Farmers protesting at Singhu borderFarmers’ Protest Highlights: With the farm protests spilling over to the third week and no end in sight to the deadlock, farmer leaders on Saturday said they have decided to intensify their agitation against the controversial agriculture laws and that their union leaders will sit on a hunger strike on December 14.
“If the government wants to hold talks, we are ready, but our main demand will remain the scrapping of the three laws. We will move onto our other demands only after that,” farmer leader Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu told reporters at Singhu border. He also announced that thousands of farmers will start their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march from Rajasthan’s Shahjahanpur through the Jaipur-Delhi Highway at 11 am on Sunday.
The move to intensify the stir came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured them that his government was committed to their welfare and that the legislations were aimed at giving them alternate markets to boost income.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of branding every person opposing it a “Maoist” and an “anti-national” and urged the Centre to accede to the demands of the protesting farmers. The party’s comments came after Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said some “anti-social elements” are conspiring to spoil the atmosphere of the peasants’ movement under the guise of farmers, and appealed to the protesting farming community to be vigilant against their platform being misused.
Thousands of farmers from states like Punjab and Haryana have blocked some of the highways leading to Delhi borders for more than two weeks now against the new farm laws which they fear will prompt the government to stop making direct crop purchases at minimum state-set prices, called minimum support price.
Making Minimum Support Price (MSP) a legal right is not a demand that farmers alone have been raising. In fact, the Union government's own statutory body had suggested the same two years back.
The Commission for Agriculture Cost and Prices (CACP), which was set up in January 1965 as Agriculture Price Commission (later changed its name to CACP in 1985 ), which is under the Ministry of Agriculture, has been fixing MSP of crops for the over five decades now. It currently fixes the MSP of 23 crops every year. In 2018, CACP had suggested the Centre should make MSP a legal right for the farmers.
“In its report titled ‘Price Policy for Kharif Crops’ for the marketing season 2018-19, the CACP had mentioned that procurement of the farmers crop system is shattered for most crops and most farmers are forced to sell their crops to local traders only who are purchasing the crops at quite below the suggested MSP by it (CACP),” said a retired Prof of Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, adding that there is no use of fixing the MSP of crops if they are not implemented on the ground or they do not have any legal value.
(Input from Anju Agnihotri Chaba, Jalandhar)
Farmers in Rajasthan blocked highways at several places on Saturday to protest against the Centre's new agri laws, with BJP-ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) MP Hanuman Beniwal joining one such demonstration.
Terming the new farm laws as "anti-farmer", Beniwal, the convenor of RLP, said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is equally concerned about the farmers, he should implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. He also reiterated that he would withdraw from the NDA if talks do not turn in favour of farmers. Beniwal along with his supporters also announced that they would move towards the Rajasthan-Delhi border to protest against the new farm laws.
Addressing a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' organized at Kotputli, Beniwal said the Centre did not hold discussions with stakeholders before bringing the farm laws. "When the three bills were brought, they did not talk to anyone. We are also a part of the NDA. We are also the sons of farmers. They should have talked to us. They should have told us that they are bringing such a bill for farmers. I do not know who drafted the bills... They were brought and passed," Beniwal said.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi assuring farmers that his government was committed to their welfare, the Congress on Saturday hit out at him, saying the farmers want pro-people governance not flowery speeches and urged the Centre to accede to their demands.
In a tweet, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala attacked Modi for his remarks at an event on Saturday that the agri reforms will be beneficial for the farmers, saying the "whole country is fed up of your enticing 'lollypops'". He said the farmers want pro-people governance not flowery speeches, and the people in the country want cheap ration.
The opposition party also cited a media report to claim that 11 farmers have died in the last 17 days while protesting the new agri laws, with former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi asking how many more sacrifices will the farmers have to make to get the legislations repealed.
In support of farmers' protests in Delhi, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) workers on Saturday briefly took over Maant toll plaza on the Yamuna Expressway here and allowed free movement of vehicles for some time before being detained by police.
"Over three dozen activists of Bhartiya Kisan Union took possession of Maant toll plaza this forenoon," said Raj Kumar Tomar, District President, BKU.
Though a majority of BKU activists had left for Delhi to participate in the agitation, several others were kept under "house arrest" since the early hours of Saturday, he alleged. In protest, more than 30 BKU workers reached Maant toll plaza and allowed all vehicles to travel for free for some time.
Police got information and reached the spot on the highway. Later, they whisked away the protesters and detained them at a nearby police station for a few hours. They were set free by evening, police added.
Below are some pictures of members of farmer unions at the Himalayan Expressway Chandimandir Toll Plaza on Saturday.
Protesting farmers from Punjab and Haryana removed police barricades from Sardulgarh-Fatehabad Highway on Saturday afternoon. Watch video here
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday asked the BJP government to stop "atrocities" against farmers and withdraw the three agriculture laws brought in for "looting" them. In a release issued by the party headquarters here, Yadav said the farmers of the country have understood that the BJP government is "adopting different tactics to snatch their land and harvest". He accused the BJP government of becoming a "puppet in the hands of capitalists". PTI
Himachal Pradesh's former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar Saturday alleged that the farmers' stir against the three new farm laws is being funded by "adhatiyas's and is fast slipping into "wrong hands", including those of terror outfits, reported PTI.
"It is unfortunate that even after long talks by ministers and assurances by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the farmers' agitation is becoming more intensified," Kumar said.
"The leadership of the movement now is not in the hands of the farmers working in fields. The movement is being run mainly by political leaders of Punjab," he further alleged.
With farmers refusing to accept the government’s proposal of amendments in the agri laws, some sections are saying that these amendments should have been offered at the beginning of the agitation in June, when it had not yet intensified. However, this perception belies the fact that ever since the decision of bringing the three ordinances was taken at a Union Cabinet meeting held on June 2, the farmers have been demanding their cancellation.
Even before the three agri ordinances, which were notified by the Centre on June 5 this year, came into being legally, farmer unions in Punjab had raised their banner of dissent against the three Bills since as early as June 4.
Security was beefed up at the Delhi Jaipur Highway at Shahjahanpur on Saturday, after farmers announced to intensify their protests. Below are some pictures from the protest site.
A local group performed plays on land ownership and farmer issues at the main stage at Singhu Border in New Delhi on Saturday.
Amid protests by farmers in Delhi over new farm laws, West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh Saturday said the agriculture reform measures help them get better access to markets and realise a higher price for their produce, reported PTI.
Speaking at a party's programme in Paschim Medinipur district, he said farmers in the state have been deprived of getting a remunerative price for their produce.
"Earlier, a farmer was forced to sell his produce to middlemen. They sold potato at Rs 5 per kg, while we are buying it at Rs 40. They are unable to sell their paddy at minimum support price," he said.
"The new farm laws will provide flexibility to farmers to sell their produce in markets where they get a better price," Ghosh said.
Notwithstanding rain and cold, farmers staying put at the Noida-Delhi border intensified their stir on Saturday with 150 of them marching to a hospital owned by BJP's Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma, demanding removal of the three new farm laws.
They also distributed packets of rice and lentils to commuters, urging them to support the farmers' demand.
In the afternoon, over 150 protesters marched to Kailash Hospital in Noida which is owned by BJP leader and Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma. According to a local police official, no untoward incident was reported during the incident. (PTI)
As the farmers’ protest against new farm laws entered its 17th day, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said the agitation no longer remains a farmers’ movement as it has been “infiltrated by Leftist and Maoist elements” demanding the release of those put behind bars for “anti-national activities”.
This, he said, was clearly to derail agriculture reforms brought by the government.
Goyal, however, did not say if the government had or is planning to take any action against any person belonging to banned outfits seen at the protests.
Afteer meeting Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that he is hopeful of next round of talks between Centre and farmers in the next 24-40 hours, PTI reported.
"Till I am in Haryana govt, MSP will be ensured for each farmer," Dushyant said, adding that the Haryana givt is stable as of now and they have a strong position on the MSP issue.
Below are some visuals from the protest site at the Singhu border in New Delhi.
The Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of branding every person opposing it a "Maoist" and an "anti-national", and urged the Centre to accede to the demands of the protesting farmers.
The party's comments came in a day after Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said some "anti-social elements" are conspiring to spoil the atmosphere of the peasants' movement under the guise of farmers, and appealed to the protesting farming community to be vigilant against their platform being misused.
Food, Railway and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal was more direct in his charge, alleging that certain Leftist and Maoist elements seem to have taken "control" of the agitation and rather than discussing farmer issues, they seem to be having some other agenda.
Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tagged a media report on Goyal's remarks and tweeted, "Mr. Modi, autocracy has no place in democracy. Yours and your ministers' policy is to declare every opponent a Maoist and an anti-national."
"Apologise to the farmers who are on a sit-in braving the fierce cold and rains, and accede to their rightful demands immediately," he said in a tweet in Hindi. (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday assured farmers that his government is committed to their welfare and that the legislations were aimed at giving them alternate markets to boost income.
Without directly referring to the farmers' agitation, which entered the 17th day on Saturday, Modi said agriculture reforms as part of government efforts are aimed at removing roadblocks, and the new laws will also bring in technology and investment in the sector.
The government, he said, is committed to protecting the interest and welfare of farmers through its policies and actions.
"Reforms will help draw investment in the agriculture sector and benefit farmers," he said at the annual meeting of industry body FICCI here. "The aim of all government reforms is to make farmers prosperous." (PTI)
The Delhi Police on Saturday increased deployment of personnel and placed more concrete barriers at various border points as farmers have announced to intensify their protests, with plans to block the Delhi-Jaipur highway and the Yamuna Expressway.
"So far, there is no protest at Delhi-Gurgaon border. There is no disruption in traffic movement. However, we have proper security arrangements in place to deal with any situation," a senior police officer said.
Social activist Yogendra Yadav, who is part of the ongoing protests, said farmers from Rajasthan and Haryana are assembling on Saturday and their 'Delhi Chalo' march would begin on Sunday.
"Farmers' 'Delhi march' on Jaipur-Delhi highway will not start today and it will begin from Shahjahanpur border tomorrow. Today, farmers from Rajasthan and Haryana will congregate in Kotputli and Behror," Yadav tweeted in Hindi. (PTI)
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharash Committee Punjab's tractor-trolly convoy move towards Delhi after a night stay at Shabad Markanda in Haryana
Intensifying their protest against the Centre's new agri laws, farmers took over some toll plazas in Haryana on Saturday, not allowing authorities to collect fees from commuters. A call to make all toll plazas free for a day was given by the farmers' unions to intensify their agitation against the three central farm laws. (Express Photo: Jaipal Singh)
As protests against the three central farm laws entered the 17th day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said his government was committed to helping farmers, and the recent reforms would give them access to new markets and technology, and help increase investments in the agricultural sector.
Addressing the 93rd Annual Convention of FICCI, PM Modi said that with the new laws in place, farmers would have the option to sell their crops in mandis or to outside parties. Read more...
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday cited a media report to claim that 11 farmers had died in the last 17 days of protest against the new agriculture laws and asked how many more sacrifices will farmers have to make to get the legislations repealed. "How many more sacrifices will the farmers have to make to get the agri laws repealed?" Gandhi asked in a tweet in Hindi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the reforms are taking place in the country and many are working to remove the walls. "Agricultural reform is a link to this. After these reforms, farmers will get a new market, investment in agriculture sector," he said in his address at the 93rd Annual Convention of FICCI.
The Delhi Police has increased security arrangements at the city's border points following the announcement by agitating farmers to block the Jaipur-Delhi and the Delhi-Agra Expressways on Saturday to further intensify their protest against the Centre's new agri laws. Thousands of farmers have been protesting at various areas on Delhi's borders for the last 16 days and demanding that the legislations be withdrawn. The police have made adequate arrangements and these include multi-layered barricading and deployment of personnel. Measures have also been taken to ensure commuters do not face inconvenience at places were protest are being staged, a senior police officer said. --PTI
Over 1,500 vehicles, including about 1,300 tractor-trolleys, from nearly 1,000 villages in seven districts. This is the size of a new convoy of protesters from Punjab that is expected to reach the Delhi border over the weekend, according to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (KMSC), which launched the first major protest in the state against the Centre's farm laws with the rail blockade from September-end.
KMSC leaders told The Indian Express that the convoy, in multiple groups, will replace the first batch of protesters that reached the border along Kundli on 100 tractor-trollers two weeks ago. Read more
Two days after farmer unions rejected concessions offered by the Centre on the new farm laws, Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad appealed to farmers Friday to continue discussions with the government.
“After all, in discussions if they had any point which we thought we need to address, we addressed. On legal points on the dispute resolution mechanism and registration of traders in the Act, we agreed,” Prasad told The Indian Express. “Our hope is that more and more persuasion will make them (farmers) realise that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and ultimately it is in their interest,” he said.
While he did not specify the modalities of how and when the government will act on the proposal made to the farmers protesting at the borders of Delhi, Prasad underlined that the government’s collective commitment is to “hear the farmers and address their concerns.” Read more
On his birthday on December 12, cricketer Yuvraj Singh distanced himself from his father's recent controversial statments, and said he wished for a swift resolution to the "ongoing talks between our farmers and our government". The cricketer said he was "saddened and upset" by his father's remarks and that "my ideologies are not the same in any manner". Yuvraj's father, Yograj Singh, had recently allegedly made objectionable remarks about women at the farmers' protest.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Friday alleged that a "misleading and deceptive narrative" is being created on the agriculture bills because of which "gross misunderstanding" has spread among farmers. Urging farmers to withdraw their protest after the Centre's promise to make seven amendments to the new agri laws keeping in view the objections raised by them, Chugh said the protesters should not get misled by the "false propaganda".
The Centre's seven undertakings including that the MSP and mandis would continue as it is, should dispel all doubts of the agitating farmers and they should repose their faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said in a statement. Several farmers are protesting at Delhi borders seeking repeal of the new laws enacted by the Centre recently. (PTI)
If the government wants to talk to farmer leaders that should be formally conveyed like in previous occasions, said Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday, asserting that anything less than scrapping of the new agri laws won't be accepted. The government on Thursday asked farmer groups to consider its proposals for amending the Acts to address their concerns and said it was open to discussing its offer further whenever the unions want.
"They (government) should first tell us when and where they want to meet us as they did for previous formal talks. If they invite us for talks, we will discuss that with our coordination committee and then take a decision," Tikait told PTI. The BKU leader said there was no question of returning home until the government repeals the three laws. Asked whether the government has sent any invite for further discussion, he said the farmer unions have not received anything as such. (PTI)
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), one of the unions protesting the new farm laws, Friday moved the Supreme Court against the three controversial legislations, claiming they would make farmers “vulnerable to corporate greed”, news agency ANI reported.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, on the other hand, reiterated that the government is ready to talk with the farmers and urged them to stop the agitation in the “interest of the common people”. He further said the government is willing to make reforms in the laws after talks, ANI reported.
‘I think we will find a solution. I am hopeful. I would like to urge the Farmer Unions that they should break the deadlock. The government has sent them a proposal. If there is an objection over the provisions of an Act, the discussion will be held over it,’ Union Minister Tomar told ANI.
THE PUNJAB Congress plans to hold a demonstration at the Shambu border on December 14 in support of the farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws. PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar made this announcement after a meeting with Cabinet ministers and MLAs in Chandigarh.
The state Congress chief said party workers would also participate in the district-level protest by farmers the same day. He said this protest demonstration would be organised to raise the voice of farmers before the “insensitive and adamant” Union government.
The protest will take place from 11 am to 3 pm, he said, and appealed to the party rank and file to make protest a success.
Jakhar said that the state government led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has strongly presented the “real picture of the Centre’s black laws” before the people of the state who are now standing with the peasantry and giving wholehearted support to their struggle.
"From day 1, the Congress party stands rock solid with farmers as it knows that if there would be any threat to the peasantry, it would have serious repercussions, socially as well as financially, for the state,” he said, adding that these black farm laws would prove just as detrimental for the country’s economy as demonetisation. (With inputs from ENS)
Taking a sip of tea sitting beside a bonfire at the Singhu border, 52-year-old Makkhan Singh Deol tapped on a carton full of roasted gram and said, "The farmers have enough ammunition for the winters." Numerous bonfires dot the GT-Karnal road, the "new home" of the protesting farmers who have been staying put at the Singhu border point of the national capital demanding withdrawal of the new farm reform laws.
A trolley containing jaggery, roasted gram and peanuts arrived on Friday morning from Gurdaspur, Punjab. Another containing dates and gajjak reached the Singhu border on Thursday evening to help the protesting farmers fight the biting cold.
"These are to keep us warm. Come and eat. You won't catch a cold," Deol tells this reporter. He just finished his tea and was now onto 'gajar halwa'.
According to Jagjeet Sandhu from Jalandhar-headquartered Shaheed Bhagat Singh Youth Federation, the farmers get tea, kheer and tomato soup twice a day to keep the cold at bay. Volunteers from a multitude of non-profit organisations have been supplying coffee, tea, milk, jaggery, dates, and peanuts to the farmers in their trolleys and sheds. (PTI)
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the BJP of adopting a "heartless attitude" towards the demands of farmers and said the global response to their protest has "deeply" hurt the image of India worldwide. His party has been backing the farmers' protest against the Centre's three new farm laws.
"The BJP government is ignoring farmers by adopting a heartless attitude towards the justified demands of the agitators shivering on the streets. The global response that is coming to this has deeply hurt the democratic image of India worldwide. The BJP government should stop exploiting those who feed us," Yadav said in a tweet.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) president has asked party workers to organise peaceful sit-ins at district headquarters on December 14 in support of the farmers' agitation, a party statement issued here said. The party is already taking out 'yatras' since December 7 in the state in their support, it added. (PTI)
With some farmer unions intensifying their protest against the central government over the recent agri reforms, the BJP has decided to hold nationwide programmes, including 'chaupal' in rural areas, to highlight the benefits of three farm laws. Party sources said events, including press conferences and public programmes, will be held in most of the over 700 districts of the country in this regard.
The development comes amid opposition parties' united support to the farmers' protest and attack on the Narendra Modi government over the issue. The BJP has accused its rivals of misleading the farmers over the farm reforms and has alleged that opposition parties have been inciting them for selfish political interests. (PTI)
Amid the ongoing protest by farmers against the Centre's new agriculture laws, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday asked the government not to test the tolerance of the cultivators. Talking to reporters, the former Union agriculture minister also said that the protest at Delhi borders may spread elsewhere if no timely decision was taken by the Centre on the farmers' demands.
He maintained that the farm bills concerned were passed in a "hurried" manner in the Parliament despite the opposition parties calling for a detailed discussion on them. "Today, farmers have made the extreme demand of withdrawing the laws first and said the issue can be discussed later. The Centre's position on the same, however, does not seem to be favourable. Hence, there are signs that the deadlock may continue for some more days," Pawar said. (PTI)
Garbage has been piling up at the Singhu border in Delhi where the farmers has been staying put for over a fortnight protesting the farm reform laws, with many complaining there has been little help from the authorities in keeping the site clean. Clusters of piled up paper and plastic glasses, bottles, fruit peels, waste generated from the food being cooked and dirty toilets combined with stagnant water generating a stench, the conditions at the site is worsening.
"Officials from the municipal corporations have been coming to clean the site once in a while, but it is the farmers who are doing most of the cleaning," said Malkar Singh, a farmer from Karnal, who has been camping at the site since November 25.
On both the Delhi and Haryana sides of the border, a handful employees from the municipal corporations can be seen sweeping on the periphery of the protest sites, but farmers say that is not enough for maintaining the hygiene of the site which is seeing such a massive congregation. "The toilets haven't been cleaned for days. There is no help from the government," said an agitated Gurvinder Singh whoc hails from Ramgarh in Punjab. (PTI)
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Friday reiterated that the government is ready to talk with the farmers, news agency ANI reported. “They [farmers] should leave agitation and take the path of discussion,” said Tomar. He added that the proposal on possible changes to farm laws sent to the protesting farmers is still with them and they have not replied to that yet.
'I think we will find a solution. I am hopeful. I would like to urge the Farmer Unions that they should break the deadlock. The government has sent them a proposal. If there is an objection over the provisions of an Act, the discussion will be held over it,' Union Minister Tomar told ANI.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union on Friday moved the Supreme Court challenging the three agriculture laws, reported news agency ANI. The union claims that the laws will make farmers “vulnerable to corporate greed.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked the government, alleging that it wants the income of farmers in the country to be as low as that earned by those in Bihar. The former party chief cited a media report that claimed that an agricultural household in Punjab earns the highest in a year, while it was lowest in Bihar.
"The farmer wants his income to be as much as that of farmers of Punjab. The Modi government wants the income of all farmers of the country to be as much as that of Bihar farmers," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
The survey cited by Gandhi showed that an average Indian agricultural household earns Rs 77,124 in a year, with Punjab farmers earning Rs 2,16,708 annually and that of Bihar only Rs 42,684. (PTI)
Two senior Delhi Police officers heading security arrangements at Singhu border where thousands of farmers have been camping for two weeks have tested positive for COVID-19, an officer said said on Friday. Both the DCP-rank officers are in isolation, he said. Hundreds of police personnel have been deployed at the Singhu border point to prevent the protesters, demanding a rollback of the new farm laws, from entering the national capital. "Two senior police officers deployed at Singhu border tested positive for coronavirus a few days ago. Both of them are currently in isolation," a senior police officer said. --PTI
While Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala continues to stand by the BJP in defending the three contentious farm legislations, his own party MLAs do not seem to be on the same page with him.
As the standoff between the Union government and various farmer unions continues, discussions on withdrawing support from the BJP in Haryana have started taking place within the Dushyant-led JJP. In the 2019 Assembly polls, when BJP fell short of majority by six seats in the 90-member House, it entered into a post-poll alliance with JJP, which had 10 MLAs. In return for enabling the BJP to form the government, Dushyant had bagged the post of Deputy CM. Both the parties have recently announced that their "alliance is rock-solid" and they will also contest the upcoming municipal body elections in Haryana together. Read more
A DAY after farmers' representatives rejected the Government's offer to amend its new agriculture laws in a bid to resolve the two-week-long faceoff with protesters camped at Delhi's borders, the Centre Thursday issued a fresh call for farmers to end their agitation and join the next round of talks.
Addressing a press conference, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: “I would still urge the unions to find a way through discussions by withdrawing their next phase of agitation.” Read full story here
The appeal from Tomar came after the Centre offered several concessions, including a written assurance on continuation of minimum support price (MSP)-based procurement and parity in transactions inside and outside Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis.