News Analysis India

Tag: singhu border

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    The activists demanded that the FIR filed in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday against journalists must be withdrawn and a free-and-fair investigation should take place into the violence on Republic Day.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

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    “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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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    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

  • Agri laws stir: More farmers from Haryana to head towards protest sites

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Several farmers from parts of Haryana on Friday decided to head towards Delhi’s borders to join the ongoing agitation against agri laws, saying the government’s moves against peasant leaders will not weaken their protest.

    The Ghaziabad administration had on Thursday given an ultimatum to agitating farmers to vacate the Uttar Pradesh Gate protest site by midnight, while the Delhi Police had issued lookout notices against farmer leaders.

    A number of farmers from Jind, Rohtak, Kaithal, Hisar, Bhiwani and Sonipat will be going towards various protest sites at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, farmer leaders from Haryana claimed.

    At the protest site at the Uttar Pradesh Gate in Ghazipur bordering Delhi, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait broke down while speaking to the media on Thursday evening.

    READ| Farmers’ protest: ‘Locals’ clash with ryots at Singhu border; lathi-charge, tear gas used

    He alleged that “injustice” was being meted out to the farmers by the government by not repealing the new farm laws.

    “We cannot tolerate a senior farmer leader being pushed to this situation. We are all united and our stir will continue till we force the government repeal the farm laws,” said a protesting farmer near Rohtak’s Madina toll plaza on Friday.

    Farmers in Jind’s Kandela blocked the Jind-Chandigarh road late for a few hours on Thursday night.

    They were protesting against the Ghaziabad administration’s ultimatum to the protesting farmers at Uttar Pradesh Gate to vacate the site.

    Khap leader from Jind, Azad Singh Palwa told reporters in Jind that it is being propagated that farmers’ agitation has weakened, which is not the case.

    “We condemn the lookout notices to the farmer leaders. We also condemn the government for serving ultimatum to vacate a protest site.

    We want to warn the government that such moves will not weaken this agitation, but only make it stronger,” he said.

    He also said that donations will be raised from villagers and more people will be mobilised to join the agitation.

    “We will be sending tractor loads of essential supplies like food, ration, clothes for our brethren who are fighting this agitation. More people will be sent to join the stir,” he said.

    On Friday morning, a group of farmers were holding a protest near Madina toll plaza in Rohtak.

    “All farmers are united, no one can break this agitation, which will continue till these farm laws are repealed,” said a protesting farmer.

    He said the protest near the toll plaza will continue and will be intensified in the days to come.

    In Karnal, local farmers had resumed their ‘dharna’ at the Bastara toll plaza on Thursday, a day after the administration had got it vacated.

    However, on Friday there were reports of heavy police deployment near the toll plaza and administration had got the site vacated once again and normal operations at the plaza resumed.

    On Thursday, a group of protesters near the Bastara toll plaza had burnt an effigy of actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who has been booked in connection with the Red Fort incident in Delhi on January 26.

    On Friday, a large number of farmers reached near the toll plaza in Panipat and held a protest expressing solidarity with peasants protesting near the Delhi’s borders.

    “We condemn the lookout notices against farmer leaders. his agitation will now gain more momentum and force the government to rollback the farm laws,” said a protesting farmer in Panipat.

    The Delhi Police on Thursday issued lookout notices against farmer leaders and announced a probe into the “conspiracy” behind the Republic Day violence.

    Meanwhile, Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni, in a video message, appealed to supporters to join the protest dharna sites near Delhi’s borders.

    He appealed to farmers to hold dharnas at all toll plazas in Haryana on January 30.

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh demanding rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

    The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

    However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.

  • Group of locals demands farmers vacate Singhu border protest site

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A group of people claiming to be locals on Thursday demanded that farmers vacate the Singhu border protest site as they had “insulted” the national flag during their tractor rally on Republic Day.

    The people gathered on the road near the protest site and raised slogans against “insult” to the tricolour.

    Suresh, a 35-year-old labourer from Palla, said, “I work at a farmhouse near the border but haven’t been able to go work since December. My family depends on me. I am not against anyone’s movement, but I want them to leave. The protesters here breached security in Delhi and can do damage here as well.”

    ​ALSO READ | Will not be intimidated by Delhi Police notices, govt trying to end movement: Samyukta Kisan Morcha

    Thousands of protesting farmers clashed with the police during the tractor rally.

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

    They hoisted flags on the domes and placed the flagstaff at the ramparts of the national monument, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.

    Delhi border points remained under heavy police deployment on Thursday in the aftermath of the violence that broke out during the farmers’ tractor parade in the national capital on Republic Day.

    Security personnel have also been deployed at the Red Fort.

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  • Farmer leaders at Singhu border take out ‘Sadbhavna’ rally to reinforce unity among protesters

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Farmer union leaders took out a “Sadbhavna rally” from the Singhu border on Thursday to reinforce a sense of unity among the protestors, two days after their tractor parade turned violent, leaving 394 security personnel injured and one agitator dead.

    Several farmer union leaders, including including Balbir Singh Rajewal, Daljeet Singh Dallewal, Darshan Pal and Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who led the rally said the march was organised “to counter the forces trying to divide the protesting farmers along religious lines and as per states” and to show that they respect the tricolour.

    Several tractors and two-wheelers with the national flag took part in the 16 km-long rally which started from the stage at the Singhu protest site and went up to the beginning of the Kundli-Manesar Palwal highway.

    ALSO READ | Will not be intimidated by Delhi Police notices, govt trying to end movement: Samyukta Kisan Morcha

    This rally was a response to the government’s allegations that the farmers insulted the national flag on Republic Day.

    Farmers from both Punjab and Haryana participated in the rally which displayed immense unity between the two states.

    “We wanted to take out this rally to show that the farmers respect the national flag more than anyone else. And this country belongs to the farmers, because it is functioning essentially because of its farmers and the labourers,” said Avtar Singh Mehma of the Krantikari Kisan Union (Punjab).

    He added that all the participating vehicles in the rally did not have their farmer union flags, but just the tricolour.

    Throughout the course of the rally, participating farmers chanted slogans of farmer unity and Punjab-Haryana brotherhood.

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    Jagmohan Singh, the general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta (Dakaunda) said the rally was organised “to counter the forces trying to divide the protesting farmers along religious lines and as per states”.

    “Historically Punjabis and Haryanvis have always protected the honour of the tricolour, and now this government is making cases against us for disrespecting the national flag. We will never let the government malign the farmers’ struggle, and all of us will fight as a unified force,” Jagmohan Singh said.

    “Patriotism is not exercised just by a particular group of people” it is the families of farmers that give Indian army its soldiers. Farmers are equally patriotic if not more, he added.

    The rally comes two days after the tractor rally parade on Republic Day, which resulted in clashes between the farmers and police in different parts of the city.

  • Shiromani Akali Dal reiterates support to farm stir, but says ‘won’t tolerate attack on Constitution’

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A day after violence in the farmers’ tractor march, the Shiromani Akali Dal on Wednesday said it will not tolerate any attempt of attack on the democratic institutions or the Constitution of India by those who wish to subvert this just struggle of the country’s farmers.

    While reiterating its support to farmers’ demand for repealing the three farm laws, the SAD in a statement issued by its leader and Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral said,”We appeal to the protesters to remain peaceful, non-violent and disciplined. We will strongly raise the voice of our farmers in the upcoming Parliament Session.”

    The statement from SAD, an erstwhile ally of the ruling BJP and a constituent of the NDA government, came a day after tens of thousands of farmers broke barriers to storm the national capital on Tuesday, during their tractor parade to highlight their demands.

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    Unprecedented scenes of anarchy highlighted the farmers’ tractor rally on the occasion of Republic day as they and police got into scuffles.

    A group of farmers’ hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India’s tricolour.

    The SAD has been opposing the three farm laws and its MP and then minister in the Narendra Modi government had resigned from the government during the passage of bills from Lok Sabha.

    Later, the party also ended its decades old alliance with BJP and moved out of the ruling NDA.

  • Samyukt Kisan Morcha calls off tractor parade, appeals participants to return to protest sites

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha called off the tractor parade by farmers on Tuesday and appealed to participants to immediately return to their respective protest sites.

    The tractor parade, which began much ahead of the scheduled time, turned violent with farmers opposing the Centre’s new agri laws and police clashing at several areas of the national capital.

    Farmers continued to camp at several places in the national capital till late evening and there was no pre-decided time for concluding the parade.

    “We have called off the farmers’ Republic Day parade with immediate effect and appealed to all participants to immediately return back to their respective protest sites.

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    The movement will continue peacefully and further steps will be discussed and decided soon,” the farmers’ union body said in a statement.

    The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions, is leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi.

    Earlier today, the Kisan Morcha disassociated itself from those who indulged in violence during the tractor parade, and alleged that some “antisocial elements” infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement.

    The union also condemned and regretted the “undesirable” and “unacceptable” events as the parade turned violent after several groups of farmers deviated from the pre-decided route for the march.

    Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday.

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    Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

  • ‘Extremists in garb of food providers’: BJP’s Sambit Patra on violence during farmers’ protest

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: As a tractor parade by farmers protesting against three contentious farm laws turned violent, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said those who were seen as ‘annadata’ (food providers) for so many days have turned out to be extremists.

    On Twitter, Patra also shared a video in which a protestor is purportedly seen throwing away a national flag handed to him from the crowd as he climbs a pole to hoist a different flag.

    “Painful,” the BJP leader said about the video.

    CLICK HERE FOR FARMERS’ TRACTOR RALLY LIVE UPDATES

    “Those we had been calling annadata (food providers) for so many days have turned out to be extremists. Don’t defame annadata, call an extremist an extremist only,” Patra tweeted as a section of protesting farmers broke the agreement with Delhi Police and indulged in hooliganism.

    Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan also said that the manner in which a crime was committed under the garb of agitation by some unruly elements, it was not acceptable at any cost.

    “LJP condemns this type of behaviour,” he tweeted.

    A tractor march meant to highlight farmers’ demands dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital on Tuesday, as hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and delivered a national insult — hoisting a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India’s tricolour.

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