Farmers Protest Highlights: Farmers Take Out Tractor March Against Farm Laws

Can consider any proposal, but no repeal of farm laws: Government
A day before the crucial talks between the centre and protesting farmer unions, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government is ready to consider any proposal other than repeal of the three farm laws, the key demand of the farmers. Mr Tomar is leading the negotiations along with Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash. He said he cannot say right now what would be the outcome of next meeting. "I cannot say anything right now. In fact, it depends on what issues that will come up for discussion in the meeting," Mr Tomar told reporters.

Gurdwara chief meets Agriculture minister
Ahead of next round of talks between the government and protesting farmers, Baba Lakha Singh, head of Nanaksar Gurdwara in Punjab's Kaleran on Thursday met Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and later offered to mediate so that a solution could be found to the stalemate over the demand for the repeal of three farm laws. Baba Lakha Singh, a religious leader in the state, said they will come up with a new proposal to find a solution to the matter. He said they will strive to find a solution at the earliest and the minister had assured his support in finding a solution.

Tractor rally a rehearsal for January 26: Farmer leader
With thousands of tractors bedecked with the national flag and those of farmer groups taking out a rally on KMP Expressway on the outskirts of Delhi, a key farmer leader called the rally as a "rehearsal for the January 26 tractor parade". "It was a rehearsal for the proposed January 26 tractor parade," Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Shingara Singh Mann said. He said farmers started their march from Singhu and Tikri borders and drove towards Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway in morning and came back later. "The rally was peaceful and was a complete success," he added.

MSP in threat as agriculture will be privatised under farm laws: Kamal Nath
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath today said the government will privatise the agricultural sector with the help of the farm laws and farmers will not be able to get minimum support prize (MSP) for their produce. "The farm laws brought by the government are privatizing our agriculture sector. Now, anyone can take the status of mandis. Big corporates or business people can now make their own mandi-vibhags. There will be no possibility (for farmers) to get minimum support prize for their produce," Kamal Nath told reporters.

Top court asks centre whether farmers at Delhi border are protected against COVID-19
The Supreme Court today asked the centre whether the farmers protesting against the new farm laws at Delhi borders are "protected" against the spread of COVID-19 and said that the guidelines to contain the virus should be followed.

Punjab Man Navpal Singh, Studying In US, Returns Home To Stand With Protesting Farmers
Navpal Singh, 22, would have never planned a trip home at this time from Texas in the US, where he is a student, had it not been for the farmers' protest against the three new farm laws that began over a month ago. "This protest forced me to come here," said Mr Singh, a student of mechanical engineering and whose father and grandfather are farmers. "The last time I had come home was less than a year ago in March. So I had no plans to visit again, but the way this protest has taken over the country and also the world, I couldn't stay away," he said. itemprop="description

3,500 tractors and trolleys in march
Bharati Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan said farmers participated in the march with over 3,500 tractors and trolleys. Mr Ugrahan, whose union is one of the largest farmer organisations in Punjab, said that they will not accept anything less than the repeal of the three farm laws.

Farmer Protests: Tractor Rally By Farmers Near Delhi Today, Traffic Diversions: 10 Points
A 135-km six-lane arc that partially surrounds the National Capital Region and acts as a high-speed thoroughfare for cargo trucks was filled with tractors today as thousands of farmers who have been camping on the highways in and around Delhi began their march against new farm laws. The tractor rally, called by some 40 farmer unions, started on the Western Peripheral Expressway that starts at Ghaziabad and ends in Palwal. The police have asked people to avoid this expressway, which makes the other half of Western Peripheral Expressway, making a circle around the National Capital Region or NCR.

Modi government working to make life better for farmers: Minister
Claiming about the support the government is getting from farmers across the country, Minister Kailash Choudhary said "There is a big section in the society which is supporting these farm laws. Those farmers should also be taken into consideration. I think we will move into the direction of finding a solution."

The Minister also spoke about the reform the government is planning to bring related to pesticides and seed bills.

"I want to reiterate that these three farm laws are revolutionary. Arthiyas have incited the farmers to sit on protest. They have misled them. We have plans to bring in more reforms like pesticide and seed bills. There was a time when farmers used to get bad pesticide and farmer was at a loss of product gets spoiled. We would ensure that farmers won''t go through that and will be insured against losses. Modi government is working to make life better for farmers," he added.

Kailash Choudhary urges farmers to keep protest peaceful, hopeful of resolution tomorrow
The Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary on Thursday made an appeal to the agitating farmers to keep the protest march peaceful and emphasised that government was hopeful of a resolution tomorrow.

"I would like to appeal to farmers to keep it peaceful. It is their right to protest but there are people, like Communists, who are inciting farmers and don''t want peace in the country. Farmers need to be cautious. I expect that tomorrow''s meeting will bring some positive news," said Mr Choudhary while speaking to the ANI.

The agitating farmers are taking out a tractor march on Eastern Peripheral Expressway in protest against three Central farm laws.

The Minister assured that the farm laws brought by the Narendra Modi government are for the welfare of farmers.

While appealing the farmers to protest peacefully, he also laid emphasis on the government''s will to revolve the issue at the earliest. "Prime Minister Modi wants the issue to be resolved soon. We want farmers to come to the discussion table. However, only yes and no can''t be the way to resolve this issue. If farmers want amendments in these laws, we are ready for it," the Minister reiterated.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said farmers should have waited till the next round of talks, scheduled for January 8, before giving a call for tractor march on the national capital.