Farmers' Protest Highlights: The 'Delhi Chalo' farmers' protest at border points of New Delhi has entered the 104th day today. Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, are staging a sit-in protest along Delhi borders. The protest started on November 26, 2020.
Why are farmers protesting? The farmers are demanding a complete rollback of the new farm reform laws and a guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system being retained. Multiple rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmers’ union leaders have ended in a stalemate. Protesting farmers fear that the new laws will dismantle the MSP system and corporatise farming.
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1.08 pm:
Centre's move on direct payment to farmers is 'another provocation': Punjab CM
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh yesterday dubbed the Centre's move on direct payment to farmers for crop procurement as "another provocation", saying it will further aggravate the current crisis over the farm reform laws. He further said the apathetic attitude of the government of India would not help resolve the situation.
By seeking land records for making e-payment to the farmers directly from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the situation would worsen, he said. Notably, the FCI has written to the state government for land records to make direct payment to farmers for crop procurement. (Input from PTI)
10.30 am: 'False assertions being made': India hits out at UK MPs' debate on farmers' protest
India has reacted strongly to the British Parliament debating the “safety of farmers” and “press freedom” in India amid the ongoing farmers’ protest. The Indian High Commission in London said that foreign media, including news organisations from the United Kingdom, are present in India and have witnessed the events around the ongoing farmers’ protest first-hand. Thus, the High Commission said that the question of lack of freedom for the media in India does not arise.
8.18 am: Thousands of women joined farmers' protests yesterday
Thousands of women joined protests by farmers on the outskirts of Delhi yesterday to mark International Women’s Day. Wearing bright yellow scarves representing the colour of mustard fields, the women took centre stage at one key site, chanting slogans, holding small marches, and making speeches through loudspeakers to target the laws.
7.24 am: Farmers will head for Parliament if needed: Tikait
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Singh Tikait yesterday said that lakhs of farmers in their tractors would reach Parliament to seek repeal of the three new contentious farm reform laws if needed.
Tikait, one of the prominent leaders of farmer unions which are protesting against the Centre's new laws on Delhi borders, addressed a huge rally. "If needed, we, on lakhs of tractors will reach Parliament to press for the repeal of the three black laws. 3,500 tractors entered Delhi on Republic Day. These were not hired tractors," he said.
What has happened since early this year?
The Supreme Court had earlier ordered a stay on the implementation of these contentious laws, hoping it will end the protest. The farm union leaders have also rejected the Centre's proposal to suspend implementation of the laws for 18 months.
On January 26, the protest turned violent when some farmers deviated from a pre-decided route for their Republic Day tractor rally and clashed with police. Some protesters scaled the ramparts of the Red Fort. Several protestors and police personnel were injured in the ensuing clashes.
The farmers' unions also held a 'chakka jam' on February 6 where they blocked national and state highways to protest the internet ban in areas near their agitation sites and harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities, among other issues.
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