News Analysis India

Tag: Farmers Protest

  • Farmers’ protest: Union leaders observe day-long fast on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Farmer leaders agitating against the Centre’s new agri laws are observing ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’ on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary on Saturday and holding a day-long fast at the various protest sites.

    Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior member of Samkyukt Kisan Morcha — an umbrella body of farmer unions — said the ongoing agitation will gain strength as farmers in large numbers will join them in coming days.

    During a press conference on Friday, the leaders slammed the ruling BJP at the Centre and accused it of trying to “destroy” their “peaceful” agitation.

    The farmer leaders claimed that the number of agitators at all the protest venues including Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri borders is swelling after the police allegedly tried to remove farmer leader Rakesh Tikait from Ghazipur border on Thursday night.

  • Protesters in Shahjahanpur border vow to continue stir till farm laws are ‘repealed’

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Farmers continued to protest at Shahjahanpur border in Rajasthan’s Alwar district on Friday, vowing to continue the agitation till the farm laws are repealed.

    On the same day, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party MP Hanuman Beniwal staged a walk out from Lok Sabha demanding the repeal of the farm laws.

    Beniwal”s party was an ally of the NDA government at Centre and had announced separation over the demand to repeal the laws.

    Meanwhile, Kisan Mahapanchayat leader Rampal Jat announced their separation with the Sanyukt Morcha, but said he would continue the protest.

    ​ALSO READ | Bhim Army chief meets Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur border, offers help to strengthen farmers’ protest

    “It seems that a conspiracy was hatched by the government as it is a fact that the persons who instigated the farmers on Republic Day have not been arrested,” Jat said.

    The farmers’ rally will continue across all the districts, but not on roads, he added.

    Beniwal showed a placard and raised slogans demanding repeal of the laws during the President’s address in Parliament and later staged a walk out.

    “The Centre should withdraw the laws or else this public movement would intensify. The farmers are protesting without any violence so their demands should be fulfilled. The RLP had supported the NDA in view that would listen to farmers and youth, but to no avail,” he said.

    The RLP condemns what happened at Red Fort, he added.

    All India Kisan Sabha vice president Amra Ram said those who hoisted flag at Red Fort were not part of the Sanyukt Morcha.

    ALSO WATCH:

    “The government is suppressing voice of farmers. But, we will continue our protest. We will keep a day-long fast on Saturday. Our sit-in protest will continue till the demands are met,” he said.

    In Bharatpur, farmers led by Manudev Sinsini staged protests, raised slogans and burnt effigy of the government at the Centre.

    The farmers gathered at the power house in favour of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, who is protesting in Ghazipur.

    “Farmers will gather in next three days and thereafter start a tractor rally for Delhi on February 1 to join others participating in the protest. The farmers are 65 of the population of the country and are capable to teach lesson to the government,” he said.

  • Civil society members appeal for repealing new farm laws, seek withdrawal of FIRs against journalists

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Civil society members, including Aruna Roy, Prashant Bhushan and Harsh Mander, appealed on Friday for repealing of the three farm laws, enacting a legislation to guarantee MSP and withdrawing all cases filed under UAPA against farmer leaders.

    In a joint statement, a national call was given by civil society to stand in solidarity with the farmers’ movement on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary on Saturday.

    “This is a call for a fast during the day on January 30 and to keep a minute of silence across the country at 5 pm, to express solidarity with all struggles, satyagrahas and peaceful non-violent movements with a commitment to democratic and ethical probity,” they said.

    ​ALSO READ | Bhim Army chief meets Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur border, offers help to strengthen farmers’ protest

    “We appeal to all people and groups to fast and keep a minute of silence tomorrow and organise different kinds of public events to uphold peaceful struggles,” it said.

    They also appealed for repealing the three farm laws, enacting a legislation to guarantee MSP and withdrawing all cases filed under UAPA against farmer leaders, it said.

    The activists demanded that the FIR filed in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday against journalists must be withdrawn and a free-and-fair investigation should take place into the violence on Republic Day.

    The appeal was issued by former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha, former Navy chief Admiral L Ramdas, advocate Prashant Bhuhsan, former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, activists Harsh Mander and Shabnam Hashmi, former Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed, among others.

    ALSO READ | Farmers to hold ‘Sadbhavna Diwas’ on January 30, observe day-long fast

    “Despite the clear, unequivocal condemnation by farmers leaders, of any violence on January 26, the government has activated the criminal justice machinery to lodge FIRs against them under a range of criminal laws, including shockingly an anti-terror law, the UAPA,” they said.

    This is now becoming a familiar playbook of the ruling establishment, last seen when the citizenship movement against the CAA-NRC and its young leadership was similarly “vilified, terrorised”, charged under the UAPA and arrested, they said.

    “The fake state narrative of the farmers movement as a ‘violent conspiracy’ against India, is an exact copy-paste of the narrative we saw last year around the anti-CAA movement, once again being spun to try and tar and suppress the democratic voices of our people.

    ALSO WATCH:

    “Violent mobs are being deliberately incited, to target individual farmers leaders and at protest sites. Again, a page from the familiar playbook of last year,” it said.

    A press conference was organised today In support of the farmers’ movement and to strongly condemn the government’s attempt to criminalise and break” a legitimate people’s movement.

    It was addressed by Bhushan, Hashmi, Gandhi Peace Foundation secretary Kumar Prashant, economist Atul Sood and Nation For Farmers co-convener Dinesh Abrol.

  • Bhim Army chief meets Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur border, offers help to strengthen farmers’ protest

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Friday met farmer leader Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border and said the Dalit group will provide all help to strengthen the agitation against the new farm laws.

    This comes a day after the Ghaziabad administration gave an ultimatum to the agitating farmers to vacate the UP Gate protest site in Ghazipur by Thursday night, even as farmer leader Rakesh Tikait remained adamant saying he would commit suicide but not end the stir Azad reached UP Gate around 6:30 PM with nearly 100 members of the Bhim Army.

    ALSO READ | UP Assembly polls: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad stitches alliance with Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha

    The Dalit leader said Tikait is the “pride of western Uttar Pradesh” and he would fight shoulder-to-shoulder with the farmer leader.

    “We stand firm with our farmers and will provide all help needed to strengthen their protest,” Azad said.

    He claimed that the government will “try every trick to end this movement and instigate farmers to resort to violence”.

    “I appeal to you not to deviate from the path of non-violence,” he said.

    Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of farmers gathered in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar for a mahapanchayat in a massive outpouring of support for the Bharatiya Kisan Union-led protest against the three new farm laws in Ghazipur.

    The mahapanchayat resolved to throw its full weight behind the protest at Ghazipur, where farmers have been camping for over two months to demand the repeal of the farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Farmers to hold ‘Sadbhavna Diwas’ on January 30, observe day-long fast

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Farmers protesting against the Centre’s new agri laws will observe ‘Sadbhavna Diwas’ on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary on January 30 and hold a day-long fast, farm union leaders said on Friday.

    Addressing a press conference at Delhi’s Singhu border, the farmer leaders said the fast will be held from 9 AM to 5 PM and appealed to the people of the country to join them.

    ​ALSO READ | Farmers’ protest: Haryana govt orders suspension of internet services in 14 more districts

    The farmer leaders also slammed the ruling BJP at the Centre and accused it of trying to “destroy” the “peaceful” agitation against the agri laws.

    “The conspiracy of the ruling BJP to destroy this farmers’ movement is now exposed to all,” he said .

    The farmer leaders also asserted that the number of agitators at all the prominent protest venues – Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri – is swelling after the police allegedly tried to remove farmer leader Rakesh Tikait from Ghazipur border on Thursday night.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Activist Anna Hazare calls off indefinite fast hours after announcing it, backs farm reforms

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday said he won’t be proceeding with the indefinite fast against the new farm laws and claimed that the Central government has agreed to some of his demands.

    In a statement earlier in the day, Hazare (84) had announced that he will be starting the hunger strike from his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra on Saturday.

    In that communication, Hazare had said he had written to the prime minister and Union agriculture minister five times on the plight of farmers but to no avail.

    The Union government has agreed to some of my demands and also announced setting up a committee to improve the lives of farmers. I have decided to suspend my proposed indefinite fast starting from Saturday, Hazare said.

    While announcing the hunger strike, Hazare had said, “I have been demanding reforms in the agriculture sector, but the Centre doesn’t seem to be taking the right decisions.”

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    “The Centre has no sensitivity left for farmers, which is why I am starting my indefinite fast at my village from January 30,” he had said and appealed to his supporters not to flock to his village district in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Hazare, who was at the forefront of the anti- corruption movement in 2011, had recalled that when he went on a hunger strike at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, the then UPA government had called a special session of Parliament.

  • ‘Absolutely criminal’: Rahul slams Centre’s treatment towards farmers, says stir will intensify

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday warned that the farmers’ agitation will spread across the country if not resolved soon and asserted that the only solution to the issue was to throw the new agri laws in the “waste paper basket”.

    Addressing a press conference, he launched an all-out attack at the Centre and accused it of trying to intimidate and discredit the agitating farmers, by even using the National Investigation Agency.

    “The government must not think that the farmers are going back home. They are not going to return and my concern is that this situation is going to spread. We do not need this situation to spread, we need a conversation with the farmers and we need a solution,” he said.

    “I want to tell the farmers that they should not step back as all of us are with them. They should not step back even an inch as this concerns your future and you should continue to fight. These 4-5 people who want to steal everything you have, you should not allow them to do so and we all will support you,” he also said.

    Gandhi said the prime minister should not think that this agitation will stop here, adding it will spread in the cities, urban areas and slums as the youth there also also angry with this government as they do not see any future.

    “I am telling the prime minister that this the country will suffer due to this. You should talk to the farmers and resolve the situation by taking back these laws, otherwise the country will be hurt. This instability will not help and benefit the country. This instability will not go unless you correct the injustice done,” he said, adding that the government should talk to farmers and resolve the issue soon.

    Gandhi later tweeted in Hindi, “You will not be able to break the courage of farmers by either stone-pelting at Sindhu border or by deploying police at Gazipur or by any other conspiracy. The entire country is standing with them and you cannot intimidate them.”

    In his remarks at the press conference, the former Congress chief said the government is trying to discredit the farmers and the prime minister will have to listen to the voice of the people.

    Gandhi said that action should be taken against those few who indulged in violence on Republic Day, but the government should not disregard the voice of lakhs of farmers protesting peacefully against the farm laws.

    “The prime minister will have to listen to the voice of the people and if he does not, this (movement) will spread and cannot be suppressed. He asked the government to resolve the issue as this will not benefit the country.”

    “You should quickly resolve this and not waste time. You should talk to farmers as soon as possible and resolve their grievances and douse the situation.”

    “It is very obvious that the farmers are very agitated because the government is destroying their livelihood. It is destroying the livelihood of our labourers and it is going to give the middle class a shock in the coming times because the prices of food are going to skyrocket,” the former Congress chief claimed.

    “What is being done to the farmers is absolutely criminal. You (government) are beating them, you are threatening them, you are bullying them, you are trying to discredit them,” he said.

    Gandhi asserted that the only solution is repealing these laws and “putting the laws into the waste paper basket”.

    Asked about the Republic Day violence, he said, “Who allowed the farmers to enter the Red Fort; is it not the home ministry’s job to stop them from doing so.”

    Gandhi also demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his failure in handling the Red Fort incidents, but said he does not expect him to quit alleging that the BJP does not take responsibility for its actions.

    Talking about the impact of the farm laws, he claimed that “this is the biggest transfer of wealth from the largest number of people to the smallest number of people”.

    Citing the situation in Covid times, he said the poor got poorer and a handful of rich people just got richer and richer.

    “This anger that you are seeing among the farmers, this is that anger that 5-7 people have everything, we have nothing,” he said.

    Elaborating on the farm laws, Gandhi claimed the first law destroys the mandi system and the agricultural markets of this country, while the second law allows unlimited storage of grain and other materials and will make it practically impossible for our farmers to negotiate their prices.

    The third law basically says that if the farmers have grievance, they cannot go to court, he added.

    Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at several border points into Delhi since November-end, demanding repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support system for their crops.

    Enacted last September, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

    However, the protesting farmers have expressed their apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the wholesale market system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

  • Farmers’ protest: Haryana govt orders suspension of internet services in 14 more districts

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Friday decided to suspend mobile internet services in 14 more districts of the state till 5 pm of January 30 “to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order” in the wake of the farmers’ agitation against the three agriculture laws.

    The mobile internet services except voice calls will remain suspended with immediate effect until 5 pm on Saturday in districts of Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat, Hisar, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Rewari and Sirsa districts, an order issued by the Home Department said.

    On Tuesday, the government had ordered suspension of mobile internet services in Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal districts “to prevent disturbance of peace and public order” after a violent farmers’ protest rocked neighbouring Delhi.

    The services will remain suspended in these three districts too until 5 pm on Saturday, as per the order.

    Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor rally in Delhi called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for the repeal of the Centre’s three farm laws.

    Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.

    Some protesters even hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.

    The Haryana government ordered suspension of telecom services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services, etc provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of districts of the 14 districts and extended suspension in the districts of Sonipat, Palwal and Jhajjar for next 24 hours till 5 pm on January 30, according to the order.

    “This order has been issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of these three districts of Haryana,” it added.

    “Whereas it has been brought to my notice by ADGP, CID, Haryana…that provocative misinformation and fake news on social media regarding ongoing farmers’ agitation has been rampant across in various districts of Haryana and there is a likelihood of disturbance of law and order, public peace and tranquility in some districts of the state by protesters, agitators, miscreants and anti-social elements…,” the order issued by the Haryana’s Home Department said while announcing the suspension of the mobile internet services.

    “…And whereas, there is a clear potential of public utilities, damage to public assets and amenities and disruption of public law and order in some districts on account of misuse of internet services by way of spread of inflammatory material and false rumours… “ In order to stop the spread of disinformation and rumours and divisive propaganda through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc on mobile phones and SMS, for facilitation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities.,” the order further said.

    In the wake of the violence in Delhi on January 26, Haryana Home Secretary Rajeev Arora had on Tuesday issued an order to snap mobile internet services in the three districts, which are in close proximity of Delhi, to “stop the spread of disinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter” for mobilisation of anti-social elements who can disturb peace, cause loss of life and damage to property.

  • Anti-farmers mob goes on a rampage at Singhu border; protest site sealed

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Clashes broke out between agitating farmers and a large group of people claiming to be locals at the Singhu border on Friday as police resorted to lathi-charge and used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.

    The “locals” demanded that farmers vacate the Singhu border protest site as they had “insulted” the national flag during their tractor parade on Republic Day.

    Hundreds of anti-farmer protesters gathered at the border raising slogans — ‘Singhu border Khali Karo (empty Singhu border), ‘Goli Maaro Desh ke Gaddaro ko’ (shoot the traitors) and ‘Khalistaniyo ko bhagao’ (drive away Khalistanis). 

    Despite the presence of anti-riot security personnel at the border, Delhi Police could not control the mob as they went on a rampage inside the site and vandalised the community kitchen. Some even burned the blankets and other necessities.

    Later, both sides pelted stones at each other where the “locals” could be seen pelting burning sticks, stones and iron sticks.  To bring the situation under control, police fired tear gas, Mirchi bombs and resorted to lathi-charge.

    ALSO WATCH:

    Meanwhile, multi-layered security arrangements were enforced with barricades everywhere and all entry points to Singhu border being sealed. According to officials, Delhi Police have detained one person who had attacked SHO Pradeep Paliwal during the clash.

    Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor parade on Tuesday.

    Agressive Anti farmer protestors broke tents abd camps @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/GyW4oywXVy
    — Gayathri Mani (@gayathrireports) January 29, 2021

  • Thousands of farmers attend ‘mahapanchayat’ in Muzaffarnagar to back BKU

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Tens of thousands of farmers gathered in Muzaffarnagar town on Friday to attend a mahapanchayat in support of the  Bharatiya Kisan Union-led protest against the Centre’s new farm laws in Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. 

    A day after BKU leader Rakesh Tikait broke down at Ghazipur and tension spiralled amid fears that the farmers who had been camping there would be forcibly removed by the local administration, all roads in western Uttar Pradesh it seemed led to Muzaffarnagar. 

    The GIC ground near Mahaveer Chowk was packed, a sea of people congregating to back the protesters at UP Gate in Ghazipur. Hundreds of tractors with the tricolour and flags of farm unions were parked along city roads, disrupting traffic movement. 

    The GIC ground was the centrestage and scores of regional farmer leaders took the mike to back the protesters at the UP Gate in Ghazipur.  As Muzaffarnagar became the meeting point for farmers,  Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh also announced support for the BKU and his son, party leader Jayant Chaudhary, participated in the mahapanchayat too.

    Singh, RLD president and former Union minister, had spoken to BKU president Naresh Tikait and spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, party vice president  Chaudhary said. “It is a matter of life and death for farmers, but do not worry. All have to stay together, united in this — this is Chaudhary saahab’s (Ajit Singh’s) message,” the RLD vice president said in a tweet in Hindi.

    The Tikait brothers, sons of legendary farm leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, are leading the BKU. Members of the group have been protesting at Ghazipur for more than two months to demand  a rollback of the contentious farm laws brought by the Centre in September year.