims by Chinese. Pathetically human rights activists by UN. Just ignore them. |
 | Suresh Kamath51 minutes ago WOW Awesome interference of UN with such WISDOM Support for the FARMERS BUT seems to have SHUT their EYES when the Delhi Police were attacked with SWORDS and run over by TRACTORS and 500 Law Enforcers were injured some very Serious and in ICU and then such HUMAN RIGHTS are meant for such "MOBSTERS ' and NEVER for the LAW Abiding Citizens and these Law enforcers who were present to guide these Protester and were ATTACKED and even WOMEN Police were NOT spared and yet these UN Human RIGHTS are NOW batting for the so called "FARMERS" who are actually MIDDLEMEN / AGENTS who have LOOTED these very Farmers of their Rightful Prices of their CROPS and kept them away from the RIGHTFUL Income due to them and this FARM BILLS will assure that INCOME.UN or any other Bodies CAN surely set their Case BUT must first understand the ISSUE and what is set in the BILLS and NEVER go hearsay as MOST of the OPPOSITION Party Members have been doing to win some Brownies on the shoulders of these FARMERS |