Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 3

Farmers’ stir dominated discussions on the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with the BJP and Opposition clashing over the future of the new agriculture laws.

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• Edit: Time for firefighting

After the BJP’s lead speaker Bhubaneswar Kalita from Assam defended the legislations while cautioning the Opposition against turning the farmers’ agitation into another Shaheen Bagh, the Congress and Samajwadi Party urged the government to rescind the laws rather than stand on prestige.

Amit Shah briefs Prime Minister

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the ongoing agitation and the law and order situation. Later, Shah tweeted, “No propaganda can deter India’s unity! No propaganda can stop India from attaining new heights!” Ministers Piyush Goyal and Smriti Irani and celebrities Karan Johar, Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar also tweeted with hashtags “Indiatogether and “India against propaganda”.

The Motion of Thanks on President’s Address, which Kalita moved, saw 118 amendments by opposition MPs, including DMK’s Tiruchi Siva and Congress’ Digvijay Singh, Deepender Singh Hooda and KC Venugopal. The RS allocated 15 hours for the debate after the Opposition and the government agreed to extend it beyond the scheduled 10 hours to include time for discussion on farmers’ issues.

Kalita, former Congress chief whip in the RS, said the new laws would give new rights to farmers and doors were open for them to amicably resolve the issue. The BJP’s Vijaypal Singh Tomar, who seconded the motion, listed 12 expert committees that deliberated upon the farm reforms for two decades. Speaking in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tomar slammed the Opposition for “spreading misinformation” and said the new laws would empower small farmers and help their children become job providers.

Opening the debate from the other side, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad insisted on repeal of laws saying that the “government should not make it a prestige issue”.

“There can be nothing better than the PM himself announcing the decision to withdraw the laws,” said Azad, asking the Centre to form a committee to locate “people who had gone missing after the Republic Day violence”.

“We condemn what happened on January 26, particularly at the Red Fort but please ensure innocent farmer leaders are not implicated or the agitation will swell,” he warned.

Demanding farm law repeal, SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav cautioned the government against corporate monopoly over farm produce.

The Lok Sabha proceedings, meanwhile, were adjourned repeatedly on Wednesday as the protesting opposition members demanded a separate discussion on farm laws.

The House reassembled thrice, only to again adjourn till 5 pm, then 7 pm and later till 9 pm as the Opposition continued its protest despite repeated assurances by the Speaker that the members would get adequate opportunity to put forward their views.

New Delhi, February 4

Around 15 MPs from 10 opposition parties on Thursday reached the Ghazipur border to meet farmers protesting against new farm laws.

Farmers have been protesting at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders of Delgi for the past more than two months against the three new farm laws.

They say the new laws will leave them at the mercy of corporates whereas the government says they are for the benefit of farmers.Many rounds of talks between the Centre and farmers have not led to anything.

Opposition parties have been supporting the farmers’ cause. PTI

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 4

A day after several celebrities in the West spoke out against the stalemate between farmers and the Indian Government, the US State Department has weighed in by calling for observing human rights and rules of fair play while supporting the general trajectory of the three farm laws.

“We recognise that unhindered access to information, including the Internet, is fundamental to the freedom of expression and a hallmark of a thriving democracy,” said the US State Department in response to a question on the ongoing farmers’ protests in India while calling for differences to be resolved through dialogue.

“In general, the United States welcomes steps that would improve the efficiency of India’s markets and attract greater private sector investment,” added Ned Price, the State Department spokesperson.

“We recognise that peaceful protests are a hallmark of any thriving democracy and note that the Indian Supreme Court has stated the same,” he emphasised.

The State Department has come into play after several politicians, including a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, backed demand by celebrities led by pop singer Rihanna for a resolution of the farmers’ agitation.

The tweets by some celebrities in the West, led to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issuing a statement that advised them to fully understand the intent of the farm laws before rushing to comment. However, with farm law oppositionists dominating the social media, the response went up a notch higher with several Indian celebrities, mainly cricketers, taking to the social media with common hashtags and near identical messages to preserve the country’s unity.

New Delhi says the three farm laws will give greater flexibility and freedom to sell farm produce but the protesting farmers claim they are heavily weighed in favour of the corporates.

The State Department as well as the celebrities have emphasised shutting the Internet services and police intimidation after a small group of farmers went off course during the January 26 Tractor March into Delhi and indulged in vandalism at the Red Fort. The Haryana government has since restored Internet services in parts of the state but not at the protest sites of Singhu and Tikri, on the border with Delhi.

New Delhi, January 30 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested businessman Anoop Kumar Gupta in connection with a money-laundering probe into the over Rs 3,600-crore VVIP choppers purchase scam case, official sources said on Saturday.

They said Gupta, the joint managing director of KRBL Limited that sells India Gate basmati rice, has been sent to five-day custody of the central probe agency after he was produced before a special court for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) here.

ED sources said Gupta was arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case and alleged he was not cooperating in the ongoing probe.

His custodial interrogation was necessary in the light of some fresh evidence gathered by the Enforcement Directorate that pertains to “proceeds of crime” or alleged kickbacks of the deal being paid to a firm “controlled” by Gupta, they said.

Gupta’s lawyers told the court that his arrest was “not justified” and pleaded that he should not be sent to ED custody owing to his medical condition as he suffers from diabetes and other ailments.

The agency, in its remand application, said two streams were used for channelling about Euro 70 million worth “proceeds of crime” or bribe money to various political persons, bureaucrats and Indian Air Force officials in return of swinging the 12 helicopters deal in favour of AgustaWestland.

“It is submitted that IDS Information Technology and Engineering Sarl,  Tunisia has received proceeds of crime to the tune of Euro 24.37 million from AgustaWestland and out of this about Euro 12.4 million were further transferred to Interstellar Technologies Limited, Mauritius.” “The proceeds of crime were further transferred to various companies including Rawasi Al Khaleej General Trading (RAKGT) LLC Dubai which was incorporated in 2007 by KRBL DMCC, Dubai and accused Anoop Gupta was one of the director of this company,” the ED alleged.  This company (KRBL DMCC) was a subsidiary of KRBL Limited (India), it said.

The ED said that “in 2009, the entire stake (49 per cent shareholding) of KRBL DMCC held in RAKGT was transferred in the name of one Anurag Potdar but in fact, even after this, RAKGT is under the control of KRBL Limited through Gupta and part of the proceeds of crime received in RAKGT were transferred to KRBL Limited.” It claimed that it obtained some documents in December last year pertaining to these purported links and they show that Gupta was “controlling” the financial transactions of this (RAKGT) company.  Gupta has been named by the ED in another alleged defence deal scam involving aircraft manufacturer Embraer.

The businessman was named in a charge sheet by the agency in December in that case that pertains to payment of alleged commission by Embraer to clinch the USD 208-million deal with India, in which it is suspected and alleged that kickbacks were paid.

The ED slapped money laundering charges to probe allegations of irregularities in the now-cancelled deal to purchase of 12 VVIP choppers from Italy-based Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary AgustaWestland. The deal was scrapped by India in 2014. — PTI

Chandigarh, January 30

The combined annual training camp of the Chandigarh NCC Air Wing is being organised at the NCC Complex here, with a total of 35 cadets, including 21 girls, participating in the event.

During the camp, cadets were being exposed to intensive training regimen, which include both outdoor activities and classroom lectures, said camp commandant Group Captain MR Pandeya.

In addition to drill and weapon training, various topics being covered are history of the Indian Air Force (IAF), precautionary measures during flying, role of air traffic control, meteorology and navigation in aviation, first-aid procedures, fire-fighting and selection process in the IAF.

Inaugurating the camp, Col DK Sharma, Training Officer, Chandigarh NCC Group, an ex-NCC cadet himself, said the NCC imparts discipline and promotes fitness amongst the youth. He exhorted the cadets to excel in all fields, enjoy the training and develop camaraderie and friendship among themselves. — TNS

Natasha Badhwar

My family and I spent the last two weeks travelling through Punjab to Dharamkot in Himachal and back home to a Delhi suburb. As we drove away from the capital city, we were cheered by the sight of tractors and cars with banners and flags of farmers’ unions going towards Delhi. On our way back, we found ourselves joining the cavalcades arriving at the protest sites on Delhi’s borders for the Tractor Parade on Republic Day. On the night of January 25, the traffic on the highway had swelled so much that we were unable to find a way to enter the city. We had become one with the farmers.

We didn’t mind. A historic people’s movement led by farmers is taking place right now and it is impossible to be untouched by it. What hurts the farmer today will not leave the rest of India unscathed. Those who have risked their lives and livelihood to confront the powerful need to be protected from state repression and false accusations of anti-national activities and sedition. They need visibility. Their demands and point of view need to be amplified by those of us who have smartphones and social media on fingertips.

What do these farmers have to offer us in return? Are we doing them a favour by paying attention? Why should the farmers’ agitation matter to the rest of us?

At a time when the state and administration have abdicated from people-centric governance and the judiciary as well as large sections of mainstream media seem to have forfeited their role to provide the checks and balances that keep democratic processes in balance, the farmers’ protest is like a shot in the arm of Indian democracy. While it is the three farm laws that have finally catalysed lakhs of farmers to leave their homes and sit in protest in the bitter cold, their mode of protest as well as the capaciousness of their demands is a reminder of some of the basics of humanity — of the power of solidarity, fraternity and unity among people. Of the need for dignity, equality and agency of groups and individuals.

On International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2020, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) — the largest farmers’ union at the protests — held an event in which protesters held up pictures of incarcerated intellectuals and human rights activists who have been booked under grave laws, such as the UAPA. Despite a backlash from sections of the media, farmers’ leaders defended this act of solidarity with eloquence and candour, reminding us that the need for stable livelihoods and that of dignity and autonomy cannot be separated into binaries.

“These people have been incarcerated in jails for speaking the truth. Through their writing and work, they have explained how the corporate sector adversely affects agriculture as well as the public sector. These intellectuals and activists have exposed the fascist mindset of the government. If we do not raise our voice for them, then who will?” a speaker asked rhetorically from the stage at Tikri border. Off stage, men and women held posters of each of the activists. “These people are freedom fighters, not anti-nationals,” a woman farmer said.

On January 18, Women Farmers’ Day was celebrated at the protest sites, just days after Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, while staying the implementation of the new farm laws, had also commented, “We don’t understand why old people and women are kept in the protests.”

In a rousing speech on the Singhu border, researcher Navsharan Singh challenged the patriarchal and condescending attitude represented by this statement. “Do not forget that this is the same government which maligned Muslim women who were protesting against the highly discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act last December in Shaheen Bagh. It is the same government that has denied bail to four young women — Devangana Kalita, Gulfisha Fatema, Ishrat Jahan and Natasha Narwal,” she said.

“They want you to go back not because you are weak, but because they are threatened by your fearlessness and empowered presence. Their armies and weapons are not as strong as the determination and courage of unarmed women.”

As police violence and political backlash against the protesting farmers escalates, the settlements on the borders of Delhi have only continued to grow in response.

The ongoing farmers’ protests are a contemporary example of the power of a peaceful people’s struggle against marginalisation. It is a wake-up call. Will we stand up for those who are risking their all for the rest of us?