Indian farmers vow to carry on months-long protest despite concerns over coronavirus

FILE PHOTO: Farmers participate in a tractor rally to protest against the newly passed farm bills, on a highway on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, January 7, 2021. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Thousands of Indian farmers, protesting over three new agricultural laws that they say threaten their livelihoods, have vowed to continue with their around-the-clock sit-ins despite a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the country.

Farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states in the north and the desert state of Rajasthan have camped on major national highways for more than four months, demanding a repeal of the laws even as coronavirus infections hit record levels.