News Analysis India

Tag: Farmers Protest

  • Congress to extend full support to ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by farmer unions

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday asked all its workers, state unit chiefs and heads of frontal organizations to take part in the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by farmer unions on September 27 to protest the Centre’s three agri laws.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of over 40 farm unions spearheading the farmers’ agitation, had earlier appealed to the people to join the bandh.

    Congress general secretary (organization), K C Venugopal, said the Congress and its workers will extend our full support to the peaceful ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by farmer unions on Monday.

    “We believe in the right of our farmers and we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws,” he said in a tweet.

    “All PCC Presidents, Chiefs of Frontal Organizations are requested to go out in front with our Annadatas in their peaceful Bharat Bandh across the country,” Venugopal said.

    The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers’ protest.

    Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.

    The three laws — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 — were passed by the Parliament in September last year.

    Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the ‘mandi’ and the MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced and asserted that these steps will help increase farmers’ income.

  • Singhu, Tikri borders closed, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij directs officials to open alternative routes to Delhi

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday directed officials to immediately open alternative routes in Sonipat and Jhajjar districts towards Delhi as the Singhu and Tikri borders remain closed due to the farmers’ protest.

    He asked them to start repairs on these roads so that people do not face any kind of problem commuting to Delhi on these routes from Haryana, an official statement said.

    Keeping in mind the inconvenience faced by the people due to the closure of the main roads on the highway by the agitating farmers, all alternative routes will have to be opened and repaired at the earliest, and work in this regard will start soon, the minister said.

    He said that repairs and filling of potholes on the roads being used by the people going to Delhi should be started from Thursday.

    Haryana BKU (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni, addressing a farmers’ gathering in Kurukshetra district on Wednesday, said the farmers sitting at Delhi’s borders will not budge till the three contentious farm laws are repealed.

    Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and elsewhere have been sitting at Delhi’s borders for nearly 10 months demanding the repeal of the laws.

    At the meeting with officials, Vij said Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation roads are the main alternative routes from Sonipat to Delhi, and they should be repaired at the earliest.

  • Farmers’ protest against three agri laws completes 300 days

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: As the ongoing farmers’ protest against three contentious agriculture laws of the Centre completed 300 days on Wednesday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) said the movement is a testimony to the will and determination of lakhs of farmers across the country that would only grow stronger.

    “It has been 300 days since lakhs of farmers were forced to stay put at Delhi’s borders. The protesting farmers have been peacefully communicating their resistance against a corporate takeover of India’s food and farming systems.

    “Their demands are clear and known to the (Narendra) Modi government, which has been obstinately choosing not to agree to these legitimate demands of farmers, even though farmers constitute the largest set of workers in the country and even though elections in our democracy are won through votes cast mainly by farmers,” a statement issued by the SKM said.

    “The Samyukt Kisan Morcha states that this historic movement stands as a testimony to the will, resolve and hope of lakhs of farmers across the country. The SKM also vows to strengthen the movement, going forward, and make it more widespread,” it added.

    Meanwhile, preparations for the “Bharat bandh” called by the SKM on September 27 are in full swing.

    “Various sections of the society are being reached out to by farmers’ outfits in different parts of the country to get their support and solidarity to the farmers’ cause, which is also becoming a movement to protect India’s democracy,” the SKM said.

    According to the statement, workers’ unions, trade unions, employees’ and students’ unions, women’s organisations, transporters’ associations, in addition to the joint planning meetings of many farmers’ organisations, are being roped in for the planning of the “bandh”.

    Kisan mahapanchayats are also being organised to get more citizens to rally around the “bandh” call.

    Cycle and motorcycle rallies are also being organised, the SKM said.

  • Kundli-Singhu blockade: Haryana government panel to talk to farmers on September 19

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: A Haryana government high-powered committee will on Sunday hold talks with protesting farm union leaders over clearing of blockade on National Highway-44 on Kundli-Singhu border, an official statement said here.

    The meeting will take place in Murthal in Sonipat district, it said.

    “The members of the state-level high-powered committee would hold talks with various farmer organisations. Office bearers of 43 farmer organisations have been invited to attend this meeting,” the statement said.

    The Haryana government had formed the committee on Wednesday, a day after Sonipat Deputy Commissioner Lalit Siwach held a meeting with farmers’ representatives over the blockade.

    An official statement on Tuesday had said while taking up a writ petition, the Supreme Court has asked the Sonipat district administration to provide a way to the common people in the public interest.

    In compliance with these orders, Siwach had held a meeting with farmers’ representatives in Sonipat on Tuesday.

    On Wednesday evening, a high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister M L Khattar here, which, Home Minister Anil Vij said, had been convened in the wake of the apex court’s orders last month.

    “To comply with the apex court’s orders, a state-level high-powered panel has been formed under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeev Arora,” Vij, who was also present in the meeting, had told reporters later.

    “Keeping in view the Supreme Court orders and the fact that common people are facing inconvenience due to the blockade, the committee will hold talks with Samyukt Kisan Morcha on the opening of the way,” he had said.

    The committee has the Director General of Police and Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) amongst its members.

    On Tuesday, the Sonipat DC had told farmers that while taking up a writ petition filed by Noida resident Monica Agarwal, the apex court has ordered that the farmers protesting on the Kundli-Singhu border in Sonipat district should give way to common people and shift to one side of the road.

    The court had last month said the Centre and Delhi’s neighbouring states should find a solution to the road blockades on the national capital’s borders.

    The farmers are protesting against the passage of three laws — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers” (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.

  • 2022 UP polls: Yogi govt withdraws 900 cases against farmers for stubble burning

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In a bid to pacify the farmers’ unrest ahead of the upcoming UP Assembly elections, the Yogi Aditynath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to withdraw around 900 cases registered against farmers for causing air pollution by burning stubble.

    The Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avanish Awasthi has issued orders in this regard after CM Adityanath announced the decision of the state government in this connection.

    Farmers play an important role in the economy and development of the state. Therefore, the state government has decided to withdraw 868 cases lodged against farmers for stubble burning, a statement issued by Awasthi said.

    Awasthi added that the state government had ordered to withdraw the cases of stubble burning registered in different districts to safeguard the interests of the farmers who had suffered financially during the corona epidemic. The accused farmers were booked under IPC and sections 188, 278, 290, and 291 of 1860 in the state.

    In the past, the CM had assured farmers that the cases registered against them for burning stubble would be withdrawn. Also, if any fine has been imposed, it will also be waived off. Not only this, CM had also assured to consider the matter of increasing the support price of sugarcane.

  • Taliban is in Afghanistan, let us talk about farmers, issues of India: Mehbooba Mufti

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Lets talk about problems faced by people in this country rather than Afghanistan, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said on Tuesday, having faced flak over her recent statement referring to the Taliban.

    She alleged that the BJP government has made the lives of the people miserable.

    The government is not listening to anyone, including the farmers who are on the roads for the past nine months, Mufti added.

    “Taliban are in Afghanistan and why talk about them? We have a lot of issues, the biggest being the farmers’ protest and the issues of the people of Jammu and Kashmir which was bifurcated, rampant corruption and the lack of development.

    “They are claiming that Article 370 was removed for parity but even tenders for our minor minerals and jobs are given to outsiders.

    Taliban is there but let’s talk about our issues as the BJP has made the condition of the people of our country so miserable that they are not even able to buy ration,” she told reporters in Poonch, where she reached on the first leg of her over a week-long tour of Jammu region.

    Reacting to a question about the Taliban in Afghanistan, Mufti said farmers provide food for the people of the country but the BJP government has left them on the roads.

    “This government is unmoved, which is very unfortunate. They are talking a lot but the fact of the matter is that they do not respect anyone,” she claimed.

    Last week, the PDP chief had said the Taliban had “come to the fore as a reality” and advised them to follow the true Sharia law that guarantees rights of women, children, and the elderly if they want to govern Afghanistan.

    The comment led to criticism by sections of the media as well as on social media platforms.

    A day later, she said she was not surprised her statement on Sharia was deliberately distorted and used as ‘click bait’ because Muslims are always expected to prove they don’t stand for violence.

    Responding to a question on the upcoming Assembly elections in the union territory, Mufti said, “Election is not my objective. My stand is clear that I will continue my struggle for restoration of the prestige, identity and rights of our people which were snatched from us unconstitutionally. I will continue to work to seek a solution to the Kashmir problem so that bloodshed is stopped.”

    On reaching Poonch, the PDP president said, “The twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri have given a lot of love and respect to us. I have come to see the problems being faced by them.”

  • Congress accuses BJP of ‘casteist’ politics to break protesting farmers’ unity

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The BJP government is trying to break the unity of farmers protesting the centre’s farm laws by using the name of freedom fighter Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, said the Congress accusing the ruling party of playing “casteist” politics.

    The party’s statement came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Aligarh laid the foundation stone of a university, which will be named after the freedom fighter.

    Congress spokesperson Hilal here also said the freedom fighter had called the RSS fascist and struggled throughout his life against it.

    In fact, in the 1957 Parliamentary elections, Raja Mahendra Pratap had not only defeated Atal Bihari Vajpayee but also ensured that his deposits were forfeited, the Congress leader said.

    “Troubled by the siege of farmers, the Modi government at the Centre and the Yogi government in UP, instead of withdrawing the anti-farmer agricultural laws, want to break their unity by playing a casteist card by calling great revolutionary Raja Mahendra Pratap a Jat king,” Hilal said .

    The Congress spokesman said after laying the foundation stone of the university in Aligarh, PM Modi said the revolutionaries who were not honoured earlier are being given proper respect now.

    But the BJP has remembered Raja Mahendra Pratap only now, just months before the Assembly polls, he said.

    Had this foundation stone been laid a few years ago, the university would have been inaugurated today, he said.

    In the eyes of the BJP, Hilal said, every great personality is just a “pawn” in its arithmetic of votes.

    “The BJP’s politics is contrary to the ideals of Raja Mahendra Pratap.

    The BJP has consistently harvested votes by making the Hindus and Muslims fight while Raja Mahendra Pratap wanted an India in which Hindus and Muslims live like brothers,” he said.

  • NHRC notices to four state govts, police chiefs over ‘adverse impact’ of farmers’ protests

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The NHRC has sent notices to governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajastan and their police chiefs, over allegations that the ongoing farmers protests have “adversely impacted” industrial units and transportation, and Covid safety norms have been breached at the agitation sites.

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in a statement, said it has also asked the National Disaster Management Authority, Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Union Health Ministry to submit reports with respect to the “adverse impact of farmers agitation on various aspects and observance of Covid protocols at the protests sites”.

    “The NHRC has received several complaints regarding the ongoing farmers protest. There are allegations of adverse impact on the industrial units, seriously effecting more than 9,000 micro, medium and large companies,” it said.

    ALSO READ | CM Amarinder Singh urges farmers to spare Punjab, hold protests at Delhi’s borders

    Allegedly, transportation is also adversely impacted, causing the commuters, patients, people with disability and senior citizens to suffer due to the heavy congestion on roads occupied by the protesting farmers, the rights panel said.

    There is an allegation that there is “breach of the corona protocols by the agitating farmers at the protest sites”.

    There is further allegation that the inhabitants are not being allowed to move out of their houses due to the blockade of the passage, it added.

    There are also reports that people have to travel long distances to reach their destinations due to the ongoing agitation, and barricades have been put on the state borders, it added.

    Accordingly the commission has issued notices to the chief secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi; and director generals of police, of the three states and Delhi police commissioner, asking them to submit their respective action taken reports, the statement said.

    ​ALSO READ | Stop drama, get farmers’ issues resolved: AAP slams Navjot Sidhu over letter to Punjab CM

    Since the agitation involves the issue of human rights, whereas the right to agitate in a peaceful manner is also to be respected, the commission needs to take care of various human rights issues, the statement said.

    Hence, the Commission besides issuing notice to various states has also taken a few more actions, officials said.

    The Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) had been asked to examine the adverse impact of the farmers agitation on industrial and commercial activities and production, and disruption of transport services on commercial and normal consumers, including inconvenience and additional expenditure, among others, and to submit a comprehensive report in the matter by October 10, the statement said.

    ALSO READ | Protesting farmers lift gherao in Haryana, agree to judicial probe

    The NDMA, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health, have been asked to submit reports with respect to the adverse impact of farmers agitation on various aspects and observance of COVID Protocols at the protests sites, it said.

    “In the case of alleged gangrape of a human rights activist at the protest site, no report was received from the DM, Jhajjar regarding the payment of compensation to the NOK (next of kin) of the deceased.

    A fresh reminder was issued to the DM, Jhajjar, to file the report by October 10,” the statement said.

    Delhi School of Social Work, University of Delhi is requested to depute teams to conduct a survey and submit a report, assessing the disruption of livelihood, lives of people, impact on the aged and infirm persons due to protracted agitation by farmers, the rights panel said.

    Farmers from various states have been protesting at Singhu Border and Tikri Border of Delhi-Haryana, Ghazipur border of Delhi-Uttar Pradesh, and have camped their since November 25 last year, seeking repealing of the three new agri laws.

  • CM Amarinder Singh urges farmers to spare Punjab, hold protests at Delhi’s borders

    By PTI

    HOSHIARPUR: Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday urged farmers to spare Punjab from their protests against the three central farm laws and advised them to shift their sit-in venues to Delhi’s borders or in Haryana.

    The Punjab chief minister’s appeal to farmers invited a quick reaction from Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij who dubbed his statement as “irresponsible”.

    Singh pleaded with the farmers to shift their protest sites outside Punjab arguing that their ongoing agitation at 113 places in the state was hampering its economic development.

    He urged farmers to mount pressure at the Centre from the Delhi borders or Haryana instead.

    “I want to tell farmer brothers that it is your Punjab, your villages, your people. We should not disturb our Punjab. You do whatever you want to do at Delhi (borders), put pressure on them (the Centre) and make them agree,” said Singh.

    “Do you know that farmers are sitting at 113 places in Punjab? What will be the gain out of it? Punjab will suffer economically. Let them do what they (farmers) are doing at Delhi (borders) and in Haryana. You (farmers) do it there,” said Singh while referring to farmers’ agitation.

    ALSO READ | Stop drama, get farmers’ issues resolved: AAP slams Navjot Sidhu over letter to Punjab CM

    “There is no use sitting at 113 places in Punjab and weakening its financial position,” he said, hoping that farmers would accede to his request.

    Ruing that farmers are still sitting at toll plazas and not allowing retail stores of some big corporates, Singh expressed hope that his request would be acceded to by the farmers.

    The Punjab chief minister made this pleading to farmers while addressing a gathering in Hoshiarpur after laying the foundation stone of a government college costing Rs 13.

    44 crore at Mukhliana village and asserting that Punjab needed development.

    Reacting to Singh’s statement, Haryana Home Minister Vij accused him of instigating farmers.

    “It is a very irresponsible statement of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to tell farmers that do whatever you want in Haryana or at Delhi borders but do not do it in Punjab,” Vij said in a tweet.

    “This proves that Amarinder Singh has done the work of instigating farmers,” Vij added.

    Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar too had last month accused the Congress government in Punjab of fuelling farmers’ unrest in his state.

    While addressing the gathering, Punjab CM Singh also urged the Centre to repeal the three agriculture laws.

    The chief minister also took on the Badals for initially backing the farm ordinances and later taking a U-turn on the issue after facing farmers’ ire.

    Singh said it was the Congress party government which had rejected the Centre’s farm laws.

    They were replaced by the state government’s farm laws which were sent to the governor but these have not yet been forwarded to the President.

    Asking the Central government to shed its “stubbornness” over the issue of “black laws”, Singh said the Constitution has been amended 127 times since 1950 and asked why it could not be done 128th times.

    “So why not one more time to repeal the farm laws for providing succour to the farmers who have been sitting at Singhu and Tikri borders,” he said.

    Earlier, addressing the gathering at SBS Nagar, Singh hit out at the Badals for ‘double-crossing’ the farmers over the farm laws.

    He accused Harsimrat Kaur Badal and former CM Parkash Singh Badal of supporting the farm ordinances.

    But they changed their tune completely when their move backfired, he said.

    Calling the Congress “only party which protested against these laws from the very first day”, Singh said his government had called an all-party meeting and then held consultations with the farm unions.

    The Punjab government later also convened a special session of the Vidhan Sabha and passed the Bills aimed at countering these farm laws.

    In the SSB Nagar district, the chief minister was addressing a gathering on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of PAU – College of Agriculture at Ballowal Saunkhri and kickstarting the academic session for 60 students who have already been admitted to the college and their classes to begin from October 1.

    It would be for the first time that a college of agriculture outside the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana would come up with the BSc (Agriculture) course, the CM said.

    In Hoshiarpur, the CM also announced to name this upcoming government college after Dr BR Ambedkar.

  • Stop drama, get farmers’ issues resolved: AAP slams Navjot Sidhu over letter to Punjab CM

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The AAP on Monday slammed Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu over his letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, saying he should stop doing “drama” and get the farmers’ issues resolved at the earliest.

    Sidhu had on Sunday written to Amarinder Singh, seeking action on the farmers’ demands including cancellation of “unfair” FIRs registered against growers during their agitation.

    Dubbing Sidhu’s letter as a “news stunt”, Aam Aadmi Party legislator Harpal Singh Cheema said Congress leaders especially Sidhu are acting as if they are in the opposition.

    ALSO READ | Had Harsimrat rejected farm ordinances, farmers would have spared ‘black day’: AAP

    In a statement here, Cheema, who is also the leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly, said Sidhu should stop playing the “letter game” on the issues related to Punjab, and the farmers’ problems and get them resolved from his party’s government.

    He said Sidhu gets publicity by writing a letter to the chief minister, but the issues of the farmers remain unresolved.

    Cheema asked the cricketer-turned-politician to stop doing “drama” and play the role of leader of the ruling party otherwise the people of Punjab would never forgive him.

    “If Navjot Singh Sidhu could not come up with any concrete promise or policy from the ruling Congress in his meeting with the farmer leaders, then what did he do there,” Cheema said.

    If AAP leaders could decide to give support after listening to the views of farmers during the meeting, why could not Sidhu do so.

    Leaders of 32 farm bodies had met all political parties except the BJP on September 10.