News Analysis India

Tag: Samyukt Kisan Morcha

  • Sugarcane dues: Farmers block second side of national highway in Punjab’s Phagwara

    By PTI

    PHAGWARA: Farmers protesting over the non-payment of sugarcane dues for the past four days here blocked the second side of the Jalandhar-Ludhiana stretch of the national highway on Friday.

    Roads leading to Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Nakodar were also blocked by parking tractors, leading to traffic snarls.

    The authorities had to divert traffic on alternative routes.

    Police personnel in large numbers were deployed and water cannons stationed near the protest site.

    Earlier, the protesters had blocked one portion of the Jalandhar-Ludhiana national highway while protesting over the delay in the payment of their dues amounting to Rs 72 crore by a sugar mill here.

    The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) after a meeting here Friday afternoon served an ultimatum on the Punjab government, asking it to either clear the dues till August 25 or face an intensified stir in the form of a massive morcha in Phagwara.

    The farmers had started their indefinite protest near the sugar mill on Monday under the banner of the Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba).

    “Since the Punjab government has taken our protest lightly, we blocked the other side of the national highway at 10 am today,” said BKU (Doaba) president Manjit Singh Rai.

    However, ambulances, school buses and other emergency vehicles were allowed to pass, said farmer body’s general secretary Satnam Singh Sahni.

    Rai and Sahni said they will not budge till Rs 72 crore was transferred into the accounts of farmers.

    Farmers, who had been protesting for the payment of sugarcane arrears, had on Thursday lifted the road blockade from a section of the national highway here due to Raksha Bandhan.

    The protesters had warned that they will intensify their stir and block both sides of the highway from Friday if their demand is not met.

    An official statement in Chandigarh quoting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the state government is committed to clear all pending arrears, which will be paid by September 7.

    Mann said even private sugar mills, except the Phagwara sugar mill, have assured that they will clear the arrears by September 7.

    The official statement said the state government had on Thursday released Rs 100 crore to sugarcane farmers and this was deposited in their bank accounts on Friday.

    The chief minister said with this payment, cooperative sugar mills in the state have already paid Rs 526.27 crore to farmers.

    Mann said his government is making sincere efforts to ensure that pending payments to farmers are made soon.

    Addressing a joint press conference, SKM leaders said earlier Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema had assured to arrange a meeting with the chief minister, which was not done.

    They said later a meeting was held with the Punjab agriculture minister in Mohali but that too did not help resolve the matter.

    The government should take the Phagwara mill into its own hands and sell its property for clearing farmers arrears, they said.

    PHAGWARA: Farmers protesting over the non-payment of sugarcane dues for the past four days here blocked the second side of the Jalandhar-Ludhiana stretch of the national highway on Friday.

    Roads leading to Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Nakodar were also blocked by parking tractors, leading to traffic snarls.

    The authorities had to divert traffic on alternative routes.

    Police personnel in large numbers were deployed and water cannons stationed near the protest site.

    Earlier, the protesters had blocked one portion of the Jalandhar-Ludhiana national highway while protesting over the delay in the payment of their dues amounting to Rs 72 crore by a sugar mill here.

    The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) after a meeting here Friday afternoon served an ultimatum on the Punjab government, asking it to either clear the dues till August 25 or face an intensified stir in the form of a massive morcha in Phagwara.

    The farmers had started their indefinite protest near the sugar mill on Monday under the banner of the Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba).

    “Since the Punjab government has taken our protest lightly, we blocked the other side of the national highway at 10 am today,” said BKU (Doaba) president Manjit Singh Rai.

    However, ambulances, school buses and other emergency vehicles were allowed to pass, said farmer body’s general secretary Satnam Singh Sahni.

    Rai and Sahni said they will not budge till Rs 72 crore was transferred into the accounts of farmers.

    Farmers, who had been protesting for the payment of sugarcane arrears, had on Thursday lifted the road blockade from a section of the national highway here due to Raksha Bandhan.

    The protesters had warned that they will intensify their stir and block both sides of the highway from Friday if their demand is not met.

    An official statement in Chandigarh quoting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the state government is committed to clear all pending arrears, which will be paid by September 7.

    Mann said even private sugar mills, except the Phagwara sugar mill, have assured that they will clear the arrears by September 7.

    The official statement said the state government had on Thursday released Rs 100 crore to sugarcane farmers and this was deposited in their bank accounts on Friday.

    The chief minister said with this payment, cooperative sugar mills in the state have already paid Rs 526.27 crore to farmers.

    Mann said his government is making sincere efforts to ensure that pending payments to farmers are made soon.

    Addressing a joint press conference, SKM leaders said earlier Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema had assured to arrange a meeting with the chief minister, which was not done.

    They said later a meeting was held with the Punjab agriculture minister in Mohali but that too did not help resolve the matter.

    The government should take the Phagwara mill into its own hands and sell its property for clearing farmers arrears, they said.

  • ‘Will stir if demands not met’: Farmer leaders to meet Punjab government on May 10 over power cuts

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Unhappy over the recent power cuts, farmers in Punjab have been protested for lastfew days across the state.

    Now a meeting has been scheduled between the farmer union leaders and Punjab government on May 10 to work out a ‘solution’ and if demands not met then massive protest on May 17. Before that meeting farmers leaders will be going to Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh on May 4 to get justice for families of ‘martyred’ farmers.

    Senior Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader and BKU (Lakhowal)-Punjab general secretary Punjab Harinder Singh Lakhowal said that the state government has sent them a letter yesterday that they want to meet all the twenty two farmers unions leaders of the SKM on May 10 and the meeting will be held at Chandigarh as it will be chaired by Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh.

    Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) CMD Baldev Singh Sran and other officials will also be present. “We will be attending this meeting with them. We have been demanding that uninterrupted power supply for at least eight hours for tube wells and twenty four hours supply for domestic connections as now as the paddy sowing has to start from May 20 and we want uninterrupted power supply. At present we getting two to three hours power supply for our tube wells and eight to ten hours power cuts in villages,” he said.

    He said that for last five years thousands power connections for tube wells are pending as the farmers have given their applications have paid money as security deposit to PSPCL and also demand notices were issued but till date no connections have been given so these connections should be realised with immediate effect.

    “Also the fees charges for increasing load of tube well motors should be reduced from Rs 4,700 per horse power to Rs 1,200 per horse power as earlier it was Rs 1,200 only and then increased, thus farmers will then apply to increase the power load of the motors installed by them,” said Lakhowal.

    He also demanded that PSPCL should carry out regular maintenance of power lines and increase load of transformers to give uninterrupted power supply and recruit staff as there is staff shortage in the power corporation.

    “We have been raising these issues with the PSPCL every year but they have been saying that they will talk to the government thus all our issues were always put on the back burner as no decision was taken. This time we told them that the power minister and government officials also be present in the meeting sothat decisions could be taken at the earliest,” said Lakhowal.

    He said the SKM delegation met Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on April 17 and then he had assured the union leaders that a bonus would be given on low yield of wheat and power supply would be ensured. He added that Mann had also assured to provide MSP on ‘moongi’, maize and basmati.

    “If our demands regarding power supply and MSP are not  fulfilled by the state government then the SKM will stage a massive protest on May 17 at Chandigarh,” he said. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will leave for Lakhimpur Kheri on May 4 from the state.

    “The members of the SKM from other states Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan would also reach Lakhimpur and will meet the families of victim farmers. On May 5, they will hold a meeting with the Lakhimpur Kheri administration and seek justice for the families of the ‘martyred’ farmers,” he said.

  • Will continue stir till six demands, including legal guarantee of MSP, is met: SKM

    The body also said that its agitation will not be called off at Delhi's border points, till the three farm laws, which triggered a year of protests by farmers, are formally repealed in Parliament.

  • 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.

  • Proposed tractor march to Parliament during Winter Session not withdrawn yet, say farmer leaders

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The proposed daily tractor march to Parliament during the upcoming Winter Session has not been withdrawn and a final call on this as well as the future course of the agitation will be taken in a Sunday meeting, farmer leaders said on Saturday.

    To observe one year of the anti-farm law agitation, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers’ unions, had earlier this month announced that 500 farmers will participate in peaceful tractors marches to Parliament every day during the Winter Session starting November 29.

    However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced the Centre will repeal the three farm laws, marking a climbdown by his government to meet the unrelenting demand of farmers protesting in several states against the reform measures.

    SKM welcomed the prime minister’s decision but said they will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures.

    It also indicated that its movement for a statutory guarantee of MSP and demand for the 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 issues will be taken in a meeting of the SKM at Singhu Border on Sunday,” farmer leader and SKM core committee member Darshan Pal told PTI on Saturday.

    Farmer leader and president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) Joginder Singh Ugrahan said at the Tikri border point that the tractor march has not yet been withdrawn.

    “The SKM will decide on the call for tractor trolly march to Parliament. So far, there is no call to withdraw it. A decision on this is likely to be taken on Sunday after the SKM’s core committee meeting,” he told PTI.

    On January 26, a tractor rally had turned violent with protesters breaking barricades, attacking security personnel and storming the Red Fort, where they hoisted a religious flag.

    Ugrahan reiterated that farmers will stay put here at Tikri and other borders until the Centre formally repeals these laws in Parliament.

    He said many farm unions are holding separate meetings to ponder over farms issues and future strategies after the prime minister’s Friday announcement.

    “Representatives of these farm unions will take part in the SKM meeting tomorrow,” the farmer leader said, adding the Central government should give a legal guarantee to MSP for all crops.

    Another farmer leader at Tikri Border and SKM member, Sudesh Goyat said, “Farmers cannot trust the Centre on farm laws as earlier too they had announced to give one rank one pension (OROP) but it is yet to be done.”

    “So, 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,” she said.

    She added that so far there is no call to withdraw tractor march.

    Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh under the aegis of various farmers unions have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year to demand repeal of the three farm laws.

  • Agri experts term farm laws as flawed, legal eagles say act in Parliament needed to repeal them

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The three farm laws brought in by the Union government last year that are going to be repealed were flawed in design and content in terms of protecting farmers’ interests, say leading agriculture experts.

    Taking to The New Indian Express, a leading agriculture expert Dr Sukhpal Singh says, “It is good that these laws have been withdrawn. They were flawed in design and content in term of protection of farmers’ interests. For example, the contract farming act had allowed cooperate farming thought leasing of land which is illegal in many states today. The farmers produce and trade act also was flawed as it allowed anybody to buy farmers produce with only a pan card without any counter party risk guarantee. These laws were not good for the country as there are lots of small and marginal farmers and agriculture workers who depend on the farm sector for their livelihood.”

    “It is very heartening that these three farm laws will be withdrawn after PM Modi’s announcement. As of now, half the battle is won. If we have to pull out farmers from agrarian crises, then the government has to provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers as a legal right in a framework, so that their income is guaranteed. That will be an actual reform in the farming sector. These laws were flawed from day one and I have been saying this they were just cut and paste from failed farm laws abroad in US and Canada. The farmers’ income would never have been doubled. Finally, good sense has prevailed,” says Davinder Sharma, another agriculture expert.

    ALSO READ: Farm Laws Repeal: Film stars hail Modi’s announcement, congratulate protesting farmers

    Meanwhile, legal experts say that the government has to bring an act in Parliament to repeal these laws. Leading legal luminary and senior advocate of Punjab and Haryana High Court RS Cheema says, “The manner in which this decision has been announced clearly demonstrates that it is dictated by political expediency and the convenient course is to promulgate an ordinance for the purpose. Of course the final stamp will be put by an act of Parliament.”

    Another leading lawyer GPS Dhillon said the government can repeal the three laws through a single bill but it has to bring a bill in this regard in Parliament and get it passed, which will be an act later.

    SKM says it will wait for laws to be formally repealed

    The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has welcomed the announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeal the three farm laws his government passed last year but said it will wait for them to be formally repealed in Parliament.

    Morcha leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Dr Darshan Pal and Gurnam Singh Charuni said that the Samyukt Kisan Morcha welcomes this decision and will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures. “If this happens, it will be a historic victory of the one-year-long farmers’ struggle in India,” they added.

    “This important demand of farmers is still pending. So also, is the withdrawal of the electricity amendment Bill. The SKM will take note of all developments, hold its meeting soon and announce further decisions,” the leaders said.

    “Nearly 700 farmers have been martyred in this struggle. The Centre’s obstinacy is responsible for these avoidable deaths, including the murders at Lakhimpur Kheri,” they added.

    BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) General Secretary Sukhdev Kokari Kalan termed the repeal of the three farm laws a victory of the people’s struggle. “People who fought against black laws have won today. We will follow the SKM’s decision regarding the agitation,” he said.

  • Agitation not limited to three laws, demands of guaranteed MSP still pending: Farmers organisations

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcment to repeal three farm laws, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella organsation of agitating farners, on Friday said it will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures but also flagged that their other demands are still pending.

    “If this happens, it will be a historic victory of the one year long farmers’ struggle in India. However, nearly 700 farmers have been martyred in this struggle. The central government’s obstinacy is responsible for these avoidable deaths, including the murders at Lakhimpur Kheri,” said the SKM in a joint statement. 

    ALSO READ| ‘Modi government has to bring bill to repeal three agri laws’: Experts

    It further reminded the Prime Minister that the agitation of farmers is not just for the repeal of the three black laws, but also for a statutory guarantee of remunerative prices for all agricultural produce and for all farmers. 

    “This important demand of farmers is still pending. So also is the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill. SKM will take note of all developments, hold its meeting soon and announce further decisions,” it added.

    ALSO READ| ‘Victory of democracy, government withdrew agri laws due to fear of elections’: Opposition hails farmers

    The statement was issued jointly by farm leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Dr Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shivkumar Sharma ‘Kakkaji’, Yudhvir Singh.

    They SKM was planning to hold a big event on November 26 to mark one year of their protest. It is to be seen if they will continue with it.

    Meanwhile, several opposition leaders slammed PM Modi for the delay in repealing the farm laws.

    “Anyone who believes the government repealed the Farm Laws out of the goodness of its heart is completely mistaken. This government only responds to cold hard numbers – bypoll setback = fuel price reduction. Poor internal polls numbers for Western UP & Punjab = Farm laws repealed” tweeted National Conference leader Omar Abdullah

    Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said: First, bulldoze laws in Parliament. Then face unprecedented protests. Thereafter,  confront election realities in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, particularly. Finally, after much appeal, repeal. Kisan-ity prevails at last! I salute the tenacity of our kisans who did not give up.

    “I welcome the central govt’s move to repeal three farm laws under the immense pressure exerted by protesting farmers and Behen Mayawati ji. BSP salutes the farmers who brought the government of capitalists, tear gas, and UAPA to its knees. I would also like to recognise the sacrifices of the farmers who lost their lives in this long struggle, and promise the farmers of this country that BSP will continue to remain staunchly by their side,” BSP MP Ritesh Pandey said. 

    Asking PM Modi to apologise to farmers for hardships faced by them, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said: “Salutes to our farmers and their brave struggle which has led to the repeal of Modi’s three black farm laws. We must not forget the sacrifice of more than 750 farmers who have lost their lives in this struggle. They are our martyrs. The quest for justice for those targeted by the government and its agencies through false cases will continue. The PM must apologise for the hardship and trouble caused by his dictatorial step of farm laws to benefit his crony business partners.” 

  • ‘Victory of democracy, government withdrew agri laws due to fear of elections’: Opposition hails farmers

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farm unions, on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to repeal the three farm laws.

    It also said that the SKM will take note of all developments and will hold its meeting soon and announce further decisions if any.

    “Samyukt Kisan Morcha welcomes this decision and will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures,” the SKM said in a statement.

    “The agitation of farmers is not just against the repeal of the three black laws, but also for a statutory guarantee to remunerative prices for all agricultural produce and for all farmers. This important demand of farmers is still pending,” it said.

    In his address to the nation on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Modi said the three farm laws will be repealed in the coming Winter session of Parliament.

    Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh under the aegis of various farmers unions have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year to demand repeal of the three farm laws.

    Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday took a dig at the government, saying that the move was not inspired by a change of heart but impelled by “fear of elections”.

    “What cannot be achieved by democratic protests can be achieved by the fear of impending elections!” Chidambaram tweeted.

    The PM’s announcement on the withdrawal of the three farm laws is not inspired by a change of policy or a change of heart.

    It is impelled by “fear of elections”, the Congress leader charged in a series of tweets.

    “Anyway, it is a great victory for the farmers and for the Congress party which was unwavering in its opposition to the farm laws,” Chidambaram said.

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday welcomed the government’s announcement to repeal the contentious farm laws, saying the “sacrifice” of farmers who died protesting against them will remain immortal.

    “Such a happy news has been received on Prakash Diwas. The three laws scrapped. More than 700 farmers martyred. Their sacrifice will remain immortal. The coming generations will remember how the farmers of the country saved farming and the farmers by risking their own lives. My tribute to farmers of my country,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.

    the Shiv Sena and the NCP, which share power in Maharashtra, on Friday said the government had to finally bow down before the agitating farmers.

    Reacting to the development, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, “For the first time the ‘mann ki baat’ of people has come out PM Modi’s mouth.

    BJP leaders were openly calling these farmers Khalistanis and Pakistanis, but the Union government had to bend before the farmers’ pressure.”

    “More than 400 farmers lost their lives during the protests on the borders of Delhi. Had Modi listened to our demands, many lives would have been saved. But the government was adamant and refused to listen to the farmers’ issues,” the Sena MP added.

    Nawab Malik, chief spokesperson of the NCP said in a tweet, “Jhukati hai duniya, jhukane wala chahiye. We salute all the farmers, many of them gave their life. The three farm laws have been withdrawn.”

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday congratulated farmers for their relentless fight against three farm laws and said they were not fazed by the “cruelty” of the BJP.

    “My heartfelt congratulations to every single farmer who fought relentlessly and were not fazed by the cruelty with which @BJP4India treated you. This is YOUR VICTORY! My deepest condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones in this fight.#FarmLaws,” Banerjee tweeted.

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said that the announcement of repealing the three farm laws is a victory of democracy and “defeat” of the arrogance of the Centre.

    He also said that it is a victory of the patience of farmers who kept agitating for the last one year.

    “The announcement of repealing all three black agricultural laws is a victory of democracy and defeat of the arrogance of the Modi government. This is a victory of the patience of the farmers who have been agitating for the last one year. The country can never forget that hundreds of farmers have lost their lives due to the short-sightedness and pride of the Modi government,” Gehlot tweeted.

    “I bow to all the farmers who sacrificed their lives in the farmers’ movement. This is the victory of their sacrifice,” he said.

    SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal on Friday said no government should enact such “insensitive and cruel laws” again.

    “A defining moment in history and a historic victory of farmers on Gurupurab,” Badal said in a statement.

    Talking about the laws, Badal said, “It was for the first time in the history of democratic governments that brazen and cruel laws were made without even taking the stakeholders on board.’ “No govt should ever do such an insensitive and cruel thing again,” he asserted.

    Describing “700 farmers who died during the protest as martyrs”, Badal said, “The loss of these brave soldiers and the disgraceful and entirely avoidable events like the one at Lakhimpur will always remain a dark blot on the face of this government.”

    Eight people including four farmers were killed in the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur on October 3.

    Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday congratulated farmers for “pressuring” the Centre to withdraw the three contentious farm laws, and described the government’s announcement as a victory not only of farmers, but also of democracy over injustice.

    “The Gandhian movement has once again shown its strength. Congratulations to the farmers of the country for pressuring the Central government to withdraw the three black laws. This is the victory of not only farmers, but also of democracy against injustice,” Baghel tweeted in Hindi.

  • Samyukt Kisan Morcha writes to President Kovind, demands Union MoS Ajay Mishra’s dismissal, arrest

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Monday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur violence, and formation of an SIT under the Supreme Court’s supervision to probe the incident.

    The umbrella body of farmer unions, spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s three agri laws, noted that “conflict of interest is a key obstruction to justice” in the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers’ massacre and alleged that accused were receiving VIP treatment in custody.

    “Union Minister of State for Home Mr Ajay Mishra should be immediately dismissed from his post. Mr Ajay Mishra should also be arrested immediately for his role in the murder (criminal conspiracy under Sec. 120B in addition to other charges as described above).

    ALSO READ: Farmers protest on Tuesday to demand sacking of MoS Home Ajay Mishra

    “We also continue to demand that the investigation of this incident should be done by an Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court,” the SKM said in the letter.

    Four of the eight people who died in the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers.

    Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.

    Farmers have claimed that Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

    ALSO READ: Samyukt Kisan Morcha will oppose BJP in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, says farmer leader Rakesh Tikait

    Ashish Mishra was arrested in the case on October 9.

    The SKM alleged that accused were receiving VIP treatment in custody and witness statements were not getting recorded at the pace expected by the Supreme Court.

    “It is very obvious that conflict of interest is a key obstruction to justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers’ massacre, and any decent government would have, in terms of principles of natural justice, sacked and arrested Mr Ajay Mishra by now,” it said in the letter.

  • Samyukt Kisan Morcha will oppose BJP in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, says farmer leader Rakesh Tikait

    By PTI

    AGRA: Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday visited the family of Arun Narwar who was allegedly killed in police custody in Agra in Uttar Pradesh and demanded a compensation of Rs 40 lakh and government job to his kin.

    Speaking to reporters after meeting Narwar’s family members, Tikait said, “The state government is discriminating while giving compensation.

    “It has given compensation of Rs 40-45 lakh in Lakhimpur Kheri and Kanpur, while in Agra the government has given a compensation of Rs 10 lakh.”

    “The state government should give compensation of Rs 40 lakh to the family of Arun as well. The government should not have discriminated,” he said.

    He also demanded a government job for a member of Narwar’s family and a judicial probe into his death.

    Narwar was accused of stealing Rs 25 lakh from the Jagdishpura police station here and died in police custody after his health deteriorated during interrogation on October 19, officials had said.

    Targeting the BJP government over farm laws, Tikait said, “I will urge farmers not to vote for BJP in the upcoming assembly election. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha will oppose the BJP in state assembly elections.”

    “We will not field our candidates nor support any political party in the assembly election,” he added.

    He said their agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws will continue till the matter is resolved and added “we are also ready to talk to the central government.”