Farmers' Protest updates: 3,000 farmers begin vehicle rally from Nashik to Delhi; 7,000 to join tomorrow

3,000 farmers leave Nashik for Delhi

Farmers under the AIKS banner have left Nashik for Delhi as part of a vehicle march. Around 3,000 farmers have participated in the march on Monday, which is in solidarity with farmers who are protesting against the Centre’s farm laws for almost a month.

Reports said that the first group of farmers will stop for the night Chandvad, a place 40 kilometres away from Nashik.On Tuesday, 7,000 more farmers will join the procession.

Ghazipur farmers block after admin skips meeting

Reports said that protesting farmers at the Ghazipur border blocked the road after the district administration didn’t turn up for a meeting over stopping the movement of tractors. “No official has come here for the meeting. We won’t move until our demands are met,” says a farmer.

Farmers queue up at Singhu border to register for blood donation camp

Several protesting farmers queued  up here at the Singhu border on Monday to register their names for a blood donation camp set up by a Ludhiana-based NGO. More than 240 protesting farmers have so far donated blood at the camp, which began on Sunday and has been set up by Rehras Sewa Society.

A four-member team of the NGO, along with nine members of the blood bank, started their camp here at the Singhu border on Sunday around 10.30 am and by 5 pm, 190 farmers had donated blood.

Sukhminder Singh, president of Rehras Sewa Society, said, “On the first day of our camp, we got a very good response from people here. Around 190 people donated blood, which was overwhelming. So, we decided to extend our camp.”

Farmer leaders say Centre must offer ‘concrete solution’

Farmer leaders on Monday said they are always ready for dialogue as long as the government is offering a “concrete solution”, but claimed that there is nothing new in the Centre’s latest letter to them seeking a date for the next round of talks.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said that the government, in its letter, mentioned that it wants to hold talks over its earlier proposal of amendments in the new agri laws.

“On this issue (government’s proposal), we did not talk to them earlier. We are currently discussing how to respond to the government letter,” Tikait told PTI.

Mandi ‘middlemen’ face IT raids, says report

NDTV reported that ‘arthiyas’ or mandi commission agents have “faced raids as well as income tax notices” because of the farmer protests. “In response, a shutdown of mandis has been announced,” the report said.

‘Won’t stop till laws are repealed’, say Maharashtra farmers

Members of farmer’s organisation in Nashik move towards Delhi to support the farmers’ protest against the Centre’s farm laws. “We are going to join and support the farmers’ protest. We’ll not stop till these three laws are repealed,” says a farmer.

Kerala Assembly to convene on 23 Dec for resolution against farm laws

 A special session of the Kerala Assembly is being convened on Wednesday to discuss the three contentious central farm laws and pass a resolution against the Acts, whose repeal is being insisted by farmers agitating at the borders of Delhi for nearly a month. The decision to convene the special session on the laws
was taken by the CPI-M led LDF government at a Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday.

Finance Minister Thomas Isaac in a tweet said Kerala was in “total solidarity” with the farmers’ struggle and the session would discuss and ‘reject’ the laws.

Ghaziabad authorities hold talks with farmers at Ghazipur border

Farmer leader VN Singh was quoted by India Today as saying that if Uttar Pradesh Police hamper the movement of vehicles, the farmers “will create protest sites across the state”. Singh’s comment came as district authorities held talks with the farmer groups.

Singh added, “If the police will stop vehicles then the dharna will start at that place only and we will create protest sites across Uttar Pradesh. We will not be violent but protests will start everywhere. Our 31 trolleys have been held for hours.”

BJD backs farmers’ MSP demand

 Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal supported farmers demand for Minimum Support Price and resolved to fight for implementation of MS Swaminathan Committee report on the issue. The party stated that inclusive development of the farmers has always been a key focus of the BJD government in the state.

“Our party is with the farmers on MSP issues and we will continue our fight for the same as per the Swaminathan Committee recommendations,” the party said in one of the resolutions passed at its state executive commnittee meeting that ended last evening.

Maharashtra farmers prepare to leave for Delhi to join protest

Farmers affliated with the AIKS are set to travel to Delhi from Nashik on Monday, to join the 25-day farmer protest against the Centre’s farm laws. Reporters on-ground said that the vehicular march will reach Delhi in the next 3-4 days.

Central team in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad meets farmers over crop loss

Farmers in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad region recounted losses caused by crop damage due to heavy rains to a Central assessment team that arrived on Monday. The team visited Nipani and Pimpalgaon Pandri in Aurangabad, Gazipur, Nilajgaon and Shekta in Paithan and Murmi and Dhorgaon in Gangapur taluka, and interacted with farmers, PTI reported.

Collector Sunil Chavan, ZP CEO Mahesh Gondavale accompanied the team from the Centre during the damage assessment trip, he added.

Centre tells farmers to choose date for next round of talks

The Centre has reportedly asked protesting farmers to choose a “convenient” date for the next round of talks to arrive at a consensus about the farmer protest, NDTV reported.

“In a letter to 40 union leaders, Union Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal said the Centre is making all efforts with “an open heart” to find an appropriate solution to resolve all the concerns raised by farmers,” the report said.

Punjab farmer consumes poison at Singhu border

A 65-year-old farmer from the Tarn Taran district in Punjab reportedly consumed poison at the Singhu border on Monday. NDTV reported that he consumed poison because he was “upset” that the deadlock with the Centre over the new farm laws was not being resolved.

He has been taken to the PGI Rohtak for treatment.

Maharashtra farmers’ vehicle march to begin at 3 pm

Farmers from Maharashtra will begin their vehicle march from Nashik to Delhi at 3 pm, Hindustan Times reported.

BKU to meet farm groups supporting agri laws

Rajesh Tikait, spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, was quoted as saying by Economic Times , “We’ll go and meet those farmers’ groups who are supporting the Centre on the three farm laws. We’ll take information from them about how they’re benefitting from the new farm laws and will learn the technology which they are using to sell their crops

BJP govt adamant on its dogma: Sachin Pilot

Congress leader Sachin Pilot said in a tweet, ““Our farmers are fighting for their rights on the streets amid the coronavirus crisis and the bitter cold, but the BJP government at the Centre is adamant on its dogma. Instead of tricking the farmers in the name of the Central government talks, revoke these anti-farmer laws.”

AIKSCC asks farmers’ bodies to hold talks on ‘anti-corporate day’ campaign

The working group of farmer union, AIKSCC, has urged all farmer bodies protesting against the Centre’s agri laws to hold talks on an ‘anti-corporate day’ campaign today at 6 pm, News18 reported.

Farmers start day-long ‘relay’ hunger strike

Intensifying their agitation against the Centre’’s new agri laws, farmers began their day-long ‘‘relay’’ hunger strike on a chilly Monday morning at all sites of protest on Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Protesting farmers will participate in the hunger strike in batches and the first has 11 members, according to farmer leaders.

Thousands of agriculturists, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting against the laws for the last over four weeks at various border points of Delhi and demanding that the legislations be repealed.

Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav had on Sunday said, “Farmers will begin a day-long relay hunger strike on Monday at all sites of protest against the new agri laws. It will be started by a team of 11 members at protests sites here, including the Singhu border.”

He also urged “everyone at all protest sites across the nation to participate in the same”.

PTI

‘Shutting down union’s FB page won’t hide BJP govt’s anti-farmer face’: Jaiveer Shergill

On Sunday, the Facebook page of a farmers’ union was briefly shut down over alleged violation of ‘community standards.’ The page was subsequently restored. Reacting to this, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill wrote on Twitter:

Protesters set up ‘Neki ki Deewar’ at Ghazipur border

Protesters at Delhi’s Ghazipur border have refashioned a wall as a ‘Neki ki Deewar’, where people can donate essential items that the farmers need. “The idea is to ensure all our farmer brothers and sisters are well equipped to be a part of the protest and keep themselves warm in Delhi’s harsh weather,” News18 quoted Survinder Kisan, one of the protesters at Ghazipur border, as saying.

Will quit politics if MSP is abolished, says Khattar

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar assured protesters that minimum support prices for agricultural produce will remain. News18 quoted him as saying that if anyone tries to abolish it, he will ’leave politics.'

Part of Chilla border route open for traffic, says Delhi Police

Govt invites farmers’ unions for next round of talks

The government on Sunday asked protesting farmer unions to specify their concerns over its earlier proposal of amendments in the new agri laws and choose a convenient date for the next round of talks so that the ongoing agitation could end at the earliest.

In a letter to 40 union leaders, Union Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal said the Centre is making all efforts with “an open heart” to find an appropriate solution to resolve all the concerns raised by farmers.

Previous five rounds of talks between the government and the unions have failed to break the deadlock with the farmers insisting on repeal of the three laws and camping at various border points of Delhi for over three weeks now.

PTI

Farmers from 20 districts to converge at Nashik

An article in The Hindu has quoted All India Kisan Sabha’s national president Ashok Dhawale as saying that ’thousands of farmers’ from 20 districts of Maharashtra will converge at Nashik on 21 December and then proceed towards Delhi.

Farmers from Maharashtra to organise ‘vehicle march’ to Delhi

Farmers from Maharashtra will organise a vehicle march from Nashik to Delhi on Monday, in an agitation which is expected to crank up further pressure on the Central government.

The Centre, already caught in a bind over the protests, faces the prospect of farmers from Maharashtra joining their counterparts from northern states in Delhi in an agitation that continues to gather steam.