Thousands of farmers mainly from Punjab and Haryana have been protesting against farm laws for nearly two months on the borders of Delhi. 2020 Indian Farmers Protest News Update: The Supreme Court-appointed committee today started its consultation process and interacted with 10 farmer organisations from eight states, including Uttar Pradesh. In a statement, the committee said that the interaction was held through video conference with various farmer unions and associations. Among the farmer organisations that participated in the discussion were from Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharasthra, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
“The farmers’ unions participated in the discussion and gave their frank opinion including suggestions to improve the implementation of Acts,” the statement said. The participating farmer bodies were asked to give their views on the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The Centre has yielded some ground to end the months-long farmers protest on the borders of Delhi. In its tenth round of talks with the heads of farm unions, the government offered to put the three recently enacted farm laws on hold for 1.5 years and set up a committee to find a resolution to the issues raised by farmers. The Centre has also proposed to set up a committee on minimum support price (MSP).
Highlights
The Supreme Court-appointed committee on the farm laws today started its consultation process and interacted with 10 farmer organisations from eight states, including Uttar Pradesh. Currently, there are three members in the panel as the fourth, Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann, has recused himself from the committee. The panel, in a statement, said that the interaction was held through video conference with various farmer unions and associations.
Ten farmer organisations from Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharasthra, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh participated in discussions with committee members. "The farmers' unions participated in the discussion and gave their frank opinion including suggestions to improve the implementation of Acts," the statement said. The participating farmer bodies were asked to give their views on 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.
President of Maharasthra-based Shetkari Sanghatana Anil Ghanwat and agri-economists Ashok Gulati and Pramod Kumar Joshi are the three members of the panel.
The second round of meeting between the police and farmer unions remained inconclusive today as the farmers stuck to their demand of taking out the rally on Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road. After the meeting, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav said the police wanted the farmer leaders to take out their tractor rally outside the national capital. "We will do our parade peacefully inside Delhi. They wanted us to hold the tractor rally outside Delhi, which is not possible," Yadav said.
Police officers tried to convince the protesting farm unions to hold their tractor rally on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway instead of the Outer Ring Road, but in vain. A farmer leader, who attended the meeting with the police, said, "The government wants us to take out our rally outside Delhi, but we want to hold it inside Delhi. No decision was taken in today's meeting." Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern Range) S S Yadav coordinated the meeting held at Mantram Resort near the Singhu border. (PTI)
Delhi Police Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Manish K Agrawal says the Republic Day Parade route has been shortened and the number of invitees, reduced. Medical teams will be deployed at entrances for maintaining COVID19 protocols and no entry without tickets or invitation cards. He says to ensure the smooth conduction of the Republic Day parade is the job of the Delhi Police and they are committed to its consummation.
A meeting is underway between the Delhi Police and farmer unions regarding the proposed tractor rally by them on Republic Day. Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern Range) S S Yadav is coordinating the meeting which is being held at Mantram Resort near the Singhu border. A similar meeting was held on Wednesday between the union leaders and officers of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana police at Vigyan Bhawan to discuss the route and arrangements of the proposed rally on January 26. However, the farmer unions had rejected a suggestion by the police officers to hold the rally on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway instead of Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road. (PTI)
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh each has been given to the families of four farmers from Ludhiana who lost their lives while participating in the ongoing protest against the Centre's agricultural reforms. On the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Rs 5 lakh compensation is being provided to the families of farmers who unfortunately lost their lives during the protest against the Centre's farm laws, said Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma. Till date, he said, five farmers from Ludhiana district have lost their lives while participating in the agitation. While Rs 5 lakh compensation has already been provided to families of four farmers from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, the case of the fifth farmer is under process, he added. (PTI)
Republic Day Tractor Rally: Government has said tractor parade on Republic Day can't be conducted on Delhi's Outer Ring Road due to security reasons. We are clear that we will conduct tractor parade there only. After tomorrow's meeting with Centre, we will hold another meeting with the police: Darshan Pal, Krantikari Kisan Union
NCP president Sharad Pawar yesterday said the Centre seems to have no sympathy for farmers protesting outside Delhi against new agri laws in extreme weather conditions and favoured talks to resolve the issues raised by them. Backing the protest, going on for over a month now, against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September last year, Pawar said the agitation can not be ignored. Talking to reporters in Panaji, Pawar pointed out that farmers are protesting outside Delhi in severe cold, but the Centre seems to have no sympathy towards them. I am supporting the agitation launched by farmers. The central government should have a dialogue with them and resolve the issues raised by them, the former Union agriculture minister said.
Rahul Gandhi: The country itself is not able to understand the depth of what is happening. The result of this is going to be that 3-4 people are going to own India, own the entire agriculture system. Farmers will not get the value they deserve, mandi system will be destroyed.
BJP MP from Rajasthan's Dausa Jaskaur Meena yesterday said some protesters taking part in the farmers' agitation were 'terrorists'. In a video clip on social media, Dausa MP Jaskaur Meena is heard purportedly referring to the new farm laws and the protest over them by farmers camping at Delhi's border. "Terrorists are sitting there and the terrorists have AK-47s with them. They have pitched the Khalistan flag," she is heard saying. Her statement drew criticism from the ruling Congress in the state, which said people in Rajasthan are 'ashamed' that they voted for her.
Republic Day Traffic updates: Route diversions will be in place on January 22-23 and January 25-26 for heavy goods carriers on roads leading from Noida to Delhi. The diversions will be put in place in view of full dress parade rehearsal for Republic Day and then the actual parade on January 26 in the national capital. The diversions will be in place from 10 pm on January 22 till 1.30 pm the next day and then on January 25 till January 26 for the same time duration. Movement of heavy goods carriers towards Delhi will be completely banned from the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway, the Kalindi Kunj route, while the Chilla border will remain out of use due to the ongoing farmers' protest there. Movement of heavy carriers will remain banned via the alternative New Ashok Nagar and Kondli routes too during this diversion period. There will be no restriction on light vehicles, however, during this period.
Tractor rally: Delhi Police Joint CP SS Yadav has arrived at Mantram Resort near Singhu border for a meeting with farmers on their Republic Day tractor rally.
Farmers protests: The Narendra Modi government took a step to end the nearly two-month-long impasse caused by farmers protesting on Delhi borders against the newly enacted farm laws. Yielding some ground for more negotiations after Wednesday’s marathon meeting, the government offered to suspend the three contentious farm laws for around 18 months, a proposal farmer unions didn’t directly reject. The Centre also proposed to set up a joint committee to find a mutually agreed solution to the issue. The farmer union leaders have said that they will hold internal consultation to consider the government’s new proposal. READ FULL STORY
Farm laws: A meeting between senior police officers and farmers will take place today on the farmers' Republic Day tractor rally. On Wednesday, farmer unions rejected a suggestion by police officers to hold their tractor rally on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway instead of Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road. Union leaders and officers of the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana police forces had met at the Vigyan Bhawan here to discuss the route and arrangements of the proposed rally on Republic Day. The farmer leaders were suggested by the police officers to take out their rally on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway, but they did not agree. The Outer Ring Road passes through several areas of Delhi such as Vikaspuri, Janakpuri, Uttam Nagar, Burari Peeragarhi and Pitampura.
Farm laws: The Centre proposed to suspend the three farm laws for 1-1.5 years and set up a joint committee to find a solution in the interest of the farming community. During their tenth round of negotiations with three central ministers, the two sides decided to meet again on Friday after the farm union leaders hold their own internal consultations on Thursday to decide on the government's new proposal. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar yesterday said the government has proposed to suspend implementation of the three laws for 1-1.5 years, during which period a joint committee of representatives from the government and farmers' sides can continue their talks and those protesting on Delhi borders in extremely cold weather return to their homes.