News Analysis India

Tag: Farm Laws

  • Farmers stage protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demand legal guarantee for MSP

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Scores of farmers affiliated with the All India Kisan Congress gathered at the Jantar Mantar here on Friday, demanding legal guarantee for MSP and compensation for the kin of farmers killed in last year’s agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws.

    Thousands of farmers, particularly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, protested at the borders of the national capital for over a year, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced repealing the three laws in November.

    The Congress’ unit for farmers on Friday accused the BJP-led central government of not cooperating with the farmers and reneging on its promises made to them following which, the year-long stir at Delhi borders was suspended.

    Addressing a sea of protestors amid heavy security, Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala criticised the Modi government for failing to fulfil the promises it has made to the farmers last year. He called the Narendra Modi-led government “anti-farmer”.

    “It is because of the anti-farmer approach of the Modi government. This is one of the reasons why they find it difficult to implement MSP,” he said.

    “This protest should not be limited to Jantar Mantar. We should take it forward and fight for the rights of farmers, who feed the nation,” he added.

    “Even though Congress has lost the election it has not lost the courage to fight. Modi government has failed to deliver on the promise of implementing a MSP law,” party leader Alka Lamba said.

    Speaking to PTI, Hargobind Singh, joint coordinator of the AIKC, said, “Central government is neither cooperating with the farmers nor addressing their issues. It has been over a year since the anti-farm laws protest ended, but the government’s promise of ensuring MSP to farmers has not been fulfilled yet.”

    “The centre should immediately release the compensation for the families of farmers who sacrificed their lives while fighting for their rights. It is unfortunate that the Centre does not even have the list of those who lost their lives during the protest. How will they even release the compensation?” he asked.

    “The Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme must be implemented soon. The country still does not have a proper law for farmers which can directly benefit them,” he added.

    Holding the Congress party’s flag and raising slogans of “jai jawan, jai kisan”, farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and some southern states gathered at the 18th-century observatory. The farmers said they are protesting against the BJP government’s “anti-farmers policies”.

    Dileep Singh, who hails from Punjab, asserted that the farmers should get their due rights.

    “We have come here to protest against the Modi government and its anti-farmers policies. Farmers are being suppressed under this regime. We have gathered here for our rights. We believe that farmers should get their due rights.”

    Kailash Yadav, who has come from Jaipur, said, “We are here to strengthen the farmers’ movement. We are here in solidarity with our farmers who have been facing many problems under the present government.”

    “We are not getting proper MSP and we were told that our salary would double but nothing of this sort has happened,” he added.

    NEW DELHI: Scores of farmers affiliated with the All India Kisan Congress gathered at the Jantar Mantar here on Friday, demanding legal guarantee for MSP and compensation for the kin of farmers killed in last year’s agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws.

    Thousands of farmers, particularly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, protested at the borders of the national capital for over a year, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced repealing the three laws in November.

    The Congress’ unit for farmers on Friday accused the BJP-led central government of not cooperating with the farmers and reneging on its promises made to them following which, the year-long stir at Delhi borders was suspended.

    Addressing a sea of protestors amid heavy security, Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala criticised the Modi government for failing to fulfil the promises it has made to the farmers last year. He called the Narendra Modi-led government “anti-farmer”.

    “It is because of the anti-farmer approach of the Modi government. This is one of the reasons why they find it difficult to implement MSP,” he said.

    “This protest should not be limited to Jantar Mantar. We should take it forward and fight for the rights of farmers, who feed the nation,” he added.

    “Even though Congress has lost the election it has not lost the courage to fight. Modi government has failed to deliver on the promise of implementing a MSP law,” party leader Alka Lamba said.

    Speaking to PTI, Hargobind Singh, joint coordinator of the AIKC, said, “Central government is neither cooperating with the farmers nor addressing their issues. It has been over a year since the anti-farm laws protest ended, but the government’s promise of ensuring MSP to farmers has not been fulfilled yet.”

    “The centre should immediately release the compensation for the families of farmers who sacrificed their lives while fighting for their rights. It is unfortunate that the Centre does not even have the list of those who lost their lives during the protest. How will they even release the compensation?” he asked.

    “The Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme must be implemented soon. The country still does not have a proper law for farmers which can directly benefit them,” he added.

    Holding the Congress party’s flag and raising slogans of “jai jawan, jai kisan”, farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and some southern states gathered at the 18th-century observatory. The farmers said they are protesting against the BJP government’s “anti-farmers policies”.

    Dileep Singh, who hails from Punjab, asserted that the farmers should get their due rights.

    “We have come here to protest against the Modi government and its anti-farmers policies. Farmers are being suppressed under this regime. We have gathered here for our rights. We believe that farmers should get their due rights.”

    Kailash Yadav, who has come from Jaipur, said, “We are here to strengthen the farmers’ movement. We are here in solidarity with our farmers who have been facing many problems under the present government.”

    “We are not getting proper MSP and we were told that our salary would double but nothing of this sort has happened,” he added.

  • Punjab farmers squat on rail tracks as part of SKM’s protest against Centre over MSP, Lakhimpur violence

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab farmers squatted on rail tracks at several places as part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s nationwide stir against the Centre “reneging on its promises” made when the protest against now-repealed farm laws was withdrawn last year.

    Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said trains will be stopped from 11 am till 3 pm in Punjab.

    The four-hour protest is likely to disrupt train movement in the state, causing inconvenience to passengers.

    The protesters squatted on rail tracks at several places, including Jalandhar, Phillaur, Ferozepur and Bathinda.

    The demands of the farmers include a legal guarantee for the minimum support price and justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, Lakhowal said.

    Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to the area on October 3 last year.

    Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra is accused in the case.

    Farmers are demanding the sacking of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra.

    They are also demanding the withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the anti-farm laws protest last year, compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives during the stir and rollback of the Agnipath recruitment scheme for the defence forces.

    About the panel on minimum support price formed by the Centre recently, Lakhowal said the government included in the committee officers and farmers who were in favour of the now-repealed farm laws.

    Bhartiya Kisan Union (Kadian) president Harmeet Singh Kadian, participating in the protest at Phillaur railway station, said the farmers were holding the protest on the call given by the SKM.

    Farmers said they were forced to squat on rail tracks as the Centre was “not listening to their demands”.

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab farmers squatted on rail tracks at several places as part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s nationwide stir against the Centre “reneging on its promises” made when the protest against now-repealed farm laws was withdrawn last year.

    Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said trains will be stopped from 11 am till 3 pm in Punjab.

    The four-hour protest is likely to disrupt train movement in the state, causing inconvenience to passengers.

    The protesters squatted on rail tracks at several places, including Jalandhar, Phillaur, Ferozepur and Bathinda.

    The demands of the farmers include a legal guarantee for the minimum support price and justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, Lakhowal said.

    Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to the area on October 3 last year.

    Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra is accused in the case.

    Farmers are demanding the sacking of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra.

    They are also demanding the withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the anti-farm laws protest last year, compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives during the stir and rollback of the Agnipath recruitment scheme for the defence forces.

    About the panel on minimum support price formed by the Centre recently, Lakhowal said the government included in the committee officers and farmers who were in favour of the now-repealed farm laws.

    Bhartiya Kisan Union (Kadian) president Harmeet Singh Kadian, participating in the protest at Phillaur railway station, said the farmers were holding the protest on the call given by the SKM.

    Farmers said they were forced to squat on rail tracks as the Centre was “not listening to their demands”.

  • ‘Farmers will wage fierce battle if there is no law on MSP’: Satya Pal Malik

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday said the farmers’ movement is not over yet and that they will wage a “fierce battle” against the government if it does not bring a law on minimum support price (MSP).

    Speaking at a Jat community programme here, Malik said he will also join the movement once he completes his term as Meghalaya governor.

    Malik has targeted the government several times in the recent past over farmers’ issues.

    “The farmers’ movement is not over yet, it was the dharna which ended. If a law on MSP is not made, then the farmers will wage a fierce battle against the country’s government,” Malik said.

    He said only four months of his tenure as Meghalaya governor are left and he will also join the movement once he completes his term.

    Malik said when the farmers were protesting against the farm laws, he went to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and told him that atrocities were being committed against them.

    He claimed he suggested to the prime minister that he should settle the matter with the farmers but Modi told him that they will end the dharna on their own.

    “I said that they (farmers) will go only after you (PM) are gone,” he added.

    Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, laid siege at Delhi borders in November 2020 demanding that the Centre withdraw its three contentious farm laws.

    The protest ended in December 2021 after the government withdrew the farm laws.

    Hitting out at the Adani Group, Malik asked Modi how the conglomerate is getting richer at a time when the common people are getting destroyed.

    Malik has repeatedly made headlines for his criticism of the Modi government.

    Last month, he said the government hadn’t fulfilled the promises it made to farmers in December last year.

    Withdrawal of cases lodged against farmers during their agitation against the farm laws, legal guarantee on MSP and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the course of the protest were some of the protesters’ demands that the government had agreed to consider before they ended their dharna.

    In January, Malik said when he went to meet Modi on the issue of farmers, the latter was “arrogant” and he had a fight with the prime minister within five minutes.

  • 2021: The Year of the Mask, raging inequality, Neeraj Chopra and Fahadh Faasil

    By Online Desk

    The Year of the Mask, it again was.

    The rich became richer and inequality became starker amidst the pandemic. 2750 billionaires now own more than half the wealth on the planet. Worrisome? You decide.

    A brutal Covid delta wave left India gasping like never before. Officially, we have lost almost a half a million lives to the dreaded disease. A semblance of normality returned towards the latter half of the year with the vaccinate India mission proceeding at a fast clip. At the end of 2021 when Vax was crowned the word of the year by the Oxford dictionary, India had over 60% of its population double jabbed. We are now heading into boosters territory and better prepared hopefully, though Omicron looms in the wings.

    ALSO READ | First Delta and now Omicron, Karnataka patient beats COVID-19 twice in a year

    The year will also be remembered as the one in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to yield to the protesting farmers who held firm in their demands during the raging pandemic – unflinching and unbowed. Was it the elections in UP that led to the government repealing the three farm laws as most experts stated? “We couldn’t convince a section of farmers despite our best efforts,” the PM admitted in his concession speech.

    Lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj, an accused in the highly controversial Elgar Parishad case, went on to be finally released on ‘defaul bail’ in December after over three years in prison. Reason: The Mumbai High Court held that she could only have been detained for 90 days without a chargeheet being filed! A case of the wheels of justice grinding slowly in her case at least.

    The bail applications of eight other fellow activists detained along with her were only rejected as they had not filed for ‘default bail’. One of these activists Rona Wilson was among those whose phones a forensic analysis by Amnesty International revealed was infected with the “total-access” Pegasus spyware. The Pegasus revelations raised several disturbing questions on possible state surveillance and is now subject to a Supreme Court ordered inquiry.

    Around the middle of 2021, we lost our tragedy king, that great actor all of India looked up to – Dilip Kumar. Mohammed Yusuf Khan was 98 when he breathed his last on July 7, 2021. “Given my temperament, when I have either been dubbed a tragedian or a comedian, I have always felt that they are talking about someone else. Because I think I’m a bit of everything – mujh mein sab ka thoda thoda sa hai,” Dilip saab once told the Filmfare magazine. Indeed!

    ALSO READ | To sum up in a word, 2021 was wack!

    Nedumudi Venu was another complete actor who departed from our midst in the year that was. Even PM Modi took to twitter to condole the death of the one-of-a-kind artiste. “Shri Nedumudi Venu was a versatile actor, who could fill life into diverse roles across many genres. He was also a prolific writer and was passionate about theatre. His passing away is a loss to the world of films and culture. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” he tweeted.  

    Puneeth Rajkumar’s turned out to be a death that shocked everyone. The much-loved, gracious and fitness-exercise conscious ‘Power Star’ was only 46 when he died of a sudden cardiac arrest on October 29.  

    #PuneethRajkumar pic.twitter.com/j9iRXhINp8
    — Danish Sait (@DanishSait) October 29, 2021
    In sports, the year began with the Indian cricket team breaching Fortress Gabba and clinching the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 — in Australia.

    A bigger golden moment was soon to follow. On August 7, 2021, Neeraj Chopra, all of 23, did what the great Milkha Singh and PT Usha could not, becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in track and field. Chopra would go on to dedicate the medal to Milkha Singh, who passed away on June 18, noting that he was only fulfilling the late legend’s wish.

    WATCH |

    2021 was also when Kane Williamson further underlined that good guys can be winners. He and his New Zealand team won the World Championship. The heartbreak that Indian fans endured after losing the final was somewhat lessened by the fact that the sporting Kiwis were the victors.

    It was the year too when the original Kane Williamson – Rahul Dravid – made a return to Team India as the coach. We know he is no Indira Nagar ka goonda, but Mr Nice Guy’s firmly competitive streak and his technical mastery should be to Team India’s advantage as they look to scale greater heights in the years to come.

    The other notable sporting moments came from Novak Djokovic, who joined Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at Mount 20 Tennis Slams, Max Verstappen, who pipped seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to the Formula 1 title on the last lap of the season, and Lionel Messi, who won the Ballon D’Or for the seventh time.

    As for entertainment, there was no dearth of it amidst the pandemic. OTT platforms continued to gain in prominence and more of India began to discover the depth of the talent in Southern cinema.

    Fahadh Faasil’s incandescent brilliance lit up many homes. He was the Malik of the year as far as actors were concerned.

    Tovino Thomas went on to become the ultimate desi superhero for many others towards the fag end of the year.

    ALSO READ | Joji Movie Review: A chilling, Coen-esque crime drama

    Scoring on behalf of the over-40 actors was Suriya Sivakumar with his star turns in Soorarai Pottru and Jai Bhim.

    And then there were the songs.

    The composer of the year — and this was the pick of Avinash Ramachandran from our movies team while reviewing Tamil songs — was Santhosh Narayanan. Four films and compositions that spanned almost the entire spectrum. We could not agree more!

  • Bharatiya Kisan Sangh demands revival of three farm laws

    By Express News Service

    NIZAMABAD: The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), a member of the Sangh Parivar, demand that the Union government bring the recently struck-down farm laws back with necessary amendments. The organisation will launch agitations across the country from January 1 to build pressure on the Centre.

    This decision was taken at the BKS’ national executive meeting in Delhi. The agitations will continue at the block headquarters of the BKS till January 11, 2022. They also propose to submit a representation to the President of India on January 11.

    BKS national secretary K Sai Reddy said that had demanded a few amendments to the farms laws and not their repeal. He said that they had already submitted their demands asking for remunerative prices to farmers for every crop, abolition of market fees at every yard and protection of ryot’s interest in contractual farming.

  • SKM headquarters now stands empty as farmers head home; local traders hope business will pick up soon

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The headquarters of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) at Singhu Border wore a deserted look on Saturday as the farmers protesting the Centre’s farm laws began their journey home following a successful culmination of their year-long sit-in.

    The SKM HQ, housed in a godown of tiles along the highway blockaded by the protesting farmers in Haryana’s Kundli, served as a nerve centre for their movement, hosting countless meetings and press conferences.

    The iron gate of the humble structure where SKM volunteers used to screen visitors was opened in complete silence in the morning, with the farmers busy dismantling their tents and other structures and packing their things up.

    Inside, Baliram, who is in his early 60s, was having an early lunch.

    He worked as a watchman at the godown.

    “This place used to see so much activity with all the farmer leaders having meetings here and discussing things everyday. Now see I am the only person here,” the man from Begusarai in Bihar said.

    The leaders of farm unions from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh held their crucial meetings, including the one on last Thursday in which they announced to suspend their protest and leave the highway, at the SKM headquarters.

    The SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farm unions, was born out of the anti-farm law protests against the Centre over their demands for repeal of the three legislations and legal guarantee of MSP on crops among others.

    In their last meeting here, SKM leaders decided to suspend the protest following repeal of the farm laws by the Centre.

    The SKM has also accepted the government’s assurances to their demands concerning the legal guarantee of MSP of crops, compensation to the kin of farmers who died during the protest and withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the year-long protest.

    Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, started protesting at Delhi border points from November 26 last year against the three laws.

    Small-time scrap dealers had a field day at the Singhu border with a huge quantity of leftovers, including bamboo poles, tarpaulin sheets, plastic and wood pieces, lying up for grab as the protesting farmers headed home on Saturday after a successful culmination of their year-long siege.

    The around-five-km stretch of the highway on the Haryana side of the Singhu border in Sonipat’s Kundli was a pit stop for the farmers, who had erected temporary structures, including accommodation facilities with washrooms and kitchens.

    Since daybreak, hordes of residents of slums and scrap dealers swooped down with men, women and children picking up bamboo poles, tarpaulin sheets, pieces of wood, plastic and iron bars and carrying those back on carts.

    A few of them even got lucky, with the protesters returning to Punjab giving them blankets, woolens, clothes, money and other items of daily use.

    Javed, a middle-aged man originally from Assam, was seen collecting plastic sheets along with his wife and daughter.

    “I will sell these. We used to get food at the langar here but it is over now,” Javed, who is currently out of work, said.

    Nearby, a group of kids was busy collecting bamboo poles, pieces of plastic and other such stuff, and tying those into a bundle.

    “I got a blanket from a Sardarji uncle,” said 14-year-old Samee, showing his sack filled with old clothes and woolens.

    Kundli houses many factories, large warehouses and workshops that employ thousands of migrant workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states.

    Due to the combined impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, topped by the year-long siege by the protesting farmers, life has been tough for most of them with a lack of jobs and other sources of income.

    “I came early and got some stuff. It will fetch me around Rs 500,” said a woman who refused to reveal her name.

    “My husband used to work at a factory and now, he works as a labourer,” she said when asked why was she collecting junk.

    Amid the hustle and bustle at Singhu, convoys of tractor trolleys, cars and other vehicles carrying the protesters rolled down towards various parts of Punjab and Haryana, from where they had reached the protest site in the last week of November, 2020, demanding a repeal of three farm laws enacted by the Centre.

    The protesters were also a source of free meals for the poor and needy of the area for the last one year.

    “Langar is our tradition and we fed these kids and others. Now, the almighty will take care of them,” said a protester from Mohali while giving Rs 20 to a girl called Priya, who was carrying an oil-filled bucket.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions, decided to suspend the year-long movement on Thursday, after the Centre repealed the contentious farm laws.

    It has also accepted the Centre’s assurances regarding its demands concerning a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) for crops, compensation to the kin of the farmers who died during the protest and withdrawal of the cases registered against the farmers during the year-long protest.

    As farmers protesting the Centre’s agriculture laws began heading home from Delhi’s Singh border on Saturday after a successful culmination of their year-long sit-in, traders of the area hoped for revival of business.

    Several vendors of the area said transportation of raw materials was one of the major issues the region faced due to blockaded roads.

    Gulshan Rathi, a motorcycle shop owner on the Haryana side of Singhu Border in Kundli, said the farmers never posed any trouble for them.

    “We never had anything against the farmers but we had our own problems which no one was ready to hear about. We were caught between the farmers and the government.”

    “It is a commendable step that the farmers have decided to go back. Now lives and businesses here will also return on track,” Rathi said.

    Kundli is an industrial area where many factories, vehicle showrooms, warehouses, stores and shops are located.

    Thousands of farmers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, had occupied a five-six-kilometre stretch of the main Delhi-Chandigarh highway near Singhu border to press for their demands.

    Anupama Devi, 35, who runs a roadside tea stall, hopes her business will be restored after the farmers vacate the road stretch.

    She said that before the agitation started, she used to earn around 1,500 per day.

    “Ever since the farmers claimed the street here, earnings came down to around Rs 1,000 as they do not generally consume tobacco products which I sell. I hope that now my business will pick up,” the woman said, with her one-year-old son clinging to her lap.

    A resident of Begusarai in Bihar, Anupama Devi lives in Kundli with her husband Rupesh, who was a factory worker but met with an accident.

    “After the accident, he was kicked out of the job and we then started the makeshift tea stall. Our earning was decent but it was reduced after the movement started. I hope things to get better,” she added.

    She said the farmers never troubled them and even gave them food to eat.

    Ajay Sharma, who owns a wholesale business of electrical items, said supply of goods was the main problem he faced during the protest due to road blockades.

    “Our goods come from Delhi but due to the blockade on the highway, it not only began to come late but also became costlier. Now, we expect things to return to normal. We suffered huge losses in business first due to COVID-19 and then because of the agitation,” he said.

    Convoys of tractor trolleys, cars and other vehicles carrying the protesters rolled down towards various parts of Punjab and Haryana, from where they had reached the protest site in the last week of November 2020, demanding a repeal of three farm laws enacted by the Centre.

    The Centre finally repealed the laws on November 29 this year, but the farmers kept the protest going as their other demands, including a legal guarantee on MSP and withdrawal of cases against them, were pending.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farm unions, on Thursday suspended over the year-long protest after the central government agreed to fulfil their pending demands.

    Balbir Singh, who runs a transport business, said heavy vehicles carrying raw materials had to stop far away from the factories in the area due to the barricades.

    “Then again it had to be fetched in small batches due to the road blockades. That not only wasted hours but also resulted in increased cost due to extra labour, extra fuel and transportation charges. I hope that business will revive now,” he said.

  • Vijay Diwas: After year-long protest, victorious farmers begin journey back home

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: More than a year after they arrived in large convoys of tractors, several protesting farmers on Saturday morning began returning to their home states, taking with them a victory to cherish and memories of a successful siege at Delhi’s borders.

    The farmers lifted blockades on highways at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders and took out a ‘Victory March’ to celebrate the repeal of three contentious farm laws and the Centre’s written assurance to fulfil their other demands, including constituting a committee for legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

    Emotions ran high as the farmers set off for their homes in different states, including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, after a successful movement.

    Tractors bedecked with colourful lights rolled out of the protest sites blaring songs of victory while the elderly flaunted their colourful turbans and danced with youngsters.

    “Singhu border had become our home for the last one year. This movement united us (farmers) all as we fought together against the black farm laws irrespective of caste, creed and religion. This is a historic moment and the victorious result of the movement is even bigger,” said Kuljeet Singh Aulakh, a farmer from Moga in Punjab, as he embraced his fellow farmers before starting his journey back home.

    Jitender Chaudhary, a farmer at Ghazipur border, was busy preparing his tractor-trolley to go back home in Muzaffarnagar of western Uttar Pradesh.

    He said that he is going home with hundreds of good memories and victory against the “black” farm laws.

    “We are fortunate that we participated in a historic movement against the three farm laws imposed on us by the central government. We have made new friends and gained a different experience here during the agitation,” Chaudhary said.

    The farmers are celebrating December 11 as ‘Vijay Diwas’.

    Thousands of farmers had been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year to demand the repeal of the three farm laws.

    On November 29, a bill was passed in Parliament to repeal the laws, one of the main demands of the farmers.

    However, the farmers refused to end their protest, demanding that the government fulfil their other demands that included legal guarantee on MSP and withdrawal of police cases against them.

    As the Centre accepted the pending demands, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farm unions spearheading the stir, on Thursday decided to suspend the farmers’ movement and announced that farmers will go back home on December 11 from the protest sites at Delhi borders.

    Farmer leaders said that they will again meet on January 15 to see if the government has fulfilled their demands.

    Parliament passed a bill on November 29 to repeal the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and the Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

  • Long live ‘debate-less’ parliamentary democracy: Chidambaram, Omar’s dig at government

    The farm bills were passed without a debate when the two sides did not agree and they were repealed without a debate when the two sides agreed, Chidambaram said.

  • Had Centre withdrawn agri laws earlier, deaths of 700 farmers could’ve been prevented: BJP leader

    Singh, an executive committee member of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, also called Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut “manchali” (crazy) for her remarks about the country's independence.

  • Cabinet approves Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021: Government

    I&B Minister Anurag Thakur said the Cabinet completed the formality of approving the repeal of three laws, as announced by the Prime Minister on November 19.