News Analysis India

Tag: Agri Laws 2020

  • Punjab CM Amarinder Singh raises farm laws issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday met Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to repeal the three farm laws, citing social, economic and security implications of a prolonged farmers’ agitation.

    He also sought 25 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and anti-drone gadgets for the Border Security Force (BSF) for protection from Pakistan-backed terror forces as Punjab is a border state and cited possible targeting of Hindu temples, prominent farmer leaders, RSS offices, RSS-BJP leaders among others, according to a statement by his office.

    The chief minister said during the meeting that the farm laws have caused great resentment amongst farmers from Punjab and other states and they must be repealed.

    He expressed concern over the fear of inimical powers from across the border trying to exploit the resentment and disgruntlement against the government and sought an expeditious solution to the farmers’ concerns.

    The chief minister said protests have been going on in Punjab ever since the central government issued the ordinances in June 2020.

    “While these protests have so far been largely peaceful, one can sense rising tempers, especially as the state moves towards elections in early 2022,” the chief minister said.

    The prolonged agitation is not only impacting economic activities in Punjab but also has the potential to affect its social fabric, especially when political parties and groups take strong positions, he added.

    The chief minister told Shah that the security situation was grave and needed the Centre’s immediate intervention, as he cited the recent heavy influx of weapons, hand-grenades and IEDs into the state, with Pakistan’s ISI also raising the ante ahead of the Independence Day and in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls.

    Singh asked the Union Home Minister for CAPF deployment in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala, Bathinda, Phagwara and Moga, as well as anti-drone technology for the BSF deployed at the borders.

    He pointed to the “potent threat” to the security of vital infrastructure/installations and public meetings/events being attended by “highly threatened” individuals, an official statement from Punjab government said.

    Referring to inputs from central and state agencies, corroborated by disclosures made by arrested terrorists, Amarinder Singh said potential individual and mass indiscriminate targets include trains, buses and Hindu temples, prominent farmer leaders, RSS Shakhas/Offices, RSS/BJP/Shiv Sena leaders based in Punjab, Deras, Nirankari Bhawans and Samagams.

    He cited specific inputs about five farmer leaders and that they had refused to take security offered by Punjab and Haryana police.

    The chief minister apprised Shah about the recent efforts by Pakistan’s ISI and the country’s establishment to push large quantities of weapons, hand-grenades, RDX explosive, detonators, timer devices, sophisticated laboratory made tiffin bombs into Punjab for carrying out terrorist acts.

    “With the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for February-March 2022, many militant and radical operatives are being pressured by the ISI to carry out terrorist actions.

    These are very serious and worrisome developments having huge security implications for the border state and its people,” the CM warned.

    Amarinder Singh also flagged the urgent need to compensate farmers for the management of paddy straw at Rs 100 per quintal and to address the growing fear of shortage of DAP (Diammonium phosphate), which would further aggravate the problems of farmers.

    He urged Shah to immediately advise the officials of the fertilizers department for enhanced allocation of DAP stocks to Punjab as per the revised demand by the state and to further direct the suppliers to ensure that adequate stocks are given as per schedule.

  • Rajya Sabha business lists debate on ‘agri problems, solutions’, Jairam Ramesh questions his name on it

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has accused the government of putting his name in the discussion on ‘agriculture problems and solutions’ in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday which is not related to his calling attention notice on farmers’ agitation.

    Since the start of the Monsoon session on July 19, parliamentary proceedings have been continuously witnessing disruptions due to protests by Opposition parties and a logjam has persisted over their demand for a discussion on the Pegasus snooping row and farmers’ protests.

    “Tomorrow, in a too clever-by-half move the Modi Government has scheduled a discussion on ‘the agricultural problems and solutions’ and added my name to it.

    “The discussion has nothing to do with my notice given on July 23 on the ongoing farmers’ agitation,” Ramesh tweeted on Monday.

    The government has listed a short-duration discussion on “the agricultural problems and solutions” in the list of businesses of the Rajya Sabha for August 10.

    Ramesh shared a picture of the calling attention notice given on July 23 in which he wrote, “Farmers and farmer organisations have been protesting and agitating against the three farm laws that were pushed through Parliament without any legislative scrutiny in September 2020. The agitation has been going on for at least nine months now.”

    Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien supported Ramesh saying the “dirty tricks” of the BJP is trying to break opposition unity.

    “Dirty tricks of Modi-Shah. Glad you called them out. Opposition speaking in one voice: we want a discussion on internal security (Pegasus). Failed again in trying to divide and rule,” O’Brien tweeted in reply to Ramesh.

  • Farmers will oust BJP government if it doesn’t repeal agri laws: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

    By PTI

    GHAZIABAD: Farmers will oust the BJP government if it does not repeal the contentious agricultural laws and enacts a legislation guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for crops, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said here on Monday.

    Tikait, the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, made the remarks as he held a meeting with the BKU’s office-bearers from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh at the Ghazipur border here.

    The meeting was held to formulate a strategy to intensify the farmers’ agitation in these states to press their demand for the withdrawal of the three farm laws and the guarantee for MSP, according to a BKU statement.

    “If the laws are not repealed and MSP not guaranteed, we shall force the BJP (government) to quit. We will reach out to farmers and expose the BJP. A government made by farmers cannot stay in power if it is anti-farmer,” the statement in Hindi quoted Tikait as saying.

    However, the influential BKU leader emphasised that the farmers are not against any political party.

    “We are not against any party. We are only against any group which is opposed to the welfare of the farmers and labourers,” he added.

    In his meeting, Tikait held discussions on the BKU’s press conferences scheduled for August 11 in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun and Himachal Pradesh’s Nahan, the farmer union’s media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said.

    The BKU will hold an event in Haryana’s Mewat on August 26 and one in Yamuna Nagar on August 29, he said.

    In September, a ‘kisan panchayat’ will be held in Muzaffarnagar, the BKU’s headquarters in western Uttar Pradesh, he added.

    Hundreds of farmers are encamped at Delhi’s border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November 2020.

    They have been demanding that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee MSP for their crops.

    The government, which has held 11 rounds of talks with the farmer leaders, has maintained the laws are pro-farmer and will usher in new technology in farming.

  • Maharashtra government introduces three bills to counter Centre’s farm laws

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena-led MVA government in Maharashtra on Tuesday introduced three amendment bills in the assembly related to agriculture, co-operation, food and civil supplies, in a move to counter the new farm laws enacted by the Centre that are facing stiff opposition from a section of cultivators.

    The bills have provisions for higher than MSP rate for produce in farming agreement with traders, timely payment of dues, three-year jail term and Rs 5 lakh fine or both for harassment of farmers.

    They also have provisions to give power to the state government to regulate and prohibit production, supply, distribution and impose stock limits on essential commodities.

    Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said the central farm acts were passed without discussion and several of their provisions encroach on rights of state governments.

    “The state government has right to make laws and we want to suggest amendments to the central agriculture laws which we feel are anti-farmer,” he said.

    The bills which have been placed in public domain for two months for suggestions and objections are – Essential Commodities (Amendment), Farmers (Empowerment and Protection), Guarantee Price; Agriculture Related Agreements (Maharashtra Amendment) and Amendments to Central Government Farmer Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation).

    The draft bills have been prepared by a cabinet sub-committee headed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

    Pawar said the draft bills will be in public domain for two months during which all stakeholders can hold discussions and debates on their provisions.

    The bills will be taken up for discussion and passage during the winter session of the legislature in Nagpur (held in December), he said.

    Agriculture Minister Dada Bhuse said farming agreements (between traders and farmers) will be considered invalid if the price of agri produce being offered is not more than the MSP (minimum support price).

    If the farmer is not paid in seven days of sale of his produce, a criminal offence can be lodged against the trader and punishments include three year in jail and Rs 5 lakh penalty, Bhuse said.

    Co-operation minister Balasaheb Patil said under the central acts, there is no control over trader in case of a default in payment to farmer after sale of agriculture produce.

    To ensure farmers get remunerative price for their agriculture produce within time and to protect their interests, the state government has decided to amend the Centre’s Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act in its application to Maharashtra, Patil said.

    The draft bill proposes that no trader shall trade in any scheduled agri produce unless he has a valid licence from the competent authority, Patil said.

    In any dispute arising out of a transaction between a farmer and a trader, parties may seek solution by filing an application to the competent authority and an appeal against the order of competent authority to the appellate authority, he said.

    For harassment of farmers punishment is not less than three years imprisonment and fine of not less than Rs 5 lakh or both, he said.

    Food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal said in the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 – which has been amended by the Centre – there is no provision for the state government to regulate or prohibit production, supply, distribution, imposing stock limits under extraordinary circumstances which may include famine, price rise or natural calamity.

    He said the state government proposes to amend the act in its application to Maharashtra and assume power to regulate and prohibit production, supply, distribution and impose stock limits.

  • Centre should not put conditions to resume talks with protesting farmers: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday said the Centre should not put conditions if it wants to resume talks with the protesting farmers.

    His remarks come after Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar asserted that the three new central agriculture laws would bring revolutionary changes in the lives of farmers, and made it clear that the government was ready to hold talks with the protestors, except on the demand of the repeal of these laws.

    “We have said earlier as well that we are ready for talks whenever the government is ready. But why are they making it conditional by saying that they will not take back the farm laws?” Tikait told reporters in Rohtak.

    He alleged that the central dispensation was working under pressure of the corporates.

    “…they (Centre) would have talked (to farmers), but they are being run by the corporates,” he alleged.

    The farmer leader earlier addressed a ‘Pink dharna’ by women activists in Rohtak in support of the farmers’ stir against the farm laws.

    In nearby Uchana in Jind district, a mahapanchayat of farmers was also held wherein nine resolutions were passed.

    Jind BKU leader Azad Palwa told reporters that the mahapanchayat resolved to boycott BJP-JJP supported candidates in the forthcoming panchayat polls in Haryana.

    He said if the government does not repeal the farm laws, the candidates of BJP and JJP will face boycott in the assembly and parliamentary polls as well.

    Addressing the ‘Pink-Mahila Kisan Dharna’, Tikait said, “Such a dharna by women activists is possible in Haryana, where women too have been at the forefront of this (farmers) agitation.”

    He said the ongoing stir has now become a ‘revolution of ideas’.

    He added that although the farmers have been protesting against the ‘black farm laws’ for months now, it has not moved the government.

    “There is an undeclared emergency in the country and the people of this country should rise…,” he said.

    Tikait alleged that if the farm laws are implemented, the farmers will ultimately be forced to do petty jobs as their land ‘will be snatched’ by the big corporates.

    Meanwhile, Palwa said during the mahapanchayat, that it opposed the Haryana Recovery of Damages to Property During Disturbance to Public Order Bill, 2021.

    The Bill passed by the state assembly in March allows authorities to recover compensation from violent protesters damaging properties.

    The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader claimed the Bill was aimed to be used by the government against the farmers agitation.

    The mahapanchayat demanded that the ‘black farm laws’ be rolled back, a law to guarantee crop MSP be framed by the government, government job and Rs 50 lakh compensation be given to next of kin of those farmers who died during the ongoing agitation, all kinds of loans of farmers and farm labourers be waived.

    Resolutions related to women’s security, power issue and to ensure employment to the youth were also passed at the mahapanchayat.

    Later talking to reporters in Uchana, Palwa said two prominent leaders–Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Hisar BJP MP Brijendra Singh–are not standing in support of the farmers in their fight against the farm laws.

    “Through this mahapanchayat, we want to give them the message that they were elected due to the support of farmers and labourers. By the power of the same vote, they can remove these leaders as well,” he said.

    Palwa further alleged that Chautala, great grandson of former deputy prime minister late Devi Lal who was considered a ‘messiah of farmers’, was not standing with the farmers and clinging to power.

    “It was Chaudhary Devi Lal who gave up power for farmers’ sake, whereas Dushyant does not care about the farmers as he does not want to give up power,” he said.

  • Farmers to observe June 5 as ‘Sampoorna Kranti Divas’ by burning copies of farm laws

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Farmers will observe June 5 as ‘Sampoorna Kranti Divas’ by burning copies of the Central farm laws in front of the offices of BJP MPs and MLAs to mark the day when these legislations were initially promulgated as ordinances last year, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said on Saturday.

    After being promulgated as ordinances, Parliament in September last year passed the proposed legislations and were later made law following presidential assent.

    Scores of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders since November last year demanding the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for their crops.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of protesting farmers unions spearheading the agitation, said, “On June 5, 1974, Jayaprakash Narayan had declared ‘Sampoorna Kranti’ and launched a mass movement against the then central government. Last year on June 5 the government had presented these anti-farmer laws as ordinances.”

    Jayprakash Narayan had at a public meeting in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on June 5, 1974, asked the people of Bihar to observe the day as ‘Sampoorna Kranti Divas’ (Total Revolution) and then form a ‘janata sarkar’ in every village to usher in a new social order.

    “The SKM has decided that on June 5, ‘Sampoorna Kranti Divas’ will be observed all over the country. We appeal to citizens to burn the copies of three agricultural laws in front of offices of BJP MPs, MLAs and representatives…make it a mass movement and force the government to repeal the farm laws,” the umbrella body of protesting farmers unions added.

    The protesting farmers on Saturday also paid tribute to former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary and remembered his contribution for the development of agriculture, farmers and villages.

    “Chaudhary Charan Singh wanted to make the country ‘aatmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) in which the farmers, labourers and the people of the villages could live happily.

    “The distrust of farmers in this government reminds them of Chaudhary Charan Singh, who faithfully put every problem and pain of the farmers before the society and the government and resolved it,” they said.

    According to the SKM, a large batch of farmers from Punjab’s Doaba have joined the protesters at the Singhu border on Saturday and many more are expected to join in the coming days to strengthen the ongoing movement.

    The Centre has been maintaining that the new farm laws will free farmers from middlemen, giving them more options to sell their crops.

    The protesting farmers, however, say the laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of minimum support price and do away with the ‘mandi’ (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

  • Elderly farmer participating in a protest in Hisar dies, believed to have suffered heart attack

    By PTI
    HISAR: A farmer, over 70 years in age, who had reached here from a village in Haryana’s Hisar district to be part of a farmers’ protest on Monday died after suddenly collapsing, people at the demonstration site said.

    The farmer, identified as Ram Chander Kharab, a resident if Ugalan village, died at the Krantiman Park in Hisar where a demonstration was organised to protest against the registration of a criminal case against several farmers in connection with their clash with police last week after the inauguration of a Covid hospital here.

    People present at Krantiman Park told reporters that the farmer had come to Hisar on Monday along with some other people of his village to participate in the protest.

    They said that the farmer suddenly collapsed and it is believed, he suffered a heart attack.

    “Ram Chander died due to heart attack,” a resident of his village claimed later.

    Thousands of farmers had reached Hisar on Monday from various places in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and elsewhere responding to their leaders’ calls for protest.

    The Hisar district administration on Monday agreed to withdraw all cases registered against the farmers in connection with the May 16 clash.

    The decision to this effect was taken in a meeting between the district administration and the representatives of various farmer unions here.

    The Haryana police had lodged a criminal case against around 350 farmers for allegedly attacking government employees and stone-pelting during the protest against Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar shortly after he inaugurated a Covid hospital there last week.

    The farmers, who reached here from various places since morning, had gathered at Krantiman Park to demand the withdrawal of the case, lodged under the various IPC sections, including the attempt to murder against farmers.

  • Thousands of farmers reach Hisar to protest against FIR against around 350 of them

    By PTI
    HISAR: Thousands of farmers reached Hisar on Monday responding to their leaders’ calls to protest against the registration of a criminal case against several of them during their clash with police last week after the inauguration of a Covid hospital here.

    The Haryana police had lodged a criminal case against around 350 unnamed farmers for allegedly attacking government employees and stone-pelting during the protest against Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar shortly after he inaugurated a Covid hospital there last week.

    The farmers, who reached here from Hisar and many adjoining districts including Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Karnal and Sonipat, gathered at Krantiman Park to demand the withdrawal of the case, lodged under the various heinous section, including the attempt to murder against farmers.

    Several farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Gurnam Singh Chaduni also reached Hisar.

    As some farmer leaders were addressing the protesters here, the Hisar sub-divisional magistrate approached them, inviting them for talks with the administration.

    Responding to the invite, Tikait, Chaduni and other farmer leaders reached the district’s mini secretariat for talks.

    Talking to reporters earlier, farmer leaders demanded the quashing of the case against farmers.

    Referring to the May 16 incident here, Tikait said senior police officials had assured that no case would be registered against farmers, but they went back on their words later.

    After the registration of a case against them after the May 16 incident, farmer organisations had said they would gherao the Hisar police commissionerate on Monday to demand the withdrawal of the case and action against police personnel who allegedly lathi-charged them.

    Farmers reached Hisar on Monday by buses, tractor-trolleys and other vehicles, leading to various roads in the city getting blocked during their arrival.

    Ahead of farmers descending upon the city on Monday, Hisar was turned into a fortress with multi-layered security cordons thrown around vital installations like mini-secretariat, offices and residences of senior government and police officials in the city on Sunday.

    The administration had deployed a large number of police personnel, including those from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), to deal with any untoward incident at various places in the city, police sources said.

    A large number of farmers, including some women too, began arriving at Krantiman Park from the Monday morning itself.

    Waving tricolors and their union flags, farmers also raised slogans against the government and the three central farm laws.

    The district administration earlier on Sunday too had appealed to farmers to come forward for talks, shunning demonstration amid the grim pandemic.

    Twenty policemen were injured in the clash between the farmers and police on May 16.

    The police had on Thursday clarified that only tear gas was used first and then a mild force was used at the magistrate’s order to protect the hospital from sabotage and to maintain law and order.

  • Ready to resume talks with Centre over farm laws: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday said farmer unions were ready to resume talks with the Centre, asserting that the discussion would have to be about repealing the new farm laws.

    He said there is no question of farmers returning home from the protest sites unless their demands are met.

    Tikait was interacting with reporters in Mohali, where he had gone to offer condolences to the family of Abhay Singh Sandhu.

    Sandhu, the nephew of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, died recently due to post-COVID complications.

    “When the government wants to talk, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha will talk,” Tikait said, asserting that it has to be about repealing the Centre’s new farm laws.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 protesting farmer unions, on Friday had written to the prime minister, urging resumption of talks over the three farm laws they have been agitating against since November last year.

    Several rounds of talks between farmers and the government have failed to break the deadlock over the three central laws.

    A government panel had met farmers leaders on January 22.

    There have been no talks between the two sides since January 26 when the farmers’ tractor rally in the national capital turned violent.

    Tikait said May 26 will mark six months of the farmers’ protest at Delhi borders.

    “For six months, farmers have been protesting at border points, but the government is not listening,” he said.

    Twelve major opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC, Left parties, SP, NCP and the DMK, on Sunday extended their support to a countrywide protest call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on May 26.

    According to Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni, farmers in large numbers from Karnal district on Sunday left for the Singhu border as farmers will be observing May 26 as “black day” to mark six months of their protest.

    Farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders since November 2020 demanding that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.

    The government, however, has maintained the three central laws are pro-farmer.

  • Protesting farmers block Kundli Manesar Palwal expressway in Haryana

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Intensifying their protest against the three farm laws, farmers blocked the Kundli Manesar Palwal expressway at some places in Haryana on Saturday.

    The blockade started at 8 am and would last 24 hours.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of protesting farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the agriculture-related legislations, on Friday gave a call for a 24-hour blockade of the KMP expressway.

    The 136-km-long expressway is also known as the Western Peripheral Expressway.

    Protesting farmers, however, said emergency vehicles will be allowed to ply.

    Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said the blockade would be for 24 hours.

    Haryana Police in the meanwhile issued a traffic advisory, asking travellers to avoid the KMP expressway.

    Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh Virk on Friday said elaborate arrangements were in place to maintain peace and order, prevent any kind of violence and facilitate traffic movement and public transport on the expressway.

    Traffic diversions have been planned by affected districts especially Sonipat, Jhajjar, Panipat, Rohtak, Palwal, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Nuh, Virk said.

    Passengers coming from Ambala/Chandigarh side on National Highway-44 may go towards UP’s Ghaziabad and Noida via Karnal to Shamli and from Panipat to Sanauli.

    Vehicles going towards Gurgaon and Jaipur can take National Highway-71A from Panipat and travel via Gohana, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Rewari.

    Hundreds of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three border points of Delhi — Singhu, Tikri (along Haryana), and Ghazipur — demanding a repeal of the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September last year.

    The Centre says the new farm laws will free farmers from middlemen, giving them more options to sell their crops.

    The protesting farmers, however, say the laws will weaken the minimum support price (MSP) system and leave them at the mercy of big corporates.