News Analysis India

Tag: Farmers Protest

  • Protest won’t end yet, next decision on November 27: Rakesh Tikait

    By PTI

    GHAZIABAD: The ongoing anti-farm laws protest will not end yet and its future course of action will be decided on November 27, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said on Wednesday.

    The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson said the protestors would also question the Centre on its claims of doubling farmers’ income.

    “This protest will not end yet. We have a meeting on November 27 after which we will take further decisions.

    (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji has said farmers’ income would be doubled from January 1, so will ask him how it would be done. Farmers’ victory will be ensured when they get the right price for their crops,” Tikait tweeted in Hindi.

    Hundreds of farmers have been encamped at Delhi’s borders since November 26, 2020 with a demand 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 (MSP) for crops.

    PM Modi had last week announced his government’s decision to withdraw the contentious laws.

  • Lakhimpur Kheri sugar mills cancel invite to MoS Ajay Mishra Teni

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Taking cognizance of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait’s warning, the management of two cooperative sugar mills in Belrayan and Sampurna Nagar of Kheri district hanged their crushing season-opening programme removing Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni from the inaugural function which was held on Wednesday.

    Tikait, at a mahapanchayat in Lucknow on Monday, had warned that farmers would take their sugarcane meant for two Lakhimpur Kheri sugar mills to the office of the district magistrate if Union minister of state (MoS) Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni inaugurated the mills in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri.

    Teni’s son Ashish Mishra alias Monu is the prime accused in Tikunia violence at Lakhimpur Kheri during which eight persons, including four farmers, were killed on October 3. Ashish Mishra is currently lodged in Lakhimpur Kheri district jail in connection with a violence case.

    ALSO READ | ‘Not going home, government must talk to us on other demands’: Tikait rakes up MSP issue as he demands Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s arrest

    In their revised programme, the general manager/secretary of the two cooperative sugar units said, “Kheri district magistrate, who is also the administrator of the two sugar mills, will inaugurate the crushing season in Sarju Cooperative Sugar Mill in Belrayan at 9 am and at 11 am at Kisan Cooperative Sugar Mill in Sampurna Nagar in the presence of farmers and the shareholders on Wednesday.”

    Earlier, MoS for home Ajay Mishra was scheduled to inaugurate the crushing season at the two sugar units.

    Speaking at the Kisan Mahapanchayat convened by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of protesting farmer unions, in Lucknow on Monday, Tikait had also said, “The arrest of Ajay Mishra Teni is our important demand.”

    Meanwhile, local BJP sources claimed that MoS was already pre-occupied in his pre-scheduled programmes out of district owing to which he was not in a position to inaugurate the fresh crushing season. 

  • 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.

  • ‘Release report on farm laws’: SC-appointed panel member Anil Ghanwat to CJI

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to repeal the contentious agricultural laws, Anil Ghanwat, one of the members of the Supreme Court-appointed panel to study the farm legislations, wrote to Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Tuesday urging him to release the report in the public domain at the earliest or authorise the committee to do so.

    Ghanwat, a senior leader of the Shetkari Sangathan, also said at a media briefing that he would mobilise one lakh farmers to Delhi in the next few months to push for agriculture reforms which he asserted were “badly required”. He also said that the protesting farmers’ demand to make MSP a legal guarantee and ensure procurement of all agricultural crops at MSP was not feasible.

    The three-member panel had submitted its report to the Supreme Court on March 19. But it has not been made public despite Ghanwat having requested the CJI on September 1 to release it saying the “recommendations will pave the way to resolve the ongoing farmers’ agitation”.

    In his letter to the CJI, Ghanwat said that though the panel’s report is “no longer relevant” following the government’s decision to repeal the farm laws, the recommendations are of great public interest. It is important to ensure that the ‘reform impulse’ that was reflected in the farm laws is not ‘diluted’, he asserted. He wrote that the report “can also play an educational role and ease the misapprehensions of many farmers who have, in my opinion, been misguided by some leaders.”

    Ghanwat requested the CJI to consider directing Centre to develop an exemplary and robust policy process that is followed in developed nations. He suggested setting up a committee to prepare a white paper for making new farm laws.

    On the protesting farmers’ demand to make MSP a legal guarantee, Ghanwat said, “Even if the government procures all crops, how will they be stored and disposed of?” The solution was to liberate the agriculture sector and give marketing freedom to farmers, he added. 

  • Farmers’ distrust of govt will not go away with one rollback, says Congress leader Sachin Pilot

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The BJP’s bypoll losses and a “looming bad performance” in the upcoming assembly polls led to the announcement of repealing the farm laws, Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Tuesday, asserting that there will be “consequences” for the ruling party in the elections as farmers’ “distrust” of the government will not go away with one rollback.

    The former Rajasthan deputy chief minister said the government should not only ensure a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) as demanded by farmers but must also provide a regulation or a law ensuring that procurement takes place.

    In an interview with PTI, Pilot said no matter what the government does now, it is “far too late” to erase from the farmers’ minds the suffering caused during the farm laws agitation.

    “In Indian history, such a long agitation by the farming community which lasted for a year, has not been seen. If they had to rollback (the laws) then what was the need to waste lives and livelihoods, so much damage was caused, farmers were called naxalites, separatists, even terrorists and some of the ministers’ kin even mowing down people,” the former Union minister said.

    If that much animosity was there then what prompted the government to withdraw the laws, Pilot asked rhetorically and added that, “obviously there were political considerations”.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced his government’s decision to repeal the three farm laws over which the farmers have been protesting over the past year on Delhi’s borders, urging them to return to their homes.

    ALSO READ: Loyalists gain but Sachin Pilot’s role in Rajasthan still unclear

    Pilot alleged that there was no discussion held with the farmers’ unions before announcing the laws, which were imposed upon with “brute majority” in Parliament and then “shoved down the throat of farmers”.

    They have been withdrawn now but more needs to be done as there has been a “kind of breakdown of trust” between the government and the farmers which is “damaging” for future dispensations also, the Congress leader said.

    “They (farmers) will always view the government with suspicion. We owe our farmers who feed this country a lot more,” he asserted.

    Asked about the farmers’ demand for a law guaranteeing MSP, Pilot said the mere announcement of MSP even if it is made into law will not be adequate as there is also a need to make some regulation or laws for procurement.

    “What happens today is that you announce the MSP but there is no guarantee of procurement. If you want to really benefit the farmers then you have to ensure adequate and appropriate procurement, that is the key,” he said.

    If the farmers are demanding a law and regulation for MSP, it is a genuine demand and the government should act to fulfil it, he said.

    “I am going a step further. I am saying the announcement and guarantee of MSP is important but the government should also ensure procurement happens. A legal guarantee for MSP is only effective if there is a proportionate regulation and law for procurement also,” Pilot said.

    The government must invite the farmers to discuss their issues and not just look at the election cycle for rollbacks as it must think about their genuine good, he said.

    Pilot also called for accountability for the “losses” people suffered both physically and monetarily during the farm laws protests.

    The “distrust” created in the farming community’s mind will not go away with one rollback, he asserted.

    “Obviously the bypoll losses and the looming bad performance of the BJP in the upcoming polls in five states was certainly the consideration that led the government to withdraw the farm laws,” Pilot said.

    Asked if the step would benefit the BJP in the polls, he said, “I think the minister of state for home (Ajay Mishra) has not resigned, cases slapped on farmers still exist, people who lost dear ones, how can they forget the year that has gone by. There will be consequences.”

    However, he added, “I don’t think we should politicise the farmers’ movement but ultimately people of India know that these laws were imposed not to help farmers but other interest groups.”

    Digging in their heels, farmer unions on Sunday had said they will continue their agitation till the government starts talks with them on their six demands, including a law guaranteeing MSP and the arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, even as the Centre prepared to bring bills in Parliament to repeal its three agri laws.

    Mishra’s son was arrested in the case of the death of four protesting farmers in an incident in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh in October.

  • Farm laws repeal due to BJP workers’ failure to enlighten farmers: Uma Bharti

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Pained by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s November 19 announcement to repeal three farm laws, senior BJP leader and ex-union minister Uma Bharti has blamed the saffron party’s workers for failing to enlighten the farmers on the farm laws.

    In PM’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi for the last four days, the ex-Madhya Pradesh CM tweeted on Monday, “the PM’s November 19 announcement left me speechless, which is why I’m commenting about it after three days.”

    “People like me are pained by what the PM said while announcing the repeal of the three farm laws. If the PM didn’t succeed in educating farmers about the importance of the three farm laws, it’s because of the weakness of all BJP workers. Why did we (BJP workers) fail in connecting and communicating with the farmers on these laws,” Bharti tweeted further.

    “I was particularly pained by the PM’s announcement, as I deeply felt that we (BJP rank and file) failed to face and counter the opposition’s false propaganda on the issue,” Bharti added.

    Among the frontal leaders of the Ayodhya Ram Temple movement, Bharti, however, showered praise on the PM’s leadership, tweeting, “by announcing repeal of the farm laws, the PM has established his greatness. I pray to Lord Kashi Vishwanath that such an exceptional and visionary leader lives long and succeeds in all endeavours.”

    Meanwhile, Bharti’s tweets have given ammo to opposition Congress leaders to attack the ruling BJP.

    “Uma Bharti’s tweets have exposed the real state of the BJP organization. Despite boasting of being training based workers, the BJP workers failed to convince the farmers on the three farm laws. Now the farmers will teach the BJP and its workers the befitting lesson,” ex-MP minister and Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA PC Sharma said.

  • BJP leaders should desist from making provocative statements on farm laws: Mayawati

    Mayawati demanded that besides the repeal of farm laws, the other demands of the protesting farmers should be met by the government so that they can return to their homes.

  • RLD chief asks farmers to continue protest till there is legal guarantee for MSP

    By PTI

    MUZAFFARNAGAR: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a repeal of the three farm laws, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary on Saturday called it a victory of farmers and urged them to continue their protest till there is a legal guarantee for MSP.

    Chaudhary made the remarks at a rally in Baghra village which comes under Charthawal assembly constituency.

    On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the Centre would repeal the three farm laws, marking a climbdown by his government to meet the unrelenting demand of the farmers.

    The RLD chief welcomed the Centre’s decision and called it a victory of the farmers.

    “But the farmers’ agitation is not over yet. They should continue their protest to get their remaining demands fulfilled,” he said.

    Attacking the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, Chaudhary claimed that the dispensation has failed to fulfill its promises.

    He alleged that the UP government is spending money on advertisements and not doing development work.

  • Crucial farmer unions’ meet on Sunday to decide on agitation course; MSP issue in focus now

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: After its decision to repeal the three agri laws, the Centre is now facing pressure from agitating farmer unions and opposition parties to bring in a legislation guaranteeing Minimum Support Price, with ruling BJP MP Varun Gandhi also joining the chorus on Saturday saying the stir won’t end till this issue is resolved.

    The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of the agitating unions, is meeting on Sunday to decide on the next course of action, including on the MSP issue and the proposed daily tractor march to Parliament during the upcoming Winter Session, SKM core committee member Darshan Pal said.

    Farmer leaders said the protesters will stay put at border areas of Delhi until the Centre formally repeals these laws in Parliament after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise announcement on Friday and indicated their stir for a statutory guarantee of MSP and withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill will continue.

    “Our call of tractor march to Parliament still stands. A final decision on the future course of the agitation and MSP issue will be taken in a meeting of the SKM at Singhu Border on Sunday,”Darshan Pal told PTI on Saturday.

    While the opposition needled and mocked the government after it agreed to rollback the farm laws, BJP MP Varun Gandhi, who had deviated from the party line to speak out in favour of the protesters, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to accept the farmers’ demand for a statutory MSP guarantee.

    The MP from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh said if the decision to repeal farm had been taken earlier, “innocent lives would not have been lost”.

    “This movement will not end without the resolution of this (MSP) demand and there will be widespread anger amongst them, which will continue to emerge in one form or the other.

    Therefore, it is very important for the farmers to get the statutory guarantee of MSP for their crops,” he wrote and also demanded that Rs 1 crore compensation be given to farmers “martyred” in the movement against the laws.

    Like Varun Gandhi, BSP chief Mayawati also demanded a law to guarantee MSP and withdrawal of cases against the protesters.

    “There should be a new law to ensure the minimum support price for the produce of farmers, and barring cases of serious nature, all cases registered against farmers, who are the country’s pride, should be withdrawn. This should be ensured by the Centre, and it would then be appropriate,” she tweeted.

    The Congress and Left parties have also demanded that a law should be enacted on the MSP guarantee while repealing the three laws from last year.

    Action was also sought against Union Minister Ajay Mishra for the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri by Varun Gandhi as well as Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who also urged Modi not to share the stage with the minister during the conference of DGPs in Lucknow.

    Violence had erupted in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 in which four agitating farmers were run over by a vehicle while four others, including a journalist and two BJP workers, were also killed.

    The opposition continued to take target the government over the withdrawal of the farm laws.

    ‘Mahabharata’ and ‘Ramayana’ teach us that arrogance ultimately gets crushed, but the fake Hindutvawadis seemed to have forgotten this and launched an attack on truth and justice like Ravana,” the Shive Sena said.

    “At least in future, the Centre should shun arrogance before bringing such laws, and take the opposition parties into confidence for the welfare of the country,” an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said, adding that BJP’s “defeat” in bypolls forced the Centre to take the decision.

    Congress leader P Chidambaram claimed Prime Minister Modi made the announcement to repeal the farm laws without holding a Cabinet meeting and alleged that it is only under the BJP that laws are made and unmade without prior Cabinet approval.

    Union minister General V K Singh, however, lamented the insistence of a section of farmers on a rollback of the reform legislation.

    “I asked a farmer leader to tell me what is black (in the farm laws). You people say this is a black law. I asked them what is black barring the ink (used). They said we endorse your view but these (laws) are still black,” the former Army chief told reporters in Basti, Uttar Pradesh.

    “What is the cure (for this)? There is no cure,” he said expressing his exasperation.

    “In farmers’ organisations, there is a fight for supremacy among themselves. These people cannot think about the benefits to small farmers,” he said.

    The farmer leaders said the unions were discussing the developments and will participate in the SKM meeting on Sunday.

    “We have decided not to leave the site till these laws are formally repealed in Parliament. Mobilisation of farmers on Delhi borders on November 26 to mark the first anniversary of the agitation will continue,” farmer leader at Tikri Border and SKM member Sudesh Goyat said.

    Hundreds of protesting farmers have been camping at important stretches of Delhi’s borders in Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November 2020, forcing people to take detours during interstate travel.

    It now appears that commuters will have to wait for some time for any reprieve on this front.

    On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Centre will repeal the three farm laws after the nearly year-long agitation by a section of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

    The Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of the three laws in January.

  • Gehlot accuses Modi of mocking farmers in Parliament

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “mocked” the farmers in an animated manner and called them “andolanjeevi”, but those theatrics were missing when he announced the repeal of three farm laws.

    Gehlot claimed that the Modi dispensation decided to repeal the farm laws under pressure of the assembly elections in five states, including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, and that the government was “scared”.

    “The prime minister was speaking in Parliament with ‘latke-jhatke’ (gestures), which he usually does. On Friday, those ‘latke-jhatke’ were missing,” Gehlot said.

    He also asked why Modi chose to make the announcement at 9 am when people are engaged in household chores and gearing up for work.

    “Around 15-20 of their leaders (BJP and allies) made sarcastic comments against the farmers. They referred to the farmers as Khalistanis and naxals. Imagine the plight of the ‘annadatas’ (farmers) when such remarks were made against them,” Gehlot said at the Kisan Vijay Diwas programme in Jaipur.

    Modi and parliamentarians from the ruling party “mocked and laughed” at the farmers.

    However, they all got “exposed” on Friday when an apology was tendered, the chief minister alleged.

    Gehlot claimed that the BJP was afraid of the elections and therefore, its national president JP Nadda, defence minister and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Rajnath Singh, and Home Minister Amit Shah were looking after booth management.

    “Democracy and the Constitution are under threat. Fascist people, who have nothing to do with the farmers, are in power,” he alleged.

    Raking up the Lakhimpur Kheri issue, Gehlot said it was unfortunate that Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra had not been sacked.

    AICC general secretary in-charge for Rajasthan Ajay Maken cautioned the farmers and Congress leaders to be alert as, according to him, the intention of the government was “malafide”.

    “The government brought an ordinance to extend the tenure of the Enforcement Directorate and CBI heads. A similar thing should have been done to repeal the farm laws. We doubt the intention of the central government and hence, we need to exercise caution,” he said.