Gurbir Singh

President, Guru nanak Education Trust, Ludhiana

The 122nd birth anniversary of Justice Gurnam Singh, the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Punjab, falls today. He was one of the architects of the agriculture policy that made India surplus in foodgrains. This is relevant today amid the farmers’ agitation against the Central Government for repeal of the three new farm laws. In the mid-1960s, India suffered from major food deficits and even famine. It was dependent on American food aid, termed PL480. The country was an unregulated market where big traders purchased foodgrains at low prices from farmers and sold them at huge profits to deficient states. The then PM Indira Gandhi raised the alarm at the distress caused by food shortages and high prices.

After taking charge as CM in 1967, Gurnam Singh announced remunerative prices for farmers. The minimum support price (MSP) for wheat was fixed at Rs 72 for the new ‘Mexican’ variety and Rs 86 for the old varieties. Hoarding and export of wheat from Punjab was banned to ensure price stability for consumers. Union Agriculture Minister Jagjivan Ram accepted Punjab’s request for the purchase of surplus foodgrains by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) at the MSP. At the state level, a policy of setting up village mandis or agriculture market was framed; till then, the mandis were mainly restricted to urban centres. The policy of rural electrification and link roads for connectivity to mandis was initiated, making Punjab the first state to do so. The Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act for regulating the mandis was passed by the Unionist Party government of Sir Sikander Hyatt Tiwana in 1939. It was the brainchild of the then Development Minister, Sir Chhotu Ram. The Act was amended in 1961. The MSP was adopted by Union Agriculture Minister C Subramaniam on the advice of American scientist Frank Parker in 1966 at Rs 54 per quintal. But a major incentive to farmers that led to the food surplus came when Punjab revised the procurement price to Rs 72 in 1967. Haryana followed suit. Gurnam Singh went on to head the Indian delegation at the World Food Conference at Rome, the only Chief Minister to have this honour.

Coming back to the present, the new farm laws have been hailed by captains of industry and some economists as the ‘1991 moment’, a reference to the economic reforms of Manmohan Singh.

However, the farmers have rejected the laws. It is feared that India will again become an unregulated zone for agriculture and market forces will determine prices for farmers and consumers. Provision for corporate houses to open private mandis without paying taxes applicable to the APMC mandis may lead to the latter’s closure. Stockpiling is allowed. The stipulated contract is biased in favour of companies. The farmers say this is a return to the pre-1967 era of hoarding, artificial surpluses and shortages, low purchase prices for the cultivator and inflated prices for the consumers. Hence, they want the laws repealed and redrafted.

Farming involves, in some form, 70 per cent of the Indian population. About 90 per cent of the farmers are poor and marginal. Agriculture contributes only 16 per cent of the GDP because of lack of government funding. Farmers are under heavy debt and over 4,00,000 have committed suicide since 1996. The new reforms have triggered unease that will take over agriculture. Farmers fear they will lose their lands to crony capitalism. Farmers of Punjab and Haryana who made the country self-sufficient in foodgrains by their hard work, say that MSP and FCI procurement, their main source of income, are being eased out and they will be left at the mercy of big businesses. So, they have taken the path of agitation.

Instead of addressing the concerns of the farmers, the Centre has chosen the path of defaming them and suppressing the movement by repression and the use of draconian laws.

Punjab, which then included Haryana, saw the biggest agrarian agitation of the 20th century for the repeal of three farm laws enacted by the British Government in 1907. Then too, there were mass detentions and compromise formulas were floated, including one brought forward by Lala Lajpat Rai.

But after nine months of struggle, the laws were repealed. The agitation, titled Pagdi Sambhal Jatta or “preserve the rights and honour of farmers” is being replicated at Delhi’s borders today and steadily spreading to other parts of the country. The violation of human rights of peaceful protesters and those speaking up for them has brought about international condemnation.

So, what is the way forward? Gurnam Singh believed agriculture was viable only with government support. Big business could supplement, but not be a substitute for state funding. Industry, on its own, could not sustain farming. But a prosperous farming community would sustain the industry by giving it a large consumer base. He found support from the likes of Dr MS Randhawa, a brilliant civil servant, a farmer himself, who served as Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, as also Partap Singh Qadian, founder of the original BKU. The US, Canada, EU, Japan and China heavily subsidise farming to maintain price stability and a minimum income for farmers. China subsidises agriculture four times more than India. So, the government must allocate more funds for agriculture through MSP and direct payment to farmers; and capital expenditure on technology, water and soil conservation, research, agro industry, opening APMC mandis and so forth.

It should give incentives to farmers of Punjab and Haryana to switch from rice and wheat to other crops. The government will find that funding agriculture will pay far more financial and social dividends than subsidising bad industrial loans or promoting crony capitalism. Or else, India will remain a poor country with weak institutions while other Asian countries move ahead.

New Delhi, February 24

Retired Army personnel came out in full support of the protesting farmers at Ghazipur on the Delhi-UP border on Wednesday.

IANS spoke to Anurag Lathwal, National Secretary, Veterans Association of India, and he said: “All demands of the farmers are genuine. The central government intends to push the agriculture sector into the hands of industrialists in the same manner as it has handed petrol, diesel and airports in the hand of industrialists.”

Jai Prakash Mishra, National President of the Veterans’ Association, said: “We had been supporting the farmers from the start and would continue to do so.”

Gurcharan Singh, the District President of Lakhimpur Kheri branch of the Veterans Association, said: “There is a huge difference between what the Modi government says and what it does. Therefore, the Modi government cannot be trusted.”

He said the three “black farm laws” were like a death warrant for the farmers and also said the government should not be allowed to do whatever it wants.

Mani Dev Chaturvedi, National Joint Secretary, Veterans Association of India, said that whichever government went against the wishes of people was always defeated.

He said: “History is witness to the fact that evil was always defeated as were Ravana, Kansa and Duryodhana.” — IANS

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 24

Just about two days after labour activist Nodeep Kaur claimed before the High Court that she was beaten black and blue in the police station after being arrested in a “false” case in connection with the farmers’ agitation, the High Court on Wednesday noted the medical report had not been placed on record by the state.

As her petition seeking bail came up for resumed hearing, Justice Avneesh Jhingan asserted that the Sonepat Duty Magistrate/Judicial Magistrate First Class, vide order dated January 18, had ordered that Nodeep Kaur be medically examined.

“She was medically examined, but the report has not been placed on record by the state, rather only medico-legal report under Section 54 of the CrPC is placed on record,” Justice Jhingan observed before fixing the case for further hearing on February 26 for the state counsel to place the report on record.

Nodeep had moved the court through senior advocate RS Cheema and Arshdeep Singh Cheema alleging a false implication in an FIR registered for attempt to murder, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and other offences.

Justice Jhingan also directed the placing on record medico-legal report in case of co-accused Shiv Kumar. The court, on February 19, had ordered Shiv Kumar to be examined by the Medical Superintendent, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh. “To appreciate the real controversy, report of medical examination of Shiv Kumar under Section 54 CrPC be also produced on record,” Justice Jhingan directed.

The Bench also recorded the submission of senior advocate RS Cheema and Arshdeep Singh Cheema on the petitioner’s behalf that Shiv Kumar required medical attention and may be shifted to Sector 32 hospital.

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 24

Even as there has been visible disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops along a section of the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, the de-escalation and deinduction — which means pulling back troops and war equipment to the pre-April 2020 home bases — have not yet begun in the area.

At the commander-level meet on Saturday, the two sides did discuss phased de-escalation and deinduction, but there has been no forward movement on the two issues, sources told The Tribune, adding that “it could take more talks as a lack of trust exists for now”.

Catering for redeployment

The two sides don’t want to pull back to locations from where redeployment, in case of an exigency, could take time, say sources.

The first phase of the disengagement process commenced on February 10 with simultaneous withdrawal by both sides from both banks of the Pangong Tso, a 135-km-wide glacial lake. The matters of disengagement at Depsang, Gogra or Hot Springs are likely to come up in subsequent talks.

Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, speaking at an event of a think tank in New Delhi on Wednesday, sounded a word of caution: “We still have a long way to go. We now have to go on to the stage of de-escalation, then deinduction of troops. We have to be wary and cautious.”

A senior functionary explained that it was a clear case of lack of trust, hence the two militaries didn’t want to pull back to locations from where redeployment, in case of an exigency, could take time.

The present positions of troops, tanks or guns are not face to face but they are within striking range of artillery fire and from where rapid redeployment is possible.

General Naravane too spoke about the lack of trust, saying that “there is trust deficit with China and we will be watching Chinese moves closely”.

Some of mistrust stems from statements of the Chinese Ministry of Defence as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, which tried to wrongly blame India for the Galwan clash on June 15 last year. The statements had come on February 19, indicating that China was under pressure from its domestic audience, which has no access to international media or opinion.

China is in the habit of creeping and making very small incremental changes along the LAC where each change by itself doesn’t appear to be very big or worthy of a strong reaction, said the Army Chief.

New Delhi, February 24

As many as 19 people have been arrested and 25 FIRs lodged in connection with the Republic Day violence in the national capital during the farmers’ tractor rally in protest against the three new agri laws, the Centre informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and central government standing counsel Ajay Digpaul further told the high court that as many as 50 people have been detained and an investigation was going on into the incident.

They also submitted that adequate security personnel have been deployed at the Red Fort for its safety and security.

Taking note of the government submissions, a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh sought to know whether any similar matter has been already filed in or was pending before or disposed of by the Supreme Court.

It asked the central government to give it details of any similar matter in the apex court and listed the petition by a Delhi resident, Dhananjai Jain.

The petition has sought the removal of people squatting under the garb of farmers agitation and clear all the roads and public places.

It has also sought a direction to remove the Delhi Police Commissioner from his position with immediate effect and punish all the police officers who allegedly failed in discharging their duties relating to the Red Fort incident on Republic Day.

The tractor rally on January 26 that was to highlight the demands of farmer unions to repeal three new agri laws dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

The petition has also sought a direction to the Centre to put adequate paramilitary forces to protect important monuments and to ensure the safety of life and property of citizens of Delhi and restore the feeling of confidence and security amongst them.

On January 12, the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the contentious new farm laws till further orders and constituted a four-member committee to make recommendations to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers’ unions protesting at Delhi borders.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi for over two months now against the three laws—the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act. —PTI

Barabanki (UP), February 24

Bharatiya Kisan Union president Naresh Tikait on Wednesday called Defence Minister Rajnath Singh a “caged parrot” and said the farmers’ issues could be resolved if he is given the freedom to talk with them.

He accused the BJP-led central government of being “stubborn” over the three new laws, which farmer unions want repealed. The protesting farmers too are not ready to go back on their demands, he said.

“The government has made Defence Minister Rajnath Singh a caged parrot (‘pinjre ka tota’). If he is given the freedom to talk to farmers, I can guarantee that there would be a decision and the BJP’s prestige will also remain intact,” he said.

He said farmers respect the Defence Minister, but he is not given a chance by the government to deal with the farmers’ issue.

Tikait addressed a farmers’ “mahapanchyat” here and also spoke to reporters, claiming that the Centre was not paying heed to the farmers protesting against the laws.

“The government is stubborn and is not ready to hear out farmers. It should change its attitude,” the BKU leader said.

“If the PM is not ready to repeal the laws, we are also not going to backtrack. The farmers are ruined and not getting the right price for their produce. The rise in prices of power, petrol and diesel has affected them also,” he said.

“If this government continues for long, farmers will have to abandon agriculture,” added.

The BKU leader said the way to Uttar Pradesh’s Purvanchal is through Barabanki and if farmers here are made aware of the impact of the new laws, they will be able to tell farmers in that region about it.

“This government is defaming farmers, labelling them as terrorists and Khalistanis and we will not remain silent on this,” he said.

Tikait indicated that he had no quarrel with Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan, whose supporters and those of the Rashtriya Lok Dal clashed recently over the farmers’ protests.

He indirectly referred to the riots in western Uttar Pradesh in 2013, over which Balyan too had faced charges.

“Earlier Hindus and Muslims lived in amity. But from 2013, BJP spread misconceptions among them and divided society. But now people have understood their tricks,” the BKU leader said.

Thousands of farmers have been camping at the border of Delhi since November-end, demanding the repeal of the new agri-marketing laws. They claim that the laws will weaken the minimum support price (MSP) system, an argument that the government rejects. PTI

Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 24

In a move that resolves a long pending anomaly related to grant of benefits to the kin of posthumously decorated armed forces personnel, the Punjab Government has extended the benefits to the families of those awarded peace time gallantry medals before 2017.

The state government had instituted an “Honour and Gratitude” policy in 2000, offering government jobs to families of posthumous gallantry awardees as per their qualifications.

However, due to an oversight, the policy had only included war-time gallantry awards and had left out peace time awards even if those happened to be higher in precedence.

Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra, are classified as war-time medals and are awarded for gallantry in the face of the enemy, while Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra are peace time medals for acts of courage other than in the face of the enemy.

The policy was finally rectified in the year 2017, but the authorities concerned had interpreted the amendment to mean that family members of only those personnel would be eligible who were awarded after the year 2017 whereas the original policy of the year 2000 did not contain any such cut-off date.

The rectification of the anomaly remained pending with the government since 2017.

In December 2020, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the government to take appropriate measures and introduce clarity in the policy within a period of three months.

The fresh policy issued this week now includes all ‘Chakra’ series awards in its ambit without any cut-off provision as to the date of the award. The applicant, however, needs to be within the prescribed age limits for the job that he or she is applying for.

Sources familiar with the matter said that although the number of affected applicants may not be very high, the rectification of the anomaly is a huge morale booster both for past and future cases and indicates the commitment of the government in resolving such issues, adding that the policy was amended well before the time provided by the High Court.

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, February 24

Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s nephew Prof Jagmohan Singh today demanded release of all farmers arrested by the Delhi Police during the tractor parade on January 26 and withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the three-month-long protest.

He raised the demands at a programme organised by the All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) at the Rohad toll plaza on the Rohtak-Delhi national highway. The event was organised to mark the “Daman Virodhi Diwas”.

“The Modi government is pro-corporate. It becomes evident by its stance on the three contentious farm laws. The Centre is adamant on not revoking the legislations. The arrest of farmers is unjustified. They must be released immediately, while the police repression against farmers should come to an end,” said Prof Jagmohan, who is an agricultural economist.

Inderjit Singh, state vice-president, AIKS, said the “Daman Virodhi Diwas” was observed with enthusiasm, giving out the message that protesters were angry.

Earlier, Prof Jagmohan was welcomed with slogans of “Shaheed Bhagat Singh Zindabad” at the Rohad toll plaza. He was garlanded at the Madina toll plaza in Rohtak district.

At the Tikri border, protesting farmers marked the “Daman Virodhi Diwas” by criticising the Centre for alleged repression against protesting farmers.

Kaithal/Karnal: Farmers today pasted a memorandum of demands on the premises of the Kaithal DC’s office after they were informed that the DC was absent.

They demanded opening of all entry points to Delhi.

In Karnal, farmers handed over a memorandum of demands to the tehsildar.

Panipat: Members of the BKU and other organisations led by Sunil Dutt and Bintu Malik held a protest march to mark the “Daman Virodhi Diwas”. They later submitted a memorandum to tehsildar Kuldeep Malik.

Another from Punjab dies

Sonepat: A-65-year-old farmer from Hoshiarpur district died at the Singhu border on Wednesday. The deceased has been identified as Malkeet Singh. When he did not wake up in the morning, fellow protesters took him to the general hospital, where doctors declared him as brought dead. The police said the farmer might have died of a heart stroke. tns