Latest Farm Laws News | Top Farm Laws News Headlines Today | Today India news | Breaking Farm Laws News Today | English Farm Laws News Headlines - TheDailyGuardian

Priyanka attacks Centre on Agnipath, farm laws

October 3, 2024, 2:05 am

Campaigning for Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday made an emotional appeal to women voters in Julana sharing personal stories from her visit to a farmer’s home and lauded the determination of Haryana’s girls and Phogat’s unwavering resilience.
Priyanka Gandhi’s speech centered around the strength and determination of Haryana’s daughters, emphasizing the resilience embodied by Vinesh Phogat. Gandhi shared emotional stories about her personal experiences in Haryana, recounting an eight-year-old encounter with a farmer’s family, which, she said, reflected the hospitality and warmth of the state’s people.
“I spent hours at their home, and they welcomed me as their own daughter. This is the culture of Haryana – a culture of love, warmth, and immense strength,” Gandhi remarked, drawing applause from the audience.
She further emphasised the grit and determination of Haryana’s girls by narrating an incident involving her daughter during a basketball tournament, where the team captain from rural Haryana played despite being severely ill. “This is the spirit of Haryana’s daughters – unwavering, resilient, and determined,” she said, linking it to Phogat’s indomitable spirit both on and off the wrestling mat.
Turning her focus to Phogat, the Congress general secretary praised the wrestler for her courage and resilience in the face of adversity, particularly during the farmers’ protests and the protest by wrestlers against former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
She recalled how Phogat was dragged by the police on Delhi’s streets during the protests but never lost her determination. “Vinesh stood tall even after being humiliated, just like she did in the Olympics. When she asked me about joining politics, I told her it’s not just for her, but for all the women of Haryana,” Gandhi stated.
In a scathing critique of the Modi government, Priyanka Gandhi slammed the Prime Minister accusing him of betraying the farmers during the farm laws protests, accusing him of working for big corporate interests rather than the farmers. “Even after the death of 750 farmers the union government did not accept their demands but the demands were suddenly withdrawn ahead of UP elections,” she added.
Priyanka also slammed BJP led Haryana government’s claims of procuring all 24 crops on MSP saying that 10 crops out of 24 notified crops were not even grown in Haryana.
She also attacked the Agnipath scheme, labelling it a betrayal of the country’s youth, stating that “Modi ji’s government has left our youth in uncertainty after four years of service, forcing them to search for jobs again.”
Vinesh Phogat, who is making her political debut from the Julana constituency, echoed Gandhi’s sentiments during her speech. Phogat recounted her journey, from feeling shattered after the protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to being motivated by Priyanka Gandhi to continue her fight. “When I felt like leaving the country, Didi [Priyanka Gandhi] reminded me that this nation is there to share my pain. She told me that this country would give me love just as it did for her,” Phogat shared emotionally.
Phogat pledged to fight for justice for the people of Haryana, particularly its women, adding, “The ups and downs will continue, but with leaders like Priyanka Gandhi by our side, we will never be alone. Congress is my family, and I am here to return the love you have shown me.”
Priyanka also campaigned for Pradeep Narwal, the Congress candidate from Bawani Khera, further underlining the party’s push to connect emotionally with Haryana’s voters. With the state heading to polls soon, the stakes are high for all parties, but Gandhi’s emotional outreach and Phogat’s story of resilience seem to have struck a powerful chord in Julana.
Haryana prepares for its assembly elections, Julana will witness a tough contest, with Phogat pitted against AAP’s Kavita Rani, Indian National Lok Dal’s Surender Lather, BJP’s Captain Yogesh Kumar Bairagi, and Jannayak Janata Party’s sitting MLA, Amarjeet Dhanda. The outcome here will be crucial in determining the direction of Haryana’s political landscape.

Tight security for elections

GURUGRAM: The security has been tightened in Haryana ahead of the assembly election. 225 paramilitary companies and 60,000 security personnel have been deployed, said an official. According to DGP Haryana, 11,000 SPOs (Special Police Officers) are also stationed ahead of the elections.

After facing backlash, Kangana regrets comments on farm laws

September 26, 2024, 2:37 am

BJP MP and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut who stirred a political storm with her comments suggesting revival of the contentious farm laws has now expressed “regret” over her statements.
“In the last few days the media asked me some questions on farmers’ law and I suggested that the farmers should request PM Modi to bring back the farmers’ law. Many people are disappointed and disheartened by my statement. I also have to keep this in mind. I am not an artiste. I am a worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party and my opinions should be the party’s stand instead of being my own. So if I disappoint anyone with my words and my thinking, I will be sorry and I take my words back”, she said in a video message.
The farm laws, which were repealed in November 2021 following massive protests, have once again become a focal point of political tension in poll bound Haryana after Ranaut’s remarks as her comments had prompted strong reactions from opposition parties, who vowed to resist any attempt to bring back the “black laws.”
During an interaction with reporters in her Lok Sabha constituency of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, Kangana Ranaut stated that the three farm laws—repealed after an extensive agitation by farmers—should be reintroduced and the farmers themselves should demand it.
However, the BJP was quick to distance itself from Ranaut’s comments. Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia emphasized that Kangana Ranaut is not authorized to speak on behalf of the BJP and that her views do not reflect the party’s stance on the farm bills. “Kangana Ranaut is not authorized to make such a statement on behalf of the BJP, and it doesn’t depict the BJP’s view on the farm bills,” Bhatia said, attempting to quell the brewing controversy.
In response to the BJP’s distancing, Kangana Ranaut clarified that her remarks were her personal opinion and did not represent the party’s official position.
The controversy has also drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties especially in the poll bound Haryana-which remained the epicenter of 2020-21 farm laws agitation, with the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) vehemently condemning her remarks and vowing that the repealed farm laws would never return. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, demanded a clear statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the BJP MP’s proposal to revive the farm laws.
Taking to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Rahul Gandhi directly questioned Prime Minister Modi’s stance on the issue. “Who is determining the government’s policy? A BJP MP or Prime Minister Modi? Even after the sacrifice of over 700 farmers, especially from Haryana and Punjab, the BJP is still not satisfied. I.N.D.I.A will not allow any conspiracy by the BJP against our farmers to succeed. If any step is taken to harm the farmers, then Modi ji will have to apologize once again,” he asserted.
Gandhi further criticized the BJP’s approach, alleging that the party frequently tests ideas through its members before gauging public reactions. “BJP keeps testing ideas. They tell someone to present an idea to the public and then observe the reaction. This is exactly what happened when one of their MPs talked about reviving the farm laws, which were black laws. Modi Ji, please clarify whether you are against this or if you are up to mischief again”, he said in a video statement.

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

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.

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.

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.”

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.

OVER 1,500 TELECOM TOWERS VANDALISED IN PUNJAB, FARM LEADERS DENY THEIR ROLE

December 30, 2020, 3:19 am

With more than 1,500 mobile phone towers having been vandalised in Punjab amid protests over the three farm laws, farmer leaders at the agitation site on the Delhi border on Tuesday appealed that these vital infrastructure should not be damaged.

Denying any role in the damaging the telecom towers, farmer leaders, in their appeal from the Singhu border where their agitation entered 34th day, said the mobile tower and infrastructure of any company should not be damaged as their call was only on boycotting a company.

Reports say the protesting villagers have cut power supplies and fibre cables and damaged generators.

Krantikari Kisan Union President Dharampal said their focus of struggle was only on boycotting and nothing else.

Of the 1,561 mobile towers affected over the past few days owing to farmers’ agitations, 146 were impacted in Monday due to disruption of power supply to 32 towers that led to the disconnection of services of the remaining 114. So far, 433 towers have been repaired, a state government spokesperson said. The state has a total of 21,306 mobile towers spread across its 22 districts.

Issuing a stern warning, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had said the vandalisation of mobile towers and disruption of telecom services won’t be allowed and directed the police to take strict action against all those resorting to such unlawful activities.

Making it clear that he will not tolerate destruction of any private or public property in Punjab, he said he was forced to toughen his stance as his repeated appeals to perpetrators of such acts had been ignored.

The Chief Minister’s warning came as the total number of mobile towers impacted in the state went up to 1,561, of which 25 had been physically damaged, allegedly by some farmers and their supporters in violation of the directions of the farmer unions to keep their protests against the farm laws peaceful.

Calling upon farmers and their supporters to put an immediate stop to such destructive activities, which were being disowned by farmer leaders themselves, the Chief Minister said disruption of telecom services could lead to a communications blackout in the state, causing its people, especially students and working professionals, to suffer serious consequences.

With IANS inputs

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.

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.

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.

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

Govt not ready to repeal farm laws: Farmer leader after meeting with Amit Shah

December 9, 2020, 2:21 am

New Delhi: Leaders of farmers unions on Tuesday held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal over their demands and said there will be no meeting with the government on Wednesday and they will get a proposal from the government on which they will deliberate.

All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Hannan Mollah said after the meeting that the sixth round of talks between farmers’ unions and Central government representatives, which was scheduled for Wednesday, will not be held.

The farmers are protesting against three recently enacted farm laws.

“No meeting will be held between farmers and the government tomorrow. The minister has said that a proposal will be given to the farmer leaders tomorrow (December 9). Farmer leaders will hold a meeting over government’s proposal,” Mollah told the media.

He also said that the government is not ready to take back farm laws. “From last five days we are discussing the same issues. The government is not ready to take back the farm laws,” he said.

Mollah said that the farmer unions will meet at 12 noon on Wednesday. “Tomorrow we will hold a meeting at Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) at 12 noon,” he said.

The farmers, who are on protest since 26 November on Delhi borders, had called a Bharat Bandh on Tuesday in support of their demand which was supported by several political parties.

The government and farmer unions have held five rounds of talks so far. Tomar and Goyal, who is also minister for food and consumer affairs, have been present in previous rounds of talks.

The meeting today was attended by 13 leaders of farmer unions. The talks started at around 8.30 pm.

WITH ANI INPUTS