The industrialists said they had had a video conference meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and an in-person meeting with Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Prakash, where they had requested them to enforce a ban on steel export.
A few among them held A4 size sheets with messages in support of farmers and seeking repeal of the controversial farm laws. The group was led by Navkirat Kaur (8), a Class 4 student, who carried the donation box in her hands.
At Tikri and Singhu borders several banners of Haryana-Punjab Bhaichara could be seen where farmers of both states were seen cooking together, serving together and even sharing stage together.
"We have been sending milk to Tikri border for the past 20 days despite the fact that it is 200 km away from our village. What is the point of raising SYL issue now? If there will be no land left, what will I do with this water? First we need to save our land and fight against these laws.”
The arhtiyas have objected to the use of term ‘middlemen’ saying they were more than commission agents. They also fear that the Farmers’ Produce, Trade, and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act will eventually lead to them suffering losses to the tune of Rs 1800 crore annually in commission.
The protesting farmer leaders welcomed the apex court's move to acknowledge the right of farmers to non-violent protests, but asserted that their agitation will continue until a concrete solution is found.
So far more than 20 protesting farmers have died either at Delhi’s borders or in road accidents since November 26, out of which majority are from Punjab.
The initiative is a result of an appeal by the Ugrahan group to families to highlight their stories at the farmers' protests.
Women protesters have been going to these dharnas at over 100 places in Punjab daily from 11am to 3 pm.
The hurdles were created near Singhvi village of Hansi and residents of that village and surrounding areas came in no time to start removing the hurdles.
Carefully calibrating their distancing from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), the joint resolution said: “The function organised by BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) has no relation with the farmers' struggle. Their action has harmed the farmers’ struggle.”
While the blockade at Bathinda-Dabwali road was partial and allowed vehicles other than combines to enter from Punjab, the Khanauri-Jind highway and the Fatehabad-Sardulgarh highway were completely blocked. However, farmers removed obstacles placed in their way in the next 3 hours.
Villagers give the estimate for the eatables too. Fifty quintals of pinni has been prepared, 20 quintals of roasted groundnut and three quintals of namkeen packed.
A car rally was organised in Brampton city of Canada where over 300 NRIs settled in Brampton participated. They also staged a protest outside the Indian passport office and were holding hoardings in support of farmers.
"We voted for him as we had hopes from him but he entered into a coalition with BJP. We even reconciled with it. But now we have understood ki usko toh kursi hi pyari hai (he loves his post more).”
Dhanna Singh (45), a resident of Khiyali Chehlan Wali village of Mansa district, died when a tractor-trolley he was travelling in was hit from behind in Mundhal village of Bhiwani district by a truck.
"The number of vehicles would have been one-fourth had we been given permission to organise a rally at Ramlila Maidan in a cordial manner,” said Dr Darshan Pal, working committee member of the All India Kisan Sangrash Coordination Committee (AIKSCC).
“When Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev could organise large rallies in Ramlila Maidan to put forth their point of view, then why can’t farmers do the same,” said Surjit Kumar Jayani, who was Cabinet minister in SAD-BJP regime.
A Punjab Police official in Khanauri (Punjab) said: "We are diverting traffic from alternate routes now. We are also ensuring that movement of essential goods is not affected.”
However, Rajiv Sunda, the 60-year-old owner of the house, was not found at home, they said, adding that in a note, he had blamed his son's in-laws for 'harassing' them and wrote that he was killing his family and committing suicide.
Haryana farmers said that they will be helping Punjab farmers at all the 10 border entry points from where jathas will enter Haryana.
Heavy police force was deployed at Salabatpura branch of the Dera Sacha Sauda as followers continued to throng the spot.
A known playwright and director in Punjab theatre circles, Dr Sewak was a multilingual writer with books in English, Hindi and Punjabi to his credit.
Insisting that their stand of farm bills was unchanged, they pointed to the Delhi march being their next focus area.
A post on Sukha Gill Lamme’s Facebook page claimed that this murder has been done by his accomplices Harjinder and Aman as a “revenge of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib done in October, 2015”.