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