As farmer unions are expected to meet government officials to discuss a plan of action, thousands of farmers have gathered at protest sites on Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh ahead of Kisan Diwas.
Farmers are protesting centre's new agricultural laws for nearly a month amid the cold wave sweeping the national capital. Efforts are underway by the unions to draw support from farmers in other states like Bihar for their demand to enact a law ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP).
India observes Kisan Diwas or National Farmers' Day on December 23, in memory of Chaudhary Charan Singh, the great kisan leader and the country's fifth prime minister.
Hardening their stance against farm laws, farmers observed? a relay hunger strike at various protest sites in batches of 11 on Monday.
In the letter to 40 farmer union leaders, the Joint Secretary in the Union Agriculture Ministry, Vivek Aggarwal, on Sunday asked them to specify their concerns over its earlier proposal of amendments in the laws and choose a convenient date for the next round of talks so that the ongoing agitation could end at the earliest.
The sixth round of talks on December 9 was cancelled following a deadlock with the farmer unions refusing to budge from their demand for repealing the three laws.
Owing to the ongoing agitation, the Delhi Traffic Police said the Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari and Mangesh borders are closed.