News Analysis India

Tag: Farm Laws 2020

  • 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.

  • Attack on my convoy pre-planned by BJP workers: BKU supremo Rakesh Tikait

    By PTI
    ALIGARH: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait claimed on Saturday that the attack on his convoy of vehicles in Rajasthan’s Alwar was “pre-planned by BJP workers” and said it should serve as a reminder to the farmers protesting against three new agriculture laws of the Centre about the travails and challenges they are going to face in the days to come.

    Addressing a “kisan mahapanchayat” at Bhaimalkheda village in this Uttar Pradesh district, Tikait said such attacks “are, in fact, strengthening our resolve to further intensify our struggle, which is a battle for our existence”.

    Talking to reporters after the “mahapanchayat”, he said, “We are mentally prepared for more such incidents.”

    Stones were allegedly pelted at the convoy of Tikait, an influential farmer leader, in Rajasthan’s Alwar district on Friday, damaging the rear windshield of his car.

    Police had detained a student leader, who the BKU claimed belonged to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and accused the saffron party of being behind the attack.

    Addressing the “mahapanchayat” here, Tikait issued a call to the protesting farmers to be mentally prepared to continue with their agitation at least till the end of the year, when they would taste victory.

    He urged them to be mobile phone savvy so that they can be active on social media.

    Tikait, who held a “mahapanchayat” in Aligarh for the first time after the farmers’ agitation was launched in November last year, alleged that corporates had fully entrenched themselves in the present ruling dispensation, including the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

    He said how else can one explain the construction of huge grain depots and godowns in several parts of the country “even before the controversial farm laws came to existence”.

    The BKU leader said this itself provides conclusive evidence of the government’s intentions.

    He warned the farmers that even more draconian measures are on the anvil as far as the farm laws are concerned, including stringent regulations regarding crop seeds.

    Tikait alleged that under the proposed measures, farmers would be liable to be bound by pernicious terms and conditions, which would place them at the mercy of the seed-selling firms.

    He said the three laws would make it impossible for the farmers to enjoy the right to use the seeds of their choice and frustrate them to such an extent that they would be compelled to sell their land to corporates.

  • BKU supremo Rakesh Tikait’s convoy attacked in Alwar, farmer leader blames BJP for attack

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) supremo Rakesh Tikait’s car was allegedly attacked in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Friday. Stones were allegedly pelted at his convey, damaging the rear windshield.

    The incident reportedly occured in Tatarpur village of Alwar district. Tikait was on his way to Bansur from Harsora village of Alwar when his convoy was attacked. Tikait was going to Bansur after addressing a gathering in Harsora.

    The farmer leader was quick to share the information on Twitter wherein he blamed the BJP for the attack. Tikait tweeted, “Attacked by BJP goons at Tatarpur intersection of Alwar district of Rajasthan, Bansur Road. Death of democracy.” The farm leader even shared a video of a damaged car, saying that the attack was carried out by “BJP goons”.

    Police have detained a student leader, who the Bhartiya Kisan Union claimed, belonged to ABVP, the student wing of the BJP, and accused the party of being behind the attack.

    Tikait, however, was not in his car when the stones were allegedly pelted, Bhiwadi Superintendent of Police Ram Murti Joshi said, adding no one was injured in the incident.

    “At this, some of the cars stopped and their occupants in the vehicles argued with them over the issue. Amid all this, the windshield of one car was damaged apparently in stone pelting,” the SP said.

    BKU’s state president Rajaram Meel, who was accompanying Tikait, alleged that at least 40 to 50 people carrying sticks stopped the convoy and entered into an altercation with them.

    राजस्थान: अलवर में किसान नेता राकेश टिकैत के काफिले पर कुछ लोगों द्वारा कथित तौर पर हमले का मामला सामने आया है।राकेश टिकैत ने बताया, “पुलिस का पिस्टल छीनने की कोशिश की गई। पत्थर मारकर गाड़ी के शीशे तोड़ दिए गए, लाठी चलाई गई।” pic.twitter.com/eqLeYjYyge
    — ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) April 2, 2021

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in support of the BKU leader and took to Twitter to slam the BJP for the alleged stone-pelting.

    Gehlot tweeted, “The attack on the convoy of  BKU leader Rakesh Tikait in Alwar by BJP folks is condemnable and action will be taken against the culprits. The BJP’s opposition to the farmers’ agitation through irresponsible statements reflects their anti-democratic attitude and is shameful.”

    After the incident, farmers blocked the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur border in protest. Tikait’s supporters blocked National Highway 9, but after a short while, traffic was restored through police intervention.

    Tikait has been spearheading the over four-month-long farmers’ agitation at the Delhi-Ghazipur border, against the three farm laws passed by the Centre last year.

    Last week, he had asserted that agitating farmers were prepared for a long haul and will relent only when their demands are met. Tikait and his supporters want the Centre to withdraw the farm laws and provide a legal guarantee on MSP.

    (With PTI inputs)

  • Ensure safety of BJP leaders: Punjab government to district authorities

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has asked deputy commissioners and district police chiefs to ensure safety and security of BJP leaders during their scheduled programmes, a day after a party MLA was assaulted by a group of farmers protesting against the Centre’s agri laws.

    According to an order issued by the state home affairs department, additional personnel of the India Reserve Battalion, the Punjab Armed Police and commandos may be sought wherever required.

    BJP MLA from Abohar in Fazilka district Arun Narang was allegedly thrashed and his clothes ripped off by a group of protesting farmers in Muktsar’s Malout on Saturday.

    The BJP leader had gone to Malout to address a press conference.

    “All DCs (Deputy Commissioners) and SSPs (Senior Superintendents of Police) are directed to personally ensure that such an incident does not happen anywhere in the state in future,” according to the order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) on Sunday.

    “In view of the extremely surcharged atmosphere when such BJP programmes are scheduled in your districts, DCs, CPs (Commissioners of Police), and SSPs must ensure the maintenance of public order and communal harmony and ensure the safety and security of visiting BJP leaders,” it said.

    After the Muktsar incident, the BJP had held protests at many places in the state against the attack on Narang.

    Several Punjab BJP leaders had even staged a sit-in outside the official residence of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Sunday.

    Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore too had condemned the attack on Narang and had sought a report from the Congress-led government in the state.

    The governor had called up the Punjab Chief Minister, who holds the home portfolio, and conveyed his serious concern over the incident.

    Several political parties had already condemned the incident.

    BJP leaders in Punjab are facing the ire of farmers demanding the withdrawal of the Centre’s three new agricultural laws for the last four months.

    The agitating farmers have even disrupted programmes of BJP leaders on a few occasions.

  • Farmers celebrate ‘Holika Dahan’ by burning copies of Centre’s farm laws

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Farmers camping at Delhi borders on Sunday burnt copies of the Centre’s new farm laws they have been protesting against during ‘Holika Dahan’, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said.

    The protesting farmers celebrated Holi at the borders and maintained that their agitation will continue till the farm laws are repealed and a separate law on minimum support price is enacted, it said in a statement.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a joint front of farmer unions, also said that it will observe “FCI Bachao Diwas” on April 5, adding that offices of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will be gheraoed from 11 am to 5 pm across the country.

    “The government has made several attempts to end the minimum support price (MSP) and public distribution system (PDS) indirectly. The FCI’s budget has also been reduced over the last few years. Recently, the FCI also changed the rules for procurement of crops,” the statement said.

    The SKM also condemned the passage of the Haryana Recovery of Damages to Property during Disturbance to Public Order Bill, 2021 by the Haryana Assembly, saying it aims to suppress agitations.

    “It contains dangerous provisions that would surely prove fatal to democracy,” the body added.

  • Will fast unto death if farm laws not repealed: Bhagat Singh’s kin

    By Express News Service
    CHANDIGARH: Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s nephew Abhay Sandhu announced to go on a fast unto death if the Centre does not accept the demands of the agitating farmers till March 23.

    Sandhu and his kin reached Delhi’s Singhu border where the Samyukta Kisan Morcha revived a century-old Pagdi Sambhal Jatta’ movement in the ongoing protest against the three central farm laws.  

    The family members of the martyr were honoured with turbans and presented memento by the farm leaders.

    March 23 was chosen for its historic overtone as it is observed as Shaheed Diwas to commemorate the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev Highlighting the importance of the Pagdi Sambhal Lehar, the SKM leaders said a peasant movement had gained momentum forcing the British to take back three laws which were enacted in 1906.

    The unity of the farmers affirms that this present movement will also be successful more than a century later, they asserted.