Farmers' Protest Updates: Maharashtra farmers' group announces plan to march to Delhi; cultivators to gather in Nasik on 20 Dec

Maharashtra farmers to join protests at Delhi

A day after the Maharashtra-based All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee extended support to the farmers protesting at Delhi’s borders, reports said that the farmers from the state will travel to Delhi to join the protests. They will first gather at Nasik on 20 December, Newsclick reported .

“From there, they will begin marching on 21 December led by Dr Ajit Nawale, secretary of the Maharashtra unit of All India Kisan Sabha. The farmers will be joined by AIKS national president Ashok Dhawale at the borders of the capital, where the protesting farmers have been camping,” the report said.

“The farmers’ march from Nasik to Mumbai had brought down the arrogance of then Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra. Now, its time for the Modi government. No other government in the history of India has fired tear gases on farmers and drenched them in the middle of winter. But these tricks have failed and farmers are still on the outskirts of Delhi,” the report quoted Dhawale as saying.

Farmers at Ghazipur border use solar panels, says report

The Times of India reported that protesting farmers at Delhi’s Ghazipur border are using solar panels “to charge their phones and tractor batteries”.

“After using washing machines and chappati maker machines at the Singhu border, farmers at the Ghazipur border are now making arrangements for themselves,” the report said.

Ghazipur border shut for traffic coming from Noida, Ghaziabad: Delhi police

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, the Delhi Traffic Police alerted commuters about the closure of certain roads and suggested them to take alternative routes. It said the Ghazipur border is closed for traffic coming from Noida and Ghaziabad due to the ongoing protest.

However, those travelling to Delhi can take alternative routes via Anad Vihar, DND, Apsara and Bhopra borders, it said.

“Tikri, Dhansa Borders are closed for any Traffic Movement. Jhatikara Borders is open only for two wheelers and pedestrian movement,” it said in a tweet.

Centre must adopt sympathetic approach towards protesters: Mayawati

In a tweet, BSP president Mayawati said, “The central government should adopt a sympathetic approach, and not be stubborn, while dealing with the protesting farmers and accept their demands.”

The BSP demands that the three new farm laws should be withdrawn, she added.

केन्द्र की सरकार को, हाल ही में देश में लागू तीन नए कृषि कानूनों को लेकर आन्दोलित किसानों के साथ हठधर्मी वाला नहीं बल्कि उनके साथ सहानुभूतिपूर्ण रवैया अपनाकर उनकी माँगों को स्वीकार करके, उक्त तीनों कानूनों को तत्काल वापस ले लेना चाहिए, बीएसपी की यह माँग।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) December 19, 2020

BKU leader refutes PM’s claim on MSP

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday junked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim of implementing recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission on the MSP for crops, saying farmers are committing suicide as they are not getting the remunerative price of their produce.

“Till today, cultivators of Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh are not getting the minimum support price (MSP) of pulses and are committing suicide,” he said in a message to the PTI.

The claim of the implementation of the commission report is totally false, he said.

SP, BSP hit out at BJP over farm laws

The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party hit out at the BJP on Saturday over the farmers’ protest against the agri-marketing laws.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav called the contentious laws a clamp for the farmers.

“The BJP didn’t allow the farmers to have the slightest idea of the farm laws before making them. Now, they are pretending to make them understand the benefits of the legislations by holding farmers convention,” Yadav said.

“The truth is the farmers will really benefit only after the implementation of the Swaminathan report,” Yadav said. “Only then, the farmers’’ income will double.”

In a tweet on Saturday, BSP president Mayawati said: “The central government should adopt a sympathetic approach, and not be stubborn, while dealing with the protesting farmers and accept their demands.

“The BSP demands that the three new farm laws should be withdrawn,” she added.

PTI

BJP leader and ex-Union minister Birender Singh extends support to farmers

Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Birender Singh has extended his support to the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the three agriculture-marketing laws passed by the Centre.

Singh, whose son Brijendra is a sitting BJP MP, said it was his moral responsibility to stand with the farmers who he said are “worried” as they fear the new legislations will have an “impact” on their economic condition.

“Whatever I have achieved in politics, would not have been possible had I not been the grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram,” Singh said on Friday.

“Therefore, it is my moral responsibility to stand with the farmers in their fight today and, therefore, I have decided to support this (farmers’) fight,” said Singh, a prominent Jat leader in Haryana.

Agri reforms have started benefiting farmers: PM at Assocham convention

As farmer protests against new farm laws entered the 24th day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said reforms brought by his government six months ago have started benefiting farmers.

Speaking at an Assocham convention, Modi highlighted reforms spanning from the manufacturing sector to labour to say India has during the last six years emerged as the world’s preferred destination for investment.

“Agriculture reforms initiated six months back have started benefitting farmers,” he said without elaborating.

PM urges people to read e-booklet highlighting how agro-reforms help farmers

Amid the deadlock between the Centre and the protesting farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged people to read and share widely an e-booklet issued by the government highlighting how the recent agro-reforms help farmers.

The government has issued an e-booklet in English and Hindi highlighting the success stories of farmers who have benefited from the reforms enacted in September.

Volunteers launch newsletter for raising farmers’ issues

A group of volunteers have launched Trolley Times newsletter at Singhu border where farmers are protesting against the new farm laws. “This is an attempt to write my experience as I participate in this protest,” said Surmeet Maavi, the man behind the initiative.

“The newsletter has been started to avoid miscommunication and confusion. For example, there was a confusion regarding the meeting between farmers and the government,” added Maavi.

Farmers’ steadfast in their demands as Delhi records season’s lowest temp yet

Braving the harsh cold of Delhi, thousands of farmers protesting against the three recent agri laws remained steadfast in their demands of repealing the legislations as their agitation entered its fourth week.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the National Capital recorded its coldest day on Saturday with the minimum temperature dropping to 3.9 degrees Celsius at the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides the representative data for the city.

PM lists benefits of three farm laws, says MSP, APMCs will continue

In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the benefits of the new reforms and the pro-farmer actions taken by his government while also accusing the Opposition of misleading the farmers over the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Ariculture Produce Market Committes (APMCs).

Hundreds of farmers are camping at several Delhi border points to press for the repeal of the Centre’s new farm laws.

Farm laws not brought in overnight: PM 

Explaining the benefits of the new farm laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered an hour-long address to Madhya Pradesh farmers where he appealed to farmers with folded hands. 

In his speech, Modi said the new agricultural laws brought by the Centre have not come overnight, but were long overdue. He insisted that the existing regime of support price for farm produce will continue.

Hopeful of resolving farmers’ stir by year-end: Agri minister 

The government is hopeful of resolving farmers’ agitation against three new farm laws before the new year and is continuing its informal dialogue with various groups to diffuse the crisis, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said amid formal talks remaining deadlocked with protesting unions refusing to accept anything less than the repeal of the Acts.

The minister said the Modi government is committed to address all genuine concerns of the farming community and it is willing to resume formal talks anytime, but asserted that there was no point talking to those “shooting from peasants’’ shoulders.

Govt needs to resolve farmers’ issue, not Supreme Court: AIKS

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Friday said the issue of the ongoing farmers’ protests against three new farm laws needs to be resolved by the government and not the Supreme Court, even as a delegation of peasant leaders consulted senior lawyers to decide the future course of action.

The AIKS, a key member of the “Samyukta Kisan Morcha” that is spearheading the “Dilli Chalo” agitation against the three farm laws, asserted that no farmer organisation approached the court in the first place and asked for its intervention in the matter.

“The issue needs to be resolved by the Centre and not the Supreme Court. The court order has also said the same categorically. We have not approached the court because of this understanding that it is a struggle by the farmers against a government policy and the executive has to resolve the crisis,” senior AIKS leader P Krishnaprasad said.

Traffic snarls continues on Jaipur-Delhi highway for 6th day

The traffic on Jaipur-Delhi national highway remained partially affected for the sixth consecutive day on Friday due to the farmers’ agitation near the Rajasthan-Haryana border.

Despite intense cold conditions, the farmers have been staying put in Shahjahapr near the border since Sunday, protesting against the three agri laws introduced by the Centre.