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ABHAY CHAUTALA STEPS DOWN FROM HARYANA ASSEMBLY OVER FARM LAWS

January 28, 2021, 8:32 am

CHANDIGARH: Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) legislator Abhay Singh Chautala on Wednesday resigned from Haryana Assembly over the new farm laws.

Chautala arrived in a tractor outside the Vidhan Sabha at Chandigarh to submit his resignation. The Haryana Vidhan Sabha speaker Gian Chad Gupta has accepted the resignation. On January 11, Abhay Singh Chautala had offered his conditional resignation from the state Assembly in support of the agitating farmers. In a letter, Chautala had said if the Centre doesn’t take back three farm laws by January 26 then his letter should be considered as his resignation from the state assembly.

Member of Legislative Assembly from Ellenabad in Haryana, Chautala had slammed the Centre for imposing the “black laws” on farmers in an “undemocratic way”.

Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26, 2020, against the farm laws – 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.

ANI

300 REPUBLIC DAY ARTISTES RESCUED AFTER BEING STRANDED AT RED FORT

January 27, 2021, 8:00 am

Around 300 artistes including children who were part of the Republic Day parade were rescued after they got stranded at the Red Fort on Tuesday after a section of anti-farm law protestors turned violent and some protestors broke barriers and entered the Mughal era monument.

DCP (North) Anto Alphonse said: “There were around 300 artistes including children at the Red Fort. As the situation developed, we provided them with food and shifted them to a safe place, Daryaganj Mess,” said DCP (North) Anto Alphonse. The tractor rally by farmers saw violence at several places in Delhi as protestors clashed with Police and broke barricades. Protesters breached the Red Fort premises and waved flags they were carrying from its ramparts.

Violence erupted near the ITO area of the national capital as tractors driven by protestors tried to scare and even run over police personnel deployed in the area.

Delhi Police said that a total of 83 police personnel were injured in the clashes. Metro services were halted at multiple stations and traffic on roads were also diverted.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah met senior officials from the Home Ministry to take stock of the law and order situation in the national capital, following the violence.

Internet services were suspended in the capital at Delhi’s border points – Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk, Nangloi and areas adjoining these protest hubs due to intensifying clashes.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws.

The three central laws are: 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. WITH ANI INPUTS

AFTER CAPITAL CHAOS ON R-DAY, FARM UNIONS CALL OFF TRACTOR MARCH

January 27, 2021, 7:52 am

After violent clashes with between the police and the protesting farmers in the national capital on Tuesday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) called off the Republic Day tractor rally and appealed to the protesters to immediately return to their respective protest sites.

The SKM in a statement, “Samyukt Kisan Morcha has called off the Kisan Republic Day Parade with immediate effect, and has appealed to all the participants to immediately return to their respective protest sites. The movement will continue peacefully and further steps will be discussed and decided soon.”

“We thank the farmers for the unprecedented participation in today’s rally. We also condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that took place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts,” it added.

“Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals have violated the route and indulged in condemnable acts. Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We have always held that peace is our biggest strength, and that any violation would hurt the movement,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Tuesday condoled the incident of flag hoisting at the Red fort and accused the Delhi Police of “negligence” as they did not support the farmers’ protest.

Speaking to IANS after returning from the tractor rally, BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said, “Whatever happened today was due to the negligence on the part of Delhi Police. They did not support us and they were unable to control the huge number of farmers.”

When asked about scores of protesters entering the Red Fort and hoisting a pennate on the ramparts of the 17th century monument, Tikait said, “I don’t support such activity. We will take action against those who did this.”

Hundreds of farmers clashed with the security forces at the Red Fort and hoisted a pennate on the ramparts of the monument. The farmers also chased the Delhi Police personnel.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held an emergency meeting at his residence over the violence that rocked parts of the national capital during the farmers’ Republic Day parade. According to sources, the Home Secretary, Director Intelligence Bureau and senior officers of Delhi Police were present at the meeting called to take stock of the security arrangements in Delhi.

More central troopers would be deployed in Delhi to meet any exigencies, sources said.

The Home Ministry swung into action after a group of farmers swarmed into the historic Red Fort, while incidents of violence were reported from the ITO area.

As per reports, more than 80 Delhi Police personnel were injured in the violent clashes on Tuesday. The injured police personnel have been admitted to several hospitals, including the trauma centre of the Civil Line Hospital in Delhi’s North District and the Lok Nayak Hospital in central Delhi.

The LNJP Hospital admitted 38 police personnel, the Civil Line Hospital 11, the Aruna Asif Ali Hospital eight, and the Lady Hardinge and Tirath Ram Shah Hospital four each. Other hospitals to receive injured cops include Maharaja Aggarsen, Tarak, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Balaji Action.

In total, 83 Delhi Police personnel were injured in the violence. At least two farmers were also hurt—after the tractor they were in overturned at Chilla on the Delhi-Noida border. One farmer died amid the clashes, after the tractor he was driving overturned near ITO.

Protesters and police clashed at several places, including the ITO junction (where the Delhi Police HQ is located) and inside the iconic Mughal-era Red Fort, where protesters scaled ramparts—from where the Prime Minister addresses the nation on Independence Day—to raise Sikh religious flags.

Four cases have been registered in connection with vandalism in East Delhi, where eight buses and 17 private vehicles were vandalised, news agency ANI reported.

Niti Aayog’s RTI reply on farm laws exposes Centre, SAD and AAP: Capt Amarinder

January 21, 2021, 2:04 am

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that with an RTI response exposing the lie of the Centre’s claim on the farm laws having been approved by the high-powered committee on agricultural reforms, it was now obvious that the Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been spreading a carnage of lies at the behest of the BJP-led government, with whom the two parties were working in collusion to damage the interests of the farmers.

Media reports citing a reply by the Niti Aayog to a Right to Information (RTI) query suggest that the farm Ordinances were promulgated and introduced in Parliament in June 2020 without the report of the Chief Ministers’ committee being ever appraised by the Governing Council of NITI Aayog, he added.

Far from basing the farm laws on the discussions and decisions of the committee, the fact, as validated by the RTI response, was that the committee report had not even been placed till now before the Governing Council of the NITI Aayog, Captain Amarinder pointed out. Once the report is made public, everyone will now know who said what in the committee meetings, where Punjab was not even a part in the first one, while the second discussed some financial issues with Manpreet Badal in attendance and the third only participated by secretary-level officials, he added.

Dubbing the SAD as a fake champion of the farmers, the Chief Minister said unlike the Akalis, who had been playing double games on the farm laws’ issue, Rahul and the entire Congress had been steadfastly fighting for their rights from the outset. “You should be ashamed of playing with the emotions and the lives of the farmers, without them none of us can survive a day,” he remarked, asserting that his government will not allow the interests of the farmers to be trampled by the likes of the power-seeking Badals and Kejriwal.

Govt’s apathy claims 60 farmers’ lives, repeal ‘anti-farm’ laws: Rahul

January 6, 2021, 2:42 am

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has attacked the government a day after the seventh round of talks with the farmer unions did not achieve any breakthrough. The eighth round of talks is scheduled for 8 January.

Rahul Gandhi in a tweet said, “Modi govt’s apathy and arrogance have claimed lives of over 60 farmers. Instead of wiping their tears, Government of India is busy attacking them with tear gas. Such brutality, just to promote crony capitalists’ business interests. Repeal the anti-farm laws.”

The Congress leader who is against the farm laws since they were enacted has been attacking the government and demanded withdrawal of the laws.

The seventh round of talks of the farmer groups with the government at Vigyan Bhawan on Monday remained inconclusive as the farmers were adamant about withdrawal of the three farm laws.

Two issues were to be discussed in the meeting but due to the stalemate over the withdrawal of the farm laws, demand for legal guarantee on MSP couldn’t be discussed. Now, the discussion over the MSP will be held on January 8.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in the meeting that the farm laws are beneficial for the farmers across the country, therefore, a decision will be taken after consulting farmers of all the states.

The farmers said they will not end their protests on the borders of the national capital till the farm laws are withdrawn.

NO BREAKTHROUGH IN TALKS AS FARMERS REMAIN ‘ADAMANT’ ON COMPLETE ROLLBACK

January 5, 2021, 3:10 am

After the eighth round of talks, the Centre could not reach any “solution” as the farmer unions remained “adamant” over repealing of three farm laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Monday.

“We wanted farmer unions to discuss three laws clause-wise. We could not reach any solution as farmer unions remained adamant on the repeal of the laws,” Tomar told reporters here this evening at Vigyan Bhawan. However, the minister said that he is “hopeful” that a solution will be found in the next round of talks which will be held on 8 January at 2 pm.

“Looking at today’s discussion, I hope that we will have a meaningful discussion during our next meeting and we will come to a conclusion,” he said.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, held the talks with the representatives of 40 farmer unions at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Yudhvir Singh of the Bhartiya Kisan Union said that they want a complete rollback of farm laws. “The minister wanted us to discuss the law point-wise. We rejected it and said that there is no point in discussing the laws because we want a complete rollback of the laws. The government intends to take us towards amendments but we will not accept it,” he said while addressing the reporters here after the meeting.

Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Piyush Goyal and Som Parkash along with government officials and representatives of farmers also observed a two-minute silence for farmers who died during the ongoing protest.

After the meeting, Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union said that farmers, who are protesting for over a month against three agriculture laws at different borders of the national capital will not go back until the Acts are repealed. “Discussion took place on our demands — repeal of the three laws and MSP… Kannon wapasi nahi, to ghar wapasi nahi (We will not go home until the laws are withdrawn),” Tikait told news agency ANI.

Earlier, Tikait claimed that 60 farmers have so far lost their lives during the ongoing agitation. He further said that one farmer is dying every 16 hours and it is the government’s responsibility to give an answer.

Farmers have been protesting at the gates of Delhi since 26 November last year against the newly enacted farm laws—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.

Enacted in September 2020, the government has presented these laws as major farm reforms and aimed at increasing farmers’ income, but the protesting farmers have raised concerns that these legislations would weaken the MSP and “mandi” (wholesale market) systems and leave them at the mercy of big corporations. The government has maintained that these apprehensions are misplaced and has ruled out repealing the laws.

AMID PROTESTS 850 ACADEMICIANS SUPPORT FARM LAWS, SAY THESE OPEN MARKET BEYOND ‘MANDIS

January 2, 2021, 3:37 am

’NEW DELHI: Over 850 academicians from different parts of the country have strongly supported the agricultural reform laws brought by the government, saying these Acts seek to free farm trade from restrictions and enable farmers to sell their produce at competitive prices.

In a statement, the academicians who also include a few Vice-Chancellors, said that union government has repeatedly assured the farmers that these three farm laws will not do away with Minimum Support Price (MSP) “but rather free the farm trade from all illicit market restrictions, open the market beyond ‘mandis’ and further assists the small and marginal farmers to sell their produce at market/competitive prices”. “The new laws also provide full autonomy for farmers to sell their produce. We strongly believe in the government’s assurance to the farmers to protect their livelihoods. The government is still firmly committed to delivering the principle of minimum government, maximum governance,” the statement said. It said that the laws were brought under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of agenda for agro-reforms to benefit the farmers.

Read: Understanding New Farm Bills

The statement said that the bills were passed in the monsoon session of the parliament “with a vibrant discussion”. The statement said India is a country where most of the population is still dependent on agriculture for livelihood. “We stand in solidarity with both the government and the farmers and salute their intense efforts. We all will live, progress, and develop together and peacefully,” the academicians said.

The statement comes amid continued protest by farmers on Delhi borders against the three laws – The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The government and farmers have held six rounds of talks so far.

With ANI inputs

Farmers to hold tractor rally on 6 January if Monday talks fail

January 2, 2021, 3:24 am

Farmers’ organisations under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, after a meeting at the Singhu border, on Friday said that if the talks with the government on 4 January fail then they will intensify the protest and hold a tractor rally on 6 January.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal told IANS, “The topics of the next round of talks with the government were discussed in the meeting. The government has agreed to our two demands, but two important demands are yet to be discussed on January 4. If these two demands are not negotiated during the talks with the government, then a tractor rally will be taken out on January 6.”

Friday marked the 37th day of the farmers’ protest against the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Production and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020. The farmers are demanding withdrawal of all the three laws, while the government has agreed to amend the laws as per the suggestions of the farmers. The farmers will be taking up the issue during the 6th round of talks with the government.

The leaders of the farmers’ organisations also held talks on four issues with the government on Wednesday, of which the government has accepted two demands while the other two, withdrawal of the three laws and legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), are still to be addressed.

BJP’s lone Kerala MLA backs resolution against farm laws, then backtracks

January 1, 2021, 3:31 am

Kerala’s lone BJP lawmaker, whose win marked the party’s debut in the state four years ago, on Thursday stirred up a controversy when he backed a resolution against the Centre’s farm laws that was unanimously passed in the state Assembly. Shortly after his speech in the Assembly favouring the laws, O. Rajagopal did not vote against the resolution. The 91-year-old BJP leader has now has released a statement saying he “strongly opposed” it.

Speaking to media after the Assembly session, Rajagopal said he abstained from voting and did not oppose the resolution because people do not need to know these differences in opinions. “I support this resolution. During the discussion, I opposed certain references made in the resolution against the farm laws but I do not object to the general consensus reached by the house against the farm laws,” he said.

When asked if it was against the BJP’s stand, the MLA said, “It may not be the party’s stand. These compromises are part of a democratic system. We must not be adamant. We must go with the consensus.”

With the lone BJP MLA not opposing it, the Kerala Assembly passed the resolution unanimously against the three of the Centre’s contentious farm laws after it was moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the special session.

The resolution stated that the genuine concerns of the farmers should be addressed and the Centre should withdraw all the three laws.

While moving the resolution earlier, Vijayan had said, “The urgency of the current situation makes it clear that if this agitation continues, it will seriously affect Kerala. It is a serious problem that these important laws were passed in a hurry without even being sent to the Standing Committee of Parliament for consideration.”

Hours later, Rajagopal made a U-turn in a press statement, making it clear he was against the resolution: “I have strongly opposed the resolution against farm laws. I have clearly stated my stand in the assembly during my speech. I have even said that Prime Minister is always ready for talks but the pre-condition by (the) protesters to repeal the laws for talks has delayed the process. That I am against the central government is contrary to the truth.” He also alleged “violation of rules” in the assembly when the resolution was passed. “The speaker, during voting, did not ask those supporting and those opposing separately. He asked as one question, instead of asking separately. This is (a) violation of rules.”

KERALA DOING ‘FUTILE’ EXERCISE BY PASSING RESOLUTION AGAINST FARM LAWS: MINISTER MURALEEDHARAN

January 1, 2021, 3:27 am

NEW DELHI: As the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution against the three contentious farm laws brought by the Centre on Thursday, V Muraleedharan, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs has said that it is a “futile exercise” because the law has been passed by the Parliament.

“Kerala Assembly is doing a futile exercise because the law has been passed by Parliament. It is like going against the general view of the whole country,” Muraleedharan told ANI. “If Kerala government is so particular that every farmer should sell his produce as per APMC act, Kerala should enact such a law. Government of India has brought this law to give better remuneration to farmers,” he added.

He continued saying that the Kerala Assembly and government should devote their time on the issues really concerning the farmers of Kerala and they should not misuse the public money.

“Parliament passes a bill which is approved naturally by the members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. It means it expresses the common opinion of the whole country,” he added.

The Kerala Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution against the three contentious farm laws brought by the Central government after it was moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the special session.

The resolution stated that the genuine concerns of the farmers should be addressed and the Centre should withdraw all the three laws.

Amid farm protests, BJP-JJP suffer civic poll jolt in Haryana

December 31, 2020, 2:51 am

Following the debacle in the Baroda byelection held recently, the BJP-JJP alliance witnessed defeat in mayoral elections as it lost two out of three seats.

Haryana Jan Chetna Party’s contestant Shakti Rani Sharma emerged as winner in the Ambala mayor election, defeating the BJP candidate with a huge margin of more than 8,000 votes. It is pertinent to mention that she is the wife of former Union minister Vinod Sharma, who is a political stalwart in the state.

BJP candidate Lalit Batra lost the mayoral election in Sonipat to the Congress› Nikhil Madan with a huge margin of 13,817 votes which has forced the saffron party to mull over the defeat. The BJP, however, succeeded to win the Panchkula mayor seat. The party›s contestant won the battle with a margin of 2,047 votes.

Apart from this, it is worth mentioning that the JJP, alliance partner of the BJP, could not prove its mettle as out of the 13 candidates fielded for the post of councillor in the mayor election, the party lost 11 seats. A total of 60 seats fall under mayor elections in Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat, 20 each. Out of these, the BJP succeeded in winning 27 seats of councillors which is the highest number. The main Opposition party, Congress, remained on the second position, winning 19 seats, followed by Haryana Jan Chetna Party with 7 seats.

Political experts are of the opinion that both BJP and JJP continue to witness decline due to recent decisions and are required to mull over the same. In this series, the recent contentious farm laws annoyed the farmers along with other sections of the society which made both, particularly the BJP in the state, face a tough time.

GOVT, FARMERS AGREE ON 2 OUT OF 4 ISSUES, NEXT MEET ON 4 JANUARY

December 31, 2020, 2:45 am

New Delhi: The sixth round of meetings between protesting farmers and the government ended after over five hours with the Centre saying that the two sides had reached consensus on two out of four key issues. The next meeting will take place on 4 January.

Addressing the media after the meeting with 41 farmer leaders at Vigyan Bhavan here, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: “Today’s talks were held in a very good environment and concluded on a positive note. We have had consensus on two out of the four issues… Next meeting of government with farmers will take place on January 4.”

He said that the government and the farmers had reached agreement over the latter’s demands to keep farmers out of the penal provisions of the Commission for the Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020, and to withdraw the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020.

“We discussed stubble burning and the government assured the farmers that their concerns will be taken into account. The electricity bill was also discussed… this has not been enacted. Farmers believe that subsidy will be withdrawn (under this),” Tomar said.

The government on Wednesday also told farmer leaders that a committee could be formed to deliberate on their demands. During discussions, the government told farmer leaders that a committee could be formed to deliberate on the farmers’ demands regarding the three farm laws. Along with Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal had food with farmer leaders during the lunch break.

The delegation of farmers, hailing primarily from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, who have been protesting at the borders of the national capital for over a month, maintained that they wanted the farm laws taken back.

“Our stand is clear that the three farm laws should be taken back,” said a farmer leader before making his way to the meeting.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait was also seen heading to the meeting from the Ghazipur border (UP-Delhi border). Tikait had earlier hit out at the Opposition saying it was weak and are not supporting the cause as they should. “This is the reason farmers have had to come on the roads. The government doesn’t fear them. They should sit in pitched tents and stage protests on roads against the farm laws,” Tikait said.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Som Prakash said that the government would go into the meeting with an open heart and mind and would try to resolve the issue so that people can go back to their homes for New Year.

Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since 26 November against the three newly enacted farm laws—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.

AGRICULTURE CAN’T BE RUN FROM DELHI: PAWAR ON FARM LAWS

December 30, 2020, 3:09 am

New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday blamed the Centre of bulldozing three new farm laws without consulting states. The former agriculture minister also asserted that agriculture cannot be run “sitting in Delhi” as it involves farmers toiling in distant villages.

The NCP chief’s comment came as the farmers’ protest on Delhi borders against these laws has entered its second month and five rounds of talks so far have failed to resolve the crisis.

In an interview with news agency PTI, the former Union minister said the government needs to take the protests seriously and it was “unfair” on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to blame opposition parties for the agitation by farmers. He said opposition parties will take a call on their future course of action on Wednesday if the government fails to resolve farmers’ issue in the next scheduled meeting with representatives of 40 protesting unions.

On Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s claim that Pawar as the then agriculture minister during the UPA government also wanted farm reforms but failed to do so due to political pressure, the NCP leader said he certainly wanted to bring some reforms in the sector but “not in the way” the BJP government has done, and they were different from the current ones.

Pawar said he consulted all state governments before initiating the reforms and didn’t move forward until all their reservations were resolved. “I and Manmohan Singh also wanted to bring some reforms in the agriculture sector but not in the same way as the current dispensation did. That time the Agriculture Ministry held long deliberations on the proposed reforms with agriculture ministers of all states and experts of the sector,” Pawar said.

“Agriculture can’t be run by sitting in Delhi as it involves hard-working farmers in villages and a bigger responsibility for this subject lies with state governments. So, when a majority of agriculture ministers had some reservations, it was the duty of the central government and mine to take them in confidence and resolve their issues before moving ahead,” he said.

In comparison, Pawar alleged, the Centre neither consulted states this time, nor it called any meeting with state agriculture ministers before preparing these bills.

He said the Centre has passed farm bills on the basis of their own strength in Parliament and that’s why all the problems started.

Stressing that dialogue should have happened earlier, he said the government should have talked earlier to resolve farmers’ reservations about these laws.

“How can a government say in a democracy that it won’t listen or it won’t change its line? In a way, the government bulldozed these three bills. If the Centre had consulted state governments and taken them in confidence, then such a situation wouldn’t have arisen,” Pawar said. “In politics and democracy, dialogue should take place,” Pawar said.

He said farmers are worried that these laws would end the MSP procurement system and the government needs to do something to “address such worries”.

“And for the talks, they should have put those leaders in the front from BJP who understand the agriculture sector better. If those who have an in-depth understanding of agriculture, farmers’ issues and agri-economy were negotiating with farmers, they might have found a way to resolve this issue.”

Pawar said farmers do not want any political party to be associated with their agitation, but the government has been continuously blaming opposition parties for the protests. “Prime Minister says that some political parties are behind this… No political party is behind this agitation and farmers have clearly told political leaders not to come to their protest sites as representatives of any political outfit and if anyone wanted to join the agitation, they must come as farmers. They don’t want political parties or opposition parties to associate with their agitation, but for no reason, the prime minister and others are blaming political parties and that is unfair,” Pawar said.

NITI AAYOG MEMBER HAD SOUGHT KEJRIWAL’S VIEW ON FARM LAWS

December 29, 2020, 2:45 am

New Delhi: A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal went to the Singhu border to extend his support to protesting farmers and talked of an open debate on farm laws, an internal communication has come out in which a member of Niti Aayog had sought his feedback on his working paper “to address implications of the Acts from the perspective of farmers, farm sector and rural economy”.

Official sources said Niti Aayog member had shared the documents with the view to eliciting comments from the Kejriwal government. They said this was more than a month before the Chief Minister tore copies of the farm laws in Delhi assembly accusing the Central government of getting them passed “in a hurry during the pandemic” and was contrary to his allegations.

The Chief Minister had also accused the government of getting the bills passed without voting in Rajya Sabha even as his government has notified farm law.Sources said the internal communication was sent to Delhi Chief Minister’s office by a member of Niti Aayog on 12 November seeking his feedback. They said it was forwarded to a Delhi minister for perusal. The sources said that the communication sent to Kejriwal’s office noted that the central government has enacted three farm laws in September 2020 “to implement long-pending policy reforms to give a strong impetus to rural and agriculture economy and to usher in the prosperity of India’s farmers”.

“It gives me immense pleasure to share a soft copy of the working paper prepared by me to address the implications of the Acts from the perspective of farmers, farm sectors and rural economy. Your feedback is welcome,” the member wrote.

The Chief Minister went to the Singhu border on Sunday to extend support to agitating farmers who are seeking repeal of three farm laws. It was his second visit to the Singhu border.

The AAP government has come out in support of agitating farmers and made arrangements for them.

WITH ANI INPUTS

Leaders of 25 farmer groups meet Tomar, support new farm laws

December 29, 2020, 2:32 am

Amid the ongoing farmers’ protest on Delhi’s borders, representatives of around 25 farmer organisations on Monday gave a memorandum to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in support of the new farm laws.

“Today representatives from different farmers’ organisations from all over the country gave memorandum in support of the new farm bills and said these are in the interest of farmers and should not be taken back. They also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” an official statement said.

The farmer delegations met Tomar to convey support for the laws ahead of the next round of talks between the government and protesting farmers on 30 December.

The government on Monday wrote to protesting farmer unions inviting them for the next round of talks on 30 December and said it is committed to finding “logical solution” to relevant issues with “honest intentions and open mind”.

In the letter to the farmer organisations protesting against new farm laws, Secretary, Agriculture Ministry Sanjay Agarwal said that the farmers in their communication to the government had said that “they have always been ready to talk with an open mind”. The letter came two days after the farmer unions said that the government had been urging them for talks and proposed that the talks be held on 29 December at 11 am.

Agarwal said in the letter that the meeting will discuss the three farm laws, the minimum support price structure besides the ordinance to curb air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region and electricity amendment bill.

The letter in Hindi said that the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha had sent an e-mail on 26 December in which it had accepted the request of talks by the government and informed about the date and time of next meeting. “You have apprised that the farmer organisations have been ready for talks with an open mind and will remain so. The government is also committed for a logical solution of the relevant issues with honest intentions and an open mind,” the letter said.

It said the meeting for “an acceptable solution” will be held at on December 30 at 2 pm at Vigyan Bhawan with the ministerial committee.

The farmer unions protesting against the three farm laws had on Saturday proposed holding the next round of talks with the government on 29 December. They had said the first two points in their agenda for talks were modalities to repeal the three farm laws, and mechanism and procedure to bring a law for providing a legal guarantee on MSP.

The farmer unions had on 23 December rejected the government proposal for talks, urging it not to repeat the “meaningless amendments” which have been rejected before and to come up with a concrete proposal in writing.

Farmers are protesting on Delhi borders since 26 November against agriculture laws recently enacted by the government. They are protesting against 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. They are demanding the repeal of the three laws.

The farmer unions have held five rounds of talks with the government and attended a meeting called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Stop maligning farmers’ genuine fight for justice: Capt Amarinder to BJP

December 28, 2020, 4:10 am

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said that the BJP should stop maligning the farmers and their genuine fight for justice by calling them offensive names like “Urban Naxals”, “Khalistanis”, “Hooligans”, etc.

“If the BJP cannot distinguish between anguished citizens fighting for their survival and terrorists/militants/hooligans, it should give up all pretence of being a people’s party,” said the Chief Minister. A party which treats citizens exercising their democratic right of protest as Naxals and terrorists has lost all right to rule over those citizens, he added.

Captain Amarinder said with these remarks, the BJP leadership had hit a new low in its desperation to promote its political agenda. He pointed out that such protests by angry farmers were taking place not just in Punjab but also in BJP-ruled states such as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. “Do the farmers protesting in all these places look like Naxals to you? And does that mean that law and order has collapsed everywhere,” he asked.

“What is being seen in all these states, as well as the Delhi borders, is the sorry fall-out of the BJP-led central government’s failed policy on Agriculture, and its mishandling of the situation triggered by the farmers protest,” said the Chief Minister. Instead of heeding the plea of the ‘Annadatas’ and responding to their concerns, the BJP was busy trying to demean them and stifle their voice, he lamented.

Pointing out that various farmer leaders had themselves appealed to agitating farmers not to disconnect power to mobile towers, the Chief Minister said this clearly showed that what was being witnessed on the ground in some places was a spontaneous manifestation of the wrath of farmers who see a dark future ahead as a result of the new farm laws. He pointed out that Kisan Unions had clearly stated that they did not want farmers to indulge in such acts. In fact, the Unions had advised all protestors, and those standing with the farmers, to port their numbers out of the network of the telecom provider whom they had decided to boycott, he added.

The Chief Minister noted that the farmer leaders themselves believed, and were stressing, that it was imperative for the success of their movement to ensure that it remains peaceful. “Is that the language of Naxals, as BJP leader Tarun Chugh is alleging?” he asked, dubbing the BJP.

In sharp contrast to the BJP, the Congress believed in upholding the people’s constitutional right of peaceful protest, which even the Supreme Court had validated in the context of the farmers’ agitation, the Chief Minister said. “But the BJP and its leaders like Chugh seem to be bent on stifling all such protests with their brazen lies and false propaganda,” he added.

The CM also took a dig at Chugh’s plea to the Union home ministry ‘to keep an eye on such developments in Punjab’, saying that it would been better for the state if the BJP leader had sought the Centre’s support in keeping any eye on the fresh spurt of terrorist movement, as well as smuggling of weapons, in Punjab.

Amid farm protests, Rahul Gandhi goes on personal trip abroad

December 28, 2020, 3:20 am

New Delhi: Amid ongoing farm protests, when several Opposition leaders are making a beeline to show their solidarity with farmers, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has gone out of the country on a personal visit, the party said on Sunday. He will also miss the party’s 136th Foundation Day programme on 28 December.

“Rahul Gandhi is currently travelling on a short personal trip,” Congress general secretary and communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala told ANI on Sunday.

According to top party sources, Rahul Gandhi left the country on Sunday morning and will be away for few days.

He is travelling amid the ongoing farmers’ agitation against new agricultural laws. Rahul Gandhi led a delegation which met President Ram Nath Kovind on 17 December and submitted the memorandum along with a purported 2 crore signatures of the farmers against the recently enacted laws.

The Congress MP also did not attend the meeting of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) leaders to review the party’s performance in the local body elections. The state in-charge Tariq Anwar who is on a tour of Kerala is taking review meeting on the issue.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has asked all its state units to observe the party’s foundation day on 28 December through various campaigns including organising ‘Tiranga Yatras’ and running a social media campaign ‘Selfie with Tiranga’.

“December 28 marks the 136th year of the foundation of Indian National Congress (INC). On this day, the PCCs are requested to observe the party foundation day in state and district headquarters and instruct office-bearers, MPs, MLAs/MLCs to participate in the functions,” the AICC said in a press release.

THE FARMERS’ AGITATION AND JUDICIAL OVERLOAD

December 24, 2020, 6:07 am

Bad governance overburdens the judiciary with unnecessary and avoidable litigation. Within a fortnight, two Supreme Court benches—the first led by Justice Nageshwar Rao and the second headed by Justice Sanjay K. Kaul—indicted the government for repeatedly ignoring directions given to it by constitutional administrative bodies like the CAT on providing promotional, retirement and other pensionary service-related benefits to school and university teachers as well as personnel from the armed forces, but more for framing rules contrary to the directions issued by the court. The court also indicated a disturbing trend of the blatant defiance of courts by the government. There is no denying of the fact that the government’s inaction, obduracy and insensitivity have changed the nature of governance, which is currently so bold and graceless that the task of justice dispensation appears not just scuttled but also trivial. Regular notices on contempt proceedings are being overlooked. Does the government want to be an advocate and a judge of its actions at the same time? It is this statecraft which is applied for seeking compliance to the new farm acts.

Democratic deficit is reduced through decentralising power and honouring an independent judiciary within the principle of separation of power. But in current times, the governance lacks substance for both principles. It is not just the Central government which is defying judicial directions and contempt notices but even state governments are following this new style of governance. The Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh crossed all constitutional boundaries in slapping notices upon agitating citizens, with the latest being a Rs 50 lakh notice upon farmers who are agitating in UP against the new farm Acts (later withdrawn as a clerical error). Such notices have previously been unsuccessfully imposed in November 2019 and October 2020 upon protestors against the CAA and against police in the Hathras rape case, respectively. Protestors have been alleged to be seditionists and surreal links have been discovered to link agitators with jihadis, Khalistanis and the “tukde-tukde gang”. This has been happening even though Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha warned the UP government in a suo motu cognisance of the matter right in the beginning, that the state’s action violated Article 14 of the Constitution and was an “unwarranted interference in privacy of people”, was “highly unjust”.

This new trend of governance brings a complete lack of trust towards the government, a situation which hardens boundaries and increases litigation in courts. A 2009 Delhi High Court report had found that the Indian judiciary has the highest number of pending court cases in the world and, to clear this backlog, it needs 466 years with judges working all seven days. Yet, the government has only added to avoidable litigation by ignoring decisions which could have been taken at its end by its own merit and experience. Some of the latest ones ignored and defied by the government are decisions taken by administrative institutions like the Central Administrative Tribunals (CAT) and by the courts in connection to cases on seniority, promotion and retirement and pensionary claims of school and university teachers and even serving officers of the Indian Armed Forces. One can observe the reduced functioning of institutions which have been sentinels of democracy such as the Parliamentary Committees, Environment Impact Assessment Committees, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in both Houses of Parliament, the courts and institutional decentralisation. With the vigorous Constitution of India, the government has still been able to walk over these normative guardians through statecraft and not through governance.

The first casualty was the principle of decentralisation and separation of power. In the second Council of Ministers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, current Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was given charge of three overloaded ministries, i.e., Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. After the resignation of Akali Dal Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, he was also given charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. The first three ministries have entirely different objectives and, if under different leaders, can open scope for analysis and dialogue. The Ministry of Rural Development has the fourth highest ministry-wise allocation in the Union Budget 2019-20, of Rs 1,19,874 crore. Its Department of Rural Development, which implements major developmental schemes in villages towards poverty reduction, basic services, employment generation, rural infrastructure, etc, has an allocation of Rs 1,17,647 crore, which is almost 98% of the allocation to the ministry and has a wide mandate. The only other department of this ministry which shares its balance of 2% of the funds is the Department of Land Resources, which aims to increase the productivity of degraded land and an integrated land information management system. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, with a budget allocation of Rs 900 crore, provides the largest national grassroots platform for maintaining transparency and accountability of officials. It is the strongest voice of democracy and the only platform with 33% elected women officials who lend equity in gender rights, including the Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme, Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Abhiyan, Rural Business Hubs as well as for Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana, Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan, etc. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has a Rs 1,233 crore budgetary allocation for expenditures related to food storage and warehousing, the National Mission on Food Processing, etc. These post-harvest warehousing industries, which claim to provide a resilient food chain supply, have seen a sudden increase of 54% since the new farm laws have come, and have been steadily borrowing from the Rs 1 lakh crore agri-infrastructure fund launched by the Prime Minister on 9 August this year.

However, the main ministry under Tomar is the Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, with a whopping budget of Rs 1,42,762 crore for 2020-21. This ministry has two departments, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare and the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, which received 94% and 6% of the allocation in 2020-21, respectively. More than 78% of the ministry’s budget is proposed to be spent on three schemes under this Department: PM-Kisan (53%), launched in 2019, the Interest Subsidy Scheme (15%) and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (11%). For PM-Kisan, only 6.2% of the allocated budget was spent. For the second scheme, only 36% of the approved allocation was actually disbursed and, for the third scheme, the Reserve Bank of India pointed out that, due to the lack of an institutional mechanism in settling claims and raising awareness, most farmers could not avail its benefits. The PM-Kisan scheme was originally meant for only marginal and small farmers which constituted more than 82%, but within two months, the scheme was opened to all categories of farmers, irrespective of the size of their landholdings. Also, the scheme does not cover landless agricultural labourers who constitute more than 55% of the agricultural workforce and include cultivators and labourers working in the agriculture sector. The UP and MP governments may be projecting them as poor farmers but, in reality, they are not. The official records mentioned a drastic increase of landless agricultural workers in the total agri-workforce within the last two years. The Farm Acts have kept their eyes wide shut on many of these institutional issues which needed reforms and the NITI Aayog had recommended them too.

It was easy for a minister heading four key ministry offices and holding the key to a huge amount of funds disbursed and workable facilities under other departments to seek compliance to the farm Acts. The Covid-19 experience does not allow the rural terrain to encounter any more turbulence or fear of scheme closures under many of these ministries. Irrespective of his capacity and understanding, the minister has been given control of the strings to the purses of several running schemes in villages. The lack of internal decentralisation and rising centralisation of penal action have bitten into the trust in the government. It is a tough time for the judiciary which might have to prepare for another bout of litigation on the farm Acts and issues of constitutional morality. But can this statecraft win trust?

The writer is president, NAPSIPAG Disaster Research Group, and former Professor of Administrative Reforms & Emergency Governance, JNU. The views expressed are personal.

Farmer leaders from UP, Delhi meet Tomar, extend support to farm laws

December 23, 2020, 2:46 am

NEW DELHI: Members of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Noida, and Indian Kisan Union, New Delhi, on Tuesday met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and said that the new farm laws were in the interest of farmers and should not be taken back.

The minister said in tweets that the delegations gave a memorandum in support of the new farm laws and said they will improve the condition of farmers. “Today, the representatives of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh and Indian Kisan Union, New Delhi, gave a memorandum in support of the new agrarian reform bills and thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modiji,” he said.

“They said that the new agricultural laws brought by the Modi government are in the interest of the farmers and these laws are going to improve the condition of the farmers and should not be withdrawn,” he added.

The minister told the media that the farmers’ delegation said that no changes should be made in the law. “Some farmer leaders met me today to extend their support to the farm laws. They said that no amendments should be made in the three laws,” he said.

Farmers have been protesting on Delhi borders since November 26 against the three farm laws—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.

WITH ANI INPUTS

FARMERS TO GO ON 24-HR RELAY HUNGER STRIKE, URGE PEOPLE TO SKIP ONE MEAL ON KISAN DIWAS

December 21, 2020, 3:43 am

Taking a further stringent posture against the Centre’s farm laws, farmer unions on Sunday announced a 24-hour relay hunger strike starting from Monday, and appealed to citizens to skip a meal on 23 December on the occasion of ‘Kisan Diwas’.

While addressing a press conference at the Singhu border, Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav said that the hunger strike will take place in groups of 11 and appealed to unions in other parts of the country to also do so according to their strength. “In order to take the movement forward, farmers will be on a 24-hour relay hunger strike at all the sites. We appeal to farmers protesting across the country to take part. Here, a group of 11 people will sit for a day, followed by another 11. Others protest sites can do so according to their strength,” Yadav said.

Rakesh Tikait, leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, further appealed to farmers to skip a meal on the Kisan Diwas, birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh as a gesture of gratitude in remembrance of their ‘annadatta’ and the movement.

Tikait said that union workers would reach out to allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ask them why they are supporting the farm laws. “We will reach out to the BJP and its allies and ask them if they are supporting the farm laws. If they are, we will ask them why and accordingly decide the future course of action,” he said.

He further questioned the alleged raids being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on the participants and supporters of the farmers’ protest. “If the ED is raiding the singers who are attending the farmers’ protest, then what is stopping them from raiding businessmen and corrupt officials?” he told ANI.

Leaders of several farmers’ unions also appealed to people in the country to bang utensils to drown out Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat on December 27 to show their support for the movement.

The farmer leader further said that they had also decided to make the Haryana toll plaza free from 25 December to 27 December.

Farmers have been protesting at different borders of Delhi since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws- 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.

Sonia to hold Congress meet today, G23 talk, farm stir on agenda

December 19, 2020, 5:13 am

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has called for a meeting of senior party leaders on Saturday to formulate the party’s strategy on the current political scenario amid the ongoing farmers’ agitation against farm laws. The meeting will continue for 10 days.

The sources said in the meeting “efforts will be made for the reconciliation between the senior leaders of the party and group of Congress ‘rebels’ who wrote a letter flagging a leadership drift and calling for sweeping organisational changes.” In a press briefing, Congress general secretary said Sonia Gandhi will hold a meeting with party leaders for the next 10 days.

The crucial meeting between senior disgruntled leaders of the Congress known as G23 and Sonia Gandhi will be held at her residence on Saturday morning at 10 am. This will be first face to face meeting between them after 23 senior Congress leaders wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi demanding sweeping reforms in the party. The meeting is being seen as a move towards “reconciliation” among the warring factions within the party.

“Sonia Gandhi was unable to physically meet people because of Covid situation. From tomorrow, she will be meeting with the party leaders and take decisions on various organisational activities and various ongoing issues like farmers agitation, scrapping of winter session of Parliament. It will be an ongoing process for the next 10 days,” he said.

“The leaders who will be meeting Sonia Gandhi include those who wrote letter and those who have specific concerns with functioning. Every party member is dear to us and everyone has the right to raise their concerns.

They are part of our family. We will continue to fight for the people of India, together. It is the tradition of the party,” he added.

According to sources, the possible formation of the alliance in West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu will also be discussed in the meeting. “Sonia Gandhi will take the final decision on the alliance after listening to all leaders,” a source told ANI.

Sonia Gandhi will also discuss the scraping of winter session of Parliament by the central government with senior leaders comprising party’s Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs.

“Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor, former Union Minister Pawan Bansal, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and Congress general secretary Ajay Maken will be there in the meeting at 10 Janpath,” a source said.

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat will discuss the changes in Punjab cabinet and farmer agitation and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor will discuss the results of local body polls in Kerala, sources said.

We’re ready to change whatever is anti-farmer: Gadkari to kisan unions

December 19, 2020, 5:08 am

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari spoke exclusively to The Daily Guardian about the massive farmers’ protest taking place at Delhi’s borders against the new farm laws and how the Modi government only intended to benefit farmers. Excerpts:

Q: The farmers’ protest has been going on for 23 days now. How is the government going to deal with this?

A: We are ready to have a point-by-point discussion with farmers over the new laws. Whichever points the farmers feel is not to their liking or will harm them, we are ready to even change that.

There are two major points of misunderstanding here: our Constitution has fundamental rights in it, so should the farmers also not have the option of selling their crops wherever they want? About 18kms from Nagpur, I have farmland where we grow crops. Earlier today, I sold the crops for the first time since the law came in. Before, we had to pay middlemen an 8% bribe. Now, I sold my crop directly in the Pratapgarh market, which gained me 8-10 rupees of extra earnings per kilo and cut out the bribe to the middleman. It is my fundamental right to sell my wares where I want. When we go to buy anything anywhere, we pay the price selected by the seller, but when farmers go to sell, they can’t sell at the rates they want. Even the APMC system is being continued, so the farmer can sell wherever he wants to and gets the best price. Is this not in the favour of the farmers? All of what is happening is a ploy to confuse the farmers.

Let’s talk about contract farming, the farmer doesn’t have money for tilling the land, he doesn’t have money for seeds or for fertilizer and the land is lying idle. Now someone comes and says, ‘we will provide you with everything’ and during the harvest, they split it in half with the farmer. What’s wrong in this? Or if someone says, ‘whatever comes, we’ll pay you a certain amount, regardless of the crop’ – how is any of it turning into a loss for a downtrodden farmer who had nothing to begin with? If you use a taxi aggregator service, you pay the fare, but do you own the car? Of course, not. Records will show that the land belongs to the farmer.

There are misunderstandings being created and the way forward is with talks, in which we are ready to change anything the farmers are unhappy with. Now even the SC is intervening and I’m sure something will come out of that as well.

Q: If everything is good about the farm bills, then why are such massive protests taking place? Why are the farmers saying that the bills have to be taken back completely?

A: There are many aspects to the bills. Is everything anti-farmer? Is 100% of it wrong? Let’s sit down, talk point-by-point and understand everything. If there’s anything wrong, we will change it. This entire matter shouldn’t be politicized. Security and welfare matters should not be politicized. Political leaders have the right to do politics, but using this opportunity to play politics is absolutely wrong.

Q: Even the SC asked the government if the laws can be put on hold until a committee can come to a conclusion. Is there a section in the government discussing it?

A: The government is putting its stance forward in front of the SC and there are talks underway for reaching solutions with the farmers. Commenting on inside dealings would not be correct at this point.

Q: Rahul Gandhi tweeted asking how many farmers have to die before the government will wake up.

A: In the last six years, we have raised the MSP every annum. This did not happen during the UPA government. What right does the Congress have in talking about this? The Central government goes through many stages to set the MSP and today we are seeing that the MSP is higher than the price of the crop. When we set an MSP, we have to buy it at that cost. You can see that we are buying the crop at that very price, despite the market, and extending benefits to the farmers. Our government is for the welfare of the farmer and we will work towards it.

Q: On Thursday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar wrote an eight-page letter where he detailed the myths and facts of the issues which are creating fears in the minds of farmers. This letter has been tweeted and re-tweeted by a number of ministers. But the farmers are saying that these are a bundle of lies created to confuse them by the government.

A: The matter is in the Supreme Court. I trust the court in the matter. Let the court examine the matter and bring out the truth. I have nothing more to say in the matter. How can you wake up people who are acting as if they are asleep? The media should discuss the three laws and I will explain everything. We are ready for discussions.

Q: The farmers say that issues like MSP and APMC should be incorporated. They also want to know why these rules can’t be repealed.

A: The declaration of the MSP is done through a notification. The government is legally bound to abide by it.

Q: ASSOCHAM and CII have written a letter saying that there have been massive losses because of the protests. Even you wrote a letter to Punjab CM Capt Amrinder Singh about the massive losses faced in toll taxes. Have you gotten a reply? Or is the government coming up with some way to deal with this?

A: We have done what we can. Now the SC is discussing the matter and I’m sure a solution would be found there.

PM MODI FLAYS OPPOSITION, SAYS FARM LAWS NOT MADE OVERNIGHT

December 19, 2020, 5:05 am

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday criticised the Opposition for misleading farmers to oppose the three farm laws, claiming that these laws have not been introduced overnight, and that the Centre and state governments had detailed discussions on these reforms over the last 20 to 30 years.

“Farm Laws have not been introduced overnight. Over the last 20-30 years, central government and state governments had detailed discussions on these reforms. Agriculture experts, economists and progressive farmers have been demanding reforms,” said PM Modi while addressing farmers at the ‘Kisan Kalyan’ event in Raisen through video conferencing.

The Prime Minister said that Opposition parties were playing games to regain lost political ground by creating a web of confusion and lies. “I wish to tell all political parties that they can keep political credit. I don’t want credit. I only want the lives of Indian farmers to be easy, want their prosperity, and modernity in farming. Stop misleading them, stop confusing them,” he said.

Also Read: We’re ready to change whatever is anti-farmer: Nitin Gadkari to kisan unions

Taking a dig at his opponents without naming any party, the PM said that he felt that they were pained not by the improvements brought about in the agricultural laws by his government but by the fact that Modi had been able to do what they had been saying all these years but could not do.

He also listed the advantages of the new agricultural laws enacted in September. “These agrarian reform laws atone for the sins committed in the past decades by tying farmers to agricultural ‘mandis’ only. I can say with confidence that there is no reason for mistrust or room for lies in the recent agricultural reforms we have brought about.”

Referring to the problems farmers faced in the past, Modi said: “Today, there is no news about shortage of urea; farmers do not have to face batons of police to buy urea. We have worked with sincerity to remove this problem of farmers. I will like to remind farmers about the urea situation in the past. Remember, what the situation was 7-8 years ago? Whether farmers had to stand in queues overnight to buy urea or not? In many places, were there news about lathi-charge on farmers or not?”

PM Modi also hit out at the Congress, saying that the debt waiver by Congress governments was the biggest example of how farmers were cheated. “When elections were to be held in Madhya Pradesh two years ago, a loan waiver was promised within 10 days. Debts of how many farmers were waived?” he asked.

The Prime Minister also asked the farmers to seek answers from those who had been advocating these agricultural reforms intheir poll manifestos but did nothing. “If the old manifestos of all political parties are brought out, their past statements heard, and the official letters from those who earlier handled agriculture seen, then the agricultural reforms brought today are no different from theirs. My government is dedicated to the farmers and considers them as ‘annadatas’.”

“We took out the Swaminathan Committee report that was dumped in a pile of files and implemented its recommendations, gave MSP of one and a half times the input cost to farmers. These people (opposition) ensured that their governments did not have to spend much on farmers. They merely used farmers for their own politics,” the Prime Minister said.

“Today, several farmers have been given a Kisan Credit Card. Earlier, they were not available to all farmers. But we changed rules to make Kisan Credit Card available to all farmers across the country,” said PM Modi.

The PM’s statement comes at the time when farmers have been protesting on different borders of the national capital since 26 November against three newly enacted farm laws—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.

FARMER LEADERS DON’T WANT SOLUTION, MOVEMENT IS ANTI-FARMER: ATHAWALE

December 16, 2020, 3:30 am

Union minister Ramdas Athawale, in an interview with news agency IANS, said that farmers will suffer the most if the three farm laws are withdrawn. He, however, added that everyone has the right to protest in a democracy.

Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Athawale said, “The solution to the peasant movement can be found. But the leaders of the farmers are not ready. When there is a dialogue between the agitators and the government, the two sides will have to take two steps back. Then the middle path can be found. But the movement has created a deadlock due to politics.”

Athawale emphasised on finding a solution to the movement through dialogue. He said, “The government is ready to make amendments. Even then, if the farmer leaders continue to adopt a stubborn attitude by adding new demands, then they will harm the farmers only. I think this is an anti-farmer movement.”

A Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra and the national president of the Republican Party of India (A), an ally of the NDA, Athawale said that he has full sympathy with the farmers who had been agitating along the Delhi borders for several days in the cold.

The government is also sensitive to the problems of the farmers. A proposal is being made by the government, and farmer leaders should also consider this proposal positively, he said.

The minister said, “When Narendra Modi has become Prime Minister twice on the strength of the farmers, why would he bring a Bill against the farmers? Farmers’ income has been doubled. If someone wants to sell outside, they should get the rights. Given all these points, the three new agricultural laws have been brought in the interest of the states.”

The new law does not contain any provision to close the markets, he said, adding that the MSP will continue as before. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also reiterated the same. The role of the government is to help the farmers and farmer leaders should also come up with a compromise formula, he added.

The farmers from Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh have been sitting on protest at the Delhi-Haryana’s Singhu and Tikri border and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur border for the last 20 days. Several rounds of talks between the farmers and the government have failed to yield any result.

The three laws are The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. They had first come in the month of June as the three Ordinances before being approved by Parliament during the Monsoon Session by a voice vote.

HARSIMRAT SLAMS CENTRE FOR SCRAPPING WINTER SESSION OF PARLIAMENT

December 16, 2020, 3:26 am

SAD’s Bathinda MP and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday condemned the Union government for scrapping the winter session of Parliament, stating that the government was running away from its responsibility to resolve the grievances of farmers by repealing the three farm laws. She demanded that a special one-day session be held at the earliest to repeal the three laws as per the wishes of the farming community.

She said, “the Centre knows that it is in the wrong. It knows it has legislated on agriculture which is a state subject and that farmers of all states have rejected the three acts it bulldozed through in the last session. It knows it cannot face the people on this issue and that it is why it has invented the excuse of Covid-19 to cancel the winter session of Parliament.”

Terming the move as a murder of democracy, Badal said that parliamentarians have been denied an opportunity to raise the voice of the farmers. “The farmers are suffering untold hardship in biting cold wave conditions and parliamentarians wanted to highlight this. They also wanted to put pressure on the government to repeal the three farm laws which have been rejected by the farmers. There is no reason to keep laws in force which the people don’t want,” she added. “Adequate safety precautions can be taken for a special one-day Parliament session to repeal the laws and the government should not make any excuses on this score,” asserted Badal

She said that the Congress should not adopt double standards. Badal said that while Punjab CM Amarinder Singh was toeing the Centre’s line and asking farmers to lift their dharna and a majority of Congress MPs were oblivious to the suffering of the farmers, four Congress MPs were indulging in a sit-in at Delhi to befool the farmers.

Farmers’ agitation resulting in Rs 3,500 cr daily loss: Assocham

December 16, 2020, 3:23 am

As the farmers’ protest entered the 21st day and no end in sight of a breakthrough, industry body Assocham has urged the government and farmers’ bodies to resolve the impasse over the farm laws as it is resulting in a loss of Rs3,500 crore per day. As per the release, ongoing protests are dealing a big blow to the interconnected economies of the region, including Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

According to the chamber, around two-thirds of consignments in transit are taking 50% extra time to reach their destinations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi-NCR. In addition, transport vehicles are forced to travel up to 50% longer to reach Delhi from the warehouses in Haryana, Uttarakhand and Punjab. “The size of the combined economies of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and J&K is about Rs 18 lakh crore.

With the ongoing farmers’ agitation and blockade of roads, toll plazas and railways, the economic activities have come to a halt. Industries such as textiles, auto components, bicycles, sports goods which cater significantly to the export markets would not be able to fulfil their orders, ahead of Christmas, harming our goodwill amongst the global buyers,” Assocham president Niranjan Hiranandani said.

Nikhil Sawhney, chairman of Assocham, Northern Region, said: “Farmers’ protest may push logistics cost by up to 8-10%. Many companies in the industrial belt surrounding Delhi are facing labour shortages as people struggle to reach production facilities from neighbouring towns. The ongoing farm agitation requires an immediate amicable solution as it is impacting not only the economic growth but also putting a huge dent to the supply chain which is affecting the large and small industries alike.”

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has said that farmers’ protest may impact economic recovery. The continuous distress by farmers’ protests in many parts of India has led to disruption in supply chains and logistics. They urged the government and protesting farmers “to find an amicable solution for the sake of the economy, which is already struggling to get on a growth trajectory”, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the CII said in a statement on Monday.

The farmers’ protests, which have intensified over the past couple of weeks, have led to obstruction of traffic and road blockades across multiple checkpoints in the northern states of Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and in a smaller measure across many other states. The already broken supply chain which was recovering post the lockdown has come under severe stress.

The impact of the agitation is more acute for industries in the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, which are dependent on goods transported by road. There is also uncertainty around the transportation of farm products to the major markets of Delhi-NCR, and it could lead to significant losses to the farm sector in these states.

Tourism, a major revenue and livelihood source in these states, is likely to get adverse effects at a crucial time when the sector is looking forward to regain, some momentum following the unlocking of the economy.

Govt willing to find solution, continue talks with genuine farm unions, says Tomar

December 16, 2020, 3:12 am

Amid the ongoing farmers’ protest over the new farm laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday that the government is willing to continue dialogue with genuine farm unions and find a solution with an open mind.

The minister, who met members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kisan) from Uttar Pradesh at Krishi Bhavan, said that Minimum Support Price (MSP) is an administrative decision and will continue. He said that the farm laws have been welcomed in various states across the country.

“The farmers who met me today have supported the three farm laws. They said that they are with the laws and government. As some farmers are spreading misconception so they were also misled. When I spoke to them they clearly supported the bills,” he said.

An Agriculture Ministry release said that leaders of the union welcomed the farm Acts and said that these will be beneficial for farmers. They submitted a memorandum to the Minister with suggestions regarding the farm laws and MSP.

The release said that the minister thanked the union leaders for coming out in support of the farm laws. “He added that the government is willing to continue dialogue with genuine farm unions and is willing to find a solution with an open mind,” it said.

The said Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kisan) leaders suggested that farmers be given the option of going to civil courts in case of a dispute. They also suggested that the panchayat head should be accorded the same importance as the head of the mandi to safeguard the rights of the farmers in small towns and villages. They said that Essential Commodities Act should prevent hoarding and black marketing.

The union leaders also suggested that electricity rates for irrigation should be reduced and electricity should be available for longer hours in Uttar Pradesh. They said standards for crops should be decided at the procurement centres so that farmers do not face any problem in selling the produce.

The meeting comes amid protest by farmers on borders of Delhi for the repeal of three farm laws enacted recently by the government. They have been on protest since 26 November. The farmer unions have held five round of talks with the Centre and attended a meeting called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. They have rejected proposals of the Centre for amendments in the farm laws.

They are protesting against 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.

On Monday, ten organisations from various states such as Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Bihar and Haryana associated with All India Kisan Coordination Committee had met Tomar and extended their support on the three farm laws.

WITH ANI INPUTS

No question of rolling back farm laws: MoS Home Kishan Reddy

December 15, 2020, 2:16 am

Hyderabad: As farmers’ protests are intensifying in north India, BJP leaders have decided to bring the “facts” before people. G. Kishan Reddy, MoS Home, said that some people are spreading propaganda against the Modi government without even reading the laws, and termed the protests abroad as “motivated with ill intention”.

He said, “Why do they protest in the US or UK or somewhere else? What are their interests there? They are motivated by some selfish interests. We have made laws to benefit the farmers. We want their income doubled; there is no question of removing MSP. There has been no MSP for 70 years, but we want to guarantee the MSP. As son of a farmer, I can understand their problems. Now the farmers are free to sell their produce anywhere in the country and there are no travel restrictions.”

He further added that the BJP has come to power with a huge mandate from farmers and the bills are beneficial to them. “Agriculture must be profitable since 60-70% of the people depend on it and it’s going to be a big booster for the country’s economy as the government wants to double the income of farmers. The laws are essential,’ he said. Reddy added that there is no question of rolling back the laws under any circumstances, but amendments are required on the request of “real farmers”.

Kishan Reddy said that the Congress had mentioned in its manifesto about similar farm laws; now, with selfish motives, it has taken a U-turn. He said that except in Punjab, all farmers are welcoming the laws and added: “We have launched kisan trains. vegetables from Andhra and Telangana go in those trains to Delhi. Take for example tomatoes in Madanapalli of Andhra are sold one or two rupees per kilo and many farmers throw them on roads. Now they can send to Delhi in kishan trains. The mandi lobby in Punjab is agitating against the laws. Still, we will negotiate with them. We encourage the mandis and market yards, but the farmers should be given the chance to sell their produce wherever they have good price.”

On house protest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Reddy said: “So many are protesting and Delhi CM also has the right to protest. Let him do.”

On all opposition political parties opposing the Central government and participating in the protests called by the farmers, Reddy urged the farmers that they should discuss their issues with the government, as it is ready to talk over the three farm laws. Advising Rahul Gandhi to stay away from the farmers’ stir as he has been conspicuously absent from making an appearance at any of the protest sites, he said: “Rahul Gandhi neither understands farmers’ problems nor can address them.”

Reddy criticised the Congress for ignoring farmers’ issues during its seven-decade in power, and accused the party for the deaths of thousands of farmers who committed suicide due to various issues.

He refused to respond on the meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Telangana CM KCR. He denied the news that there is going to be a “dawn of friendship” between BJP and TRS by saying the BJP is going to form government in Telangana after the Assembly polls in 2023.

10 farmers’ groups extend support to govt on farm laws

December 15, 2020, 2:10 am

As the ongoing protest against the farm laws continued for the 19th day, a new group of 10 farmers’ unions on Monday extended their support to the Central government over its decision to undertake the necessary amendments in the three contentious farm laws.

The support for the government came on the day the leaders of protesting farmers began a one-day hunger strike on Monday against the farm laws.

Under the banner of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC), the group of farmers belonging to states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana expressed their support after a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar at his office here.

The farmers, in a written statement, said that they agreed with the government’s proposal to suitably amend the three farm laws which is the centre of deadlock leading to ongoing protest at Delhi’s different borders since 26 November.

As thousands of farmers under the leadership of over 32 farm unions are sitting on demonstration for the last 19 days, the AIKCC group appealed to the farmers to support the government’s proposal regarding amendments in the three laws—The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers term these laws “black laws”, “draconian” and “anti-farmer”.

Stressing on amendments in the three laws, the AIKCC said, “Modern infrastructure is necessary in the current farming scenario because the present method is not enough for implementation of new laws. The farmers have been following old techniques. So, it is necessary to do amendments in these laws.”

After the meeting, the Agriculture Minister tweeted that the leaders of the group agreed that these laws are beneficial for the farmers and these should not be withdrawn. He also said that the farmers accepted that the ongoing protest is politically motivated.

The new group of farmers agreed with the government’s proposal days after more than a dozen farmers from Haryana FPO (Farmer Producer Organisation) and the Jagruk and Pragatiseel Kisan Union submitted a signed acceptance of the new laws to Tomar during a meeting with him at the Ministry earlier.

WITH IANS INPUTS