Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 11

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar expressed hope of finding a solution to the ongoing farmers’ agitation in the next round of talks scheduled with union leaders on January 15.

“The matter of farm laws is before the Supreme Court and I don’t find it necessary to comment on it. The next round of talks with the farmers is scheduled for January 15, I hope we will find a solution,” he was quoted as saying in response to developments in the Supreme Court today.

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 10

Farm unions today resolved to continue their agitation for the repeal of farm laws and urged the Supreme Court not to become a “mediator” in the policy issue concerning farmers’ welfare.

The unions chalked out an agitation plan in the run-up to Republic Day and said they would not use disruption and violence to make their point and never do anything to undermine the Tricolour.

Terming the anti-farmer protest petition in the Supreme Court as “motivated”, the unions said they would seek its dismissal in the court.

“Farmer unions have not petitioned the Supreme Court, nor has the government. Some persons have gone to the Supreme Court seeking removal of farmers from protest sites alleging the agitators are inconveniencing people, but that is not true. The petitions are clearly backed by the government and should be dismissed,” Yogendra Yadav, chief of Swaraj Abhiyan, which is part of the ‘Samyukt Kisan Morcha’, said.

While they had no problems if the apex court decided to look into the constitutionality of farm laws, the Supreme Court should not get into mediation on a policy issue around whether the laws are good or bad for the farmers, Yadav said.

“The Supreme Court, in two earlier petitions that sought a law to prevent farmers’ suicides and another to change drought-related policies, had refused to intervene. We hope the anti-farmer protest petition is also dismissed similarly. The Supreme Court should not try to get into a compromise-building exercise between us and the Centre,” Farmer leaders said.

“Agitation is the only way forward. The farmers know this is their last fight and if they don’t struggle until victory there will be no farmers’ agitation in India for a long time to come. Farmers know this is a fight for dignity now, and the agitation will only end when we win,” they added.

The unions’ resolution on Sunday night said there’s no going back from the path of agitation and this is a “fight to the finish”. It was decided to celebrate Lohri on January 13 even in states where the festival is not marked and burn copies of farm laws; serve food to commoners and build a public connect on Makar Sankranti on January 14; mark Mahila Kisan Divas on January 17 and 18 to mobilise women farmers across the country; take a pledge of struggle until victory on January 20; Guru Gobind Singh’s Parkash Utsav; and to mark Subhas Chandra Bose’s birthday on January 23.

Yadav said farmer unions would unveil the Republic Day plan later. It would be peaceful and one that celebrates, rather than undermining Indian democracy, he added.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), January 11

Bharatiya Kisan Union president Naresh Tikait has said the Central Government should abandon its “stubborn” attitude and resolve the issues of farmers through dialogue.

Speaking to reporters at the BKU headquarters at Sisoli near here on Sunday evening, he said farmers were aware that the three new agri laws had been brought by the Centre “to benefit big corporates” and were “against peasants”.

He also accused the government of maintaining a stubborn attitude while farmers had long been protesting on roads.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at various border points of Delhi for over a month now, braving the cold weather and rains, to demand the repeal of the three laws.

Enacted in September 2020, the government has presented these laws as major farm reforms aimed at increasing farmers’ income, but the protesting farmers have raised concerns that these legislations would weaken the minimum support price (MSP) and ‘mandis’ (wholesale market) systems, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations. PTI

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 10

Kanta Katoch, the wife of late Major KC Katoach, continues to wait for the defence account department to release her pensionary benefits even after 30 years of her husband’s death, despite the court orders in her favour.

Kanta was refused Special Family Pension when her husband died in 1989 while he was still in service.

Her petition for the grant of the pension was finally approved in 2018 when the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) directed the central government to release her the requisite pension.

The Government of India, thereafter, implemented the decision and directed the office of Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA) at Allahabad to issue the Pension Payment Order (PPO), and release her the entitled amount.

However, the PPO was incorrectly sent to the Punjab National Bank, Ludhiana, by the PCDA instead of the Defence Pension Disbursing Officer (DPDO) at Chandigarh—which was the designated pension disbursing authority for the widow.

The bank refused to acknowledge the receipt of the PPO. Only, after a contempt petition was filed, the bank lept into motion and co-ordinated with the PCDA to send the PPO to the DPDO at Chandigarh.

The DPDO—despite receiving the PPO—did not release the pension, and claimed that the PCA had sent a wrong photocopy of the same, and not the original.

After multiple visits by the widow’s family, the DPDO admitted receiving the PPO, but still did not release the pension.

When contacted, the counsel of the widow said, that this was another case of extreme harassment of pensioners by various authorities, and ever since the death of her husband in 1989, the lady has been making rounds of courts, banks, and offices, while the system remained unresponsive.

“In case the pension is not released by the end of this month, drastic measures by way of appropriate legal proceedings would have to be initiated by name against the concerned officers,” he added.

Legal experts said, that there are many instances where military pensioners, disabled soldiers, and widows, are not provided with their benefits even after court orders, and in several cases, the beneficiaries have died before the implementation of orders in their favour.

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 10

After the failure of the eighth round of negotiations between the Government and farmers’ unions, all eyes are on the Supreme Court which will on Monday take up petitions challenging the farm laws and those seeking removal of farmers who have blocked key entry points to Delhi since November 26.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde – which had on December 17 indicated constituting a committee of independent and impartial persons to end the stalemate – is expected to attempt a solution to end the stalemate.

With both the sides refusing to budge from their respective stand, the eighth round of talks between agitating farmers and the Centre failed to break the deadlock on January 8.

As farmers’ leaders insisted on withdrawal of the three farm laws, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar made it clear that the government will not repeal the laws even as it was ready to address their grievances. The next round of talks is proposed on January 15.

During the crucial hearing, the top court is to hear three sets of petitions. The first set of PILs is by Congress MP from Trissur in Kerala TN Prathapan, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, RJD MP Manoj Jha, Bhartiya Kisan Party and advocate ML Sharma.

They have challenged the validity of the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. They contended the farm laws were “discriminatory” and will expose marginal farmers to exploitation by big companies.

Read also: Farmers ransack Khattar’s Kisan Mahapanchayat venue

The second set of petitions is by Rishabh Sharma and others highlighting the plight of commuters entering the national capital due to continued blockade by agitating farmers. On Saturday, he filed an affidavit in the top court complaining that the farmers have blocked Noida Chilla Border, Tikri Border, Sindhu Border, Gazipur Border, Delhi-Rohtak National Highway, causing hardships to those entering Delhi from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Citing the top court’s verdict on Shaheen Bagh protests that said public places can’t be blocked and occupied indefinitely, he said the protesters must be removed as they violated the court’s verdict.

The third set of plea is by the Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations (CIFA) — a Hyderabad-based farmers’ organization – which contended that the reforms were beneficial for growth of agriculture in India.

“We wish (to) submit that farm reforms are beneficial to enable increased income to farmers and growth of agriculture,” the consortium’s plea filed through CIFA advisor P Chengal Reddy said, demanding to be heard before any decision was taken.

Noting that there was no improvement in talks between agitating farmers and the government, the Supreme Court on January 6 said it would take up petitions against farm laws and those against farmers’ protests on January 11. “There is absolutely no improvement in the situation,” CJI Bobde had said.

A day later, the CJI had expressed concern over the possible spread of COVID-19 among the agitating farmers and asked the Centre if they were taking precautionary measures against the pandemic. “We are trying to ensure that COVID-19 doesn’t spread. Ensure guidelines issued are followed,” he had said.