Farmers Protest: Leaders of protesting farmers have hardened their stand on farm laws
The Supreme Court today suggested a panel be formed with representatives from all stakeholders -- the farmers' associations as well as government nominees to find a solution to the deadlock in talks over the new farm laws. The farmers' protest will soon become a "national issue", the Supreme Court said today, suggesting that a solution be found urgently through negotiations. The court has issued notice to the Centre as well as the Delhi, Punjab and Haryana governments and said they will have to respond by tomorrow before winter vacation begins.
Meanwhile, the farm leaders dismissed the move as no solution as they want a complete withdrawal of the legislations. They also said the government should have formed a committee of farmers and others before the laws were enacted by Parliament.
Five rounds of meetings have taken place between the government and the representatives of thousands of farmers who have been protesting at the borders of the national capital.
Earlier on Tuesday, the leaders of protesting farmers asserted they will "make" the Centre repeal the three new farm laws, and asserted that their fight has reached a stage where they are "determined" to win it no matter what.
Here are the live updates on farmers' protests:
PM Modi Government Continuously Working For Farmers' Benefits: Amit Shah
Stop Holding Parallel Talks With Other Farmer Bodies: Protesting Farmer Unions To Government
An umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting against the new farm laws at several Delhi border points on Wednesday asked the Centre to stop holding "parallel talks" with other farmer bodies over the contentious legislations, PTI reported.
With the government saying that it is waiting for the reply of peasant leaders, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha said that there was no question of responding as the farmer unions had made their stand clear in the last round of meeting with Union ministers that they want the laws to be repealed.
In a letter to Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, the Morcha said the Centre should also stop "defaming" the ongoing protests being held against the farm laws.
The letter by the Morcha, which represents farmer bodies mostly from Punjab, comes against the backdrop of the government holding talks with several farmers' organisations from different states who the Centre claimed have extended their support to the new agriculture laws.
“Government Is Continuously Speaking With Farmers”: Minister Kailash Choudhary
Hope Government Wakes Up To The Tragedy: Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal On Farmer’s Death
Farmers' Protest: Sikh Priest Allegedly Dies By Suicide At Delhi Border
The priest of a Gurdwara from Haryana, Baba Ram Singh, who had joined the farmers' protest, died by suicide today at the Delhi border, where he reached last evening. In a note, he said he was sacrificing his life "to express anger and pain against the government's injustice".
"I feel the pain of farmers fighting to ensure their rights... I share their pain because the government is not doing justice to them. To inflict injustice is a sin, but it is also a sin to tolerate injustice. To support farmers, some have returned their awards to the government. I have decided to sacrifice myself," read the note he left.
The 65-year-old had shot himself, the police said.
Forming New Committee No Solution: Protesting Farmer Leaders On Top Court's Suggestion
Protesting farmer unions Wednesday said constituting a new panel to break the stalemate on the three new agri laws, as indicated by the Supreme Court, is not a solution as they want a complete withdrawal of the legislations, according to PTI.
They also said the government should have formed a committee of farmers and others before the laws were enacted by Parliament.
Their assertions came after the Supreme Court indicated earlier in the day that it may form a panel having representatives of the government and farmer unions to resolve the deadlock.
Abhimanyu Kohar, a leader of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sabha which is one of 40 protesting farmer unions, said they have already rejected a recent government offer to form such a panel.
"Setting up a new committee by the court is not a solution. We just want a complete repeal of the three agriculture laws. Earlier, there have been several rounds of talks between a group of Central ministers and farmer unions, which was like a committee itself," he said.
Farmers' Protest: Jaipur-Delhi Highway Remains Partially Blocked
The Jaipur-Delhi highway remained partially blocked as the farmers' stir against the Centre's agriculture laws entered its fourth day on the Haryana-Rajasthan border on Wednesday, PTI reported.
Farmers led by Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav and former CPI (M) MLA Amra Ram are agitating on the stretch leading to Delhi in Shahjahanpur of Rajasthan's Alwar district, which borders Haryana.
They had blocked the road on Sunday after police stopped their march to Delhi.
"We have not closed the highway. The government has closed it. The authorities should remove barricades and everything will open in 10 minutes. I assure the public," Mr Yadav said.
Farmers' Protest A Planned Conspiracy By Opposition: Gujarat BJP Chief
BJP's Gujarat unit president CR Paatil on Wednesday alleged that the ongoing agitation by farmers on the Delhi borders was a planned conspiracy by the opposition parties to create anarchy in the country and to destabilise it, PTI reported.
Mr Paatil, a BJP MP from Navsari Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, said Congress was in favour of these farm sector reforms when it was in power before 2014. His statement comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a conspiracy is afoot to confuse farmers over the new agri laws and accused the opposition of using farmers' shoulders to fire their guns.
Talking to reporters in Surat, Mr Paatil said, "This agitation is a planned conspiracy by the opposition to destabilise the nation, but the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not let this happen. Since opposition parties have lost their base, they are trying to create anarchy in the country."
We Welcome Supreme Court's Decision On Setting Up A Committee To Resolve Farmers’ Issue: Minister
Farm Laws Row Can Be Solved In 5 Minutes If PM Modi Steps In: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut
The issues flagged by agitating farmers can be solved in five minutes if Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself steps in, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday, according to PTI.
Mr Raut said the government should have a dialogue with the farmers who are protesting for the last 21 days outside Delhi, demanding scrapping of the Centre's three new farm laws.
"The government can solve the issue in a 30 minute ssitting with the farmers, if it wants...I think the issue will be solved in five minutes if the prime minister himself intervenes," he said.
Farmers' Protest: Tikri, Dhansa Borders Remain Closed For Traffic Movement
Farmers' Protest: Centre being "stubborn" in face of farmers'' agitation, says Delhi ministerThe Centre should give up its "ego" and "stubbornness" and accept the demands of farmers who are protesting against the new farm laws at Delhi's borders despite the biting cold, the city's Development minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday.
Mr Rai, also convener of the Delhi unit of the AAP, said the Arvind Kejriwal-led government and his party stand firmly with the farmers and have been making certain arrangements for them during their protest.
After a visit to the Singhu border, blocked by thousands of farmers camping there for nearly three weeks now, Rai said the Kejriwal government has arranged a Langar Sewa (community kitchen), water and toilet facilities for them.
"Our volunteers, MLAs and councilors are also serving here. The AAP and its government fully support the farmers," he said.
Farmers Protest: Those protesting against farm laws are ''middlemen'', says Madhya Pradesh ministerMadhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel on Wednesday claimed those protesting against the Centre's three new farm laws are "middlemen" and not real farmers.
Talking to PTI, Patel asserted that the new farm rules will give cultivators the real price for their produce and an opportunity to trade, export, and set up food processing units and warehouses.
Till now, middlemen used to buy crops of farmers at very low prices and sell them to end users at ten times higher rates by grading the purchase as per the quality of crop, Mr Patel said.
"As the three new laws have hit hard the middlemen, who have captured the entire market and given donations to political parties, they are agitating on the issue and demanding their rollback," the minister claimed.
Farmers' Protest: Centre-Farmers' Committee, Suggests Supreme Court, Or "Talks Will Fail"The farmers' protest will soon become a "national issue", the Supreme Court said today, suggesting that a solution be found urgently through negotiations. The Centre's negotiations "do not work and is bound to fail again," the court said, suggesting a panel be formed with representatives from all stakeholders -- the farmers' associations as well as government nominees.
The court has issued notice to the Centre as well as the Delhi, Punjab and Haryana governments and said they will have to respond by tomorrow before winter vacation begins.
Five rounds of meetings have taken place between the government and the representatives of thousands of farmers who have been protesting at the borders of the national capital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also met the farmers.
But the farmers have rejected the government's offer to make amendments to the three new laws enacted in September. They want the laws scrapped altogether and say mere assurances on MSP will not do.
Farmers' Protest - On Farm Laws, Exemption For Punjab, Haryana, UP May Be Discussed: SourcesChanges to new laws on guaranteed minimum prices for farmers, a key trigger for their massive protests near Delhi, and the possibility of exempting Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh from the laws, are likely to be discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet today.
Sources say the government is discussing various options before taking a decision. One of the formulations being suggested is to exempt key states from the farm bills, including exempting Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and also assuring that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism will continue.
Though an MSP ordinance is not officially on the agenda for today's cabinet, senior government officials are not ruling it out, given the gravity of the protests on highways near Delhi in the rising winter chill.
Farmer protest: Tight security at Delhi-Noida borderSecurity arrangements were tightened at the Chilla border between Delhi and Noida on Wednesday as farmer union leaders have threatened to completely block the key border point to press for repeal of the Centre's new farm laws.
A senior police officer said elaborate security measures are already in place at the Chilla border. Multi-layered barricades, jersey barriers and additional security personnel have been deployed to ensure law and order.
He added that only a small group of protesters were on a sit-in at the key border point, and the situation was largely normal.
Farmer leaders had on Tuesday said they would "make" the government repeal the new legislations, and asserted that their fight has reached a stage where they are "determined" to win no matter what.
The farmer unions are not running away from negotiations, but the government has to pay heed to their demands and come forward with concrete proposals, the leaders said.
Thousands of farmers have been camping at several Delhi border points for 21 days on the trot, causing closure of several routes.
Farmers Protest: Aligarh Muslim University students extend support to protesting farmersAligarh Muslim University (AMU) students on Tuesday urged President Ram Nath Kovind to intervene in farm laws issue and demanded that the legislations be revoked.
The students also staged a protest and extended their full support to farmers agitating against the laws at various Delhi border points since the last week of November.
AMU students, including former leaders of the students' union, also observed "Black Day" at the campus to mark the same day last year when about 50 students protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) had been injured in police action.
Farmers Protest: State Department In Discussion With Indian Embassy Over Farmers Protests In US, Says OfficialResponding to the recent incident wherein the statue of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced during a protest here against the recently enacted agricultural laws in India, the State Department on Tuesday (local time) said that it takes "safety and security of foreign missions in the US very seriously" and it is in discussion with the Indian Embassy on the matter.
"We are aware of recent protests in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. We take responsibility to provide for the safety and security of foreign missions in the US very seriously," a State Department spokesperson told ANI.
"We are in discussion with the Indian Embassy about the recent incident," the spokesperson added.
Farmers Protest: Business adversely affected due to farmers' protest, claim traders at Delhi's Azadpur market
Traders from Azadpur Mandi, one of the largest wholesale markets for fruits and vegetables in the country, say that due to the ongoing farmers' agitation against the three farm laws, their business has been adversely affected.
"It is certainly affected. As you know the border is closed. The customers are coming in lesser number than before and so is the supply of goods into the market. There is a lack of supply and also a lack of buyers," vegetable wholesaler, Sumer Singh Saini told ANI when asked whether the business in the market is affected due to the agitation.
Manoharlal, a trader of dates and other consumer goods said, "There is a lack of supply of goods and also lesser numbers of traders are coming here due to fear. There is the problem of goods going out from here due to fear that the borders are closed. Many people who use to come from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are not coming into the market."
Farmers Protest: Will "Make" Government Repeal Farm Laws: Farmers Harden StanceTwenty farmers have died since the protest started outside Delhi and the government, which is responsible for this, will have to pay, farmer leaders declared on Tuesday from the Singhu border. December 20 has been declared as a day of mourning and "homage will be paid to the martyrs in every village," a farmer leader said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, spoke up again in support of the farm laws, which are at the heart of the months-long agitation and accused the opposition of "instigating" and "misleading" the farmers. The farmers hardened stance, saying they will "make" the government repeal the laws.