Farmers stage a protest outside a hotel in Bathinda on Saturday. Tribune photo: Pawan sharma
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, January 2
A large number of farmers protested outside a hotel on the Goniana road, where BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Pal Gurjar addressed a gathering through video-conferencing.
An event for the distribution of physical aids and assistive devices to differently abled and senior citizens under ADIP and Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, respectively, were organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment along with the district administration at Bathinda.
The farmers gathered outside the hotel and started raising slogans against the Narendra Modi government. Protesters said they had already announced they would boycott events of the BJP leaders in the state until the farm laws were taken back.
Former Union Minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal did not attend the event. She said: “I boycotted the event today in which BJP leader and Union Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar was the chief guest virtually. I have always stood for the farmers. I will continue to boycott events where BJP leaders are the guests until the farmers’ demands are met and farm laws are repealed.”
However, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) district senior vice-president Mothu Singh Kotra said: “Harsimrat Badal was also scheduled to reach here. This shows Akalis are not concerned. On the one hand, the SAD says it has broken the alliance with the BJP, on the other Akalis are still attending functions together.”
Meanwhile, SDM Talwandi Sabo Varinder Kumar said the main objective of this virtual programme was to provide free assistive devices to the divyang persons. He said in 2018-19, free prostheses were provided to 361 senior citizens and 44 divyang persons from Bathinda.
Farmer protesting against agriculture laws kills self Suicide note asks government to repeal the controversial laws
Farmers shout slogans during their protest against the new farm laws, at Ghazipur Delhi-UP border in Ghaziabad on December 31, 2020. PTI photo
Ghaziabad, January 2
A 75-year-old farmer protesting against the Centre’s new agri laws allegedly hanged himself at the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border in Ghazipur on Saturday morning.
Sardar Kashmir Singh, a native of Bilaspur in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district, hanged himself in a mobile toilet using a rope, police said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police of Indirapuram Anshu Jain told PTI that a suicide note written in Gurumukhi was found on him.
Singh wrote in the suicide note that the government must repeal these farm laws as these are against the interests of farmers, according to a leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).
The BKU and several other farmer unions have been spearheading the protest against the legislations at various border points of Delhi for over a month now.
In the purported suicide note, Singh expressed anguish that though some people from Punjab died during the agitation, no one from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand has sacrificed his life for the cause.
He also requested the Sikh community to help his family marry off his two granddaughters and to address the domestic problems being faced by his married daughter.
His body was handed over to his grandchildren who too were part of the protest in Ghazipur, police officer Jain said.
BKU national spokesman Rakesh Tikait expressed his profound grief at the death of Kashmir Singh.
He demanded that the government provide an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of Kashmir Singh and another farmer who died of heart attack at the protest site on Friday.
Tikait alleged that the government was testing the patience of farmers. Till now 47 farmers have sacrificed their lives during the protest in the country, he claimed, adding that their sacrifice would not go in vain.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting at various borders of the national capital for more than a month demanding repeal of the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.
The government has presented these laws, enacted in September, as major agriculture reforms aimed at helping farmers and increasing their income, but the protesting unions fear that the new legislations have left them at the mercy of big corporates by weakening the MSP and mandi systems.
Meanwhile, BKU media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said in a press statement that they will gherao the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from January 10 if dues of sugarcane farmers are not paid immediately.
Arrears of Rs 4,000 crore of sugarcane growers are pending, but the government is not helping them and is favouring sugar mills, Malik claimed. — PTI
Ambani, RIL fined for manipulative trading Last 10-minute trading on settlement day for RPL shares in 2007
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 25 crore and Rs 15 crore, respectively, on Reliance Industries (RIL) and its Chairman Mukesh Ambani for manipulative trading.
The SEBI order observed that RIL entered into a well-planned operation with its agents to corner the open interest in the RPL (Reliance Petroleum) futures and to earn undue profits from the sale of RPL shares in both cash and futures segments and to dump large number of these in the cash segment during the last 10 minutes of trading on the settlement day, resulting in a fall in the settlement price. The case pertains to 2007. It also observed that Mukesh Ambani, being the Chairman & Managing Director of RIL, was responsible for its day-to-day affairs and thereby liable for the “manipulative trading” done by the RIL. — IANS
Women carry ‘jago’ along with PM Narendra Modi’s effigy in favour of farmers’ protest at Baghapurana town in Moga district on Friday. Tribune photo
Tribune News Service
Moga, January 1
Baghapurana women have launched an awareness campaign titled ‘Jago’ to mobilise support for the farmers’ agitation. Most of them are from sub-urban localities. They said women from urban areas were coming forward in support of the farmers.
“Women from villages are already part of the agitation. It is difficult to mobilise women from cities. Their participation signals the changing mindset,” said one of the women who launched the campaign. She hoped that the New Year would take the farmers’ agitation to its logical conclusion.
Baghapurana women said they would go to Delhi, make langar and sit on a chain fast. “Urban women were a little reluctant earlier, but they understood the issue when explained. We have been encouraging city women to protest against the controversial farm laws. It’s a question of survival of farmers. If they are hit, all others will be affected,” said Baljit Kaur of Baghapurana.
MAY GOD INSTILL SENSE OF HUMANITARIANISM IN GOVT FOR FARMERS AGITATION
The year 2021 will be a significant one for the Army as it will witness major changes at the top with five of its commanders superannuating over the next 10 months.
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 1
The year 2021 will be a significant one for the Army as it will witness major changes at the top with five of its commanders superannuating over the next 10 months.
In all, there are eight Army Commander-level posts, including the two held by the Vice Chief and the Shimla-based training command.
The first superannuation is slated for January 31 when the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen SK Saini, retires. The Central Army Commander, Lt Gen IS Ghuman, and South Western Army Commander Lt Gen AS Kler will retire the same day on March 31. Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen AS Chauhan superannuates on May 31 while the last retirement will be of Western Army Commander Lt Gen RP Singh on October 31.
Several senior officers are in the race for these posts and one of those promoted could even be the next Army Chief when incumbent Gen MM Naravane’s tenure ends in April 2022. Holding the position of a Commander is one of the requisites to become the Army Chief. While the Army Chief retires at 62, a Lt General-rank Army Commander superannuates two years early.
Besides merit, the qualifying criteria for promotion as Army Commander is having a minimum 18 months of residual service. If the government goes by the seniority principle, the new Army Commanders could be a mix of Infantry and Armoured Corps officers.
A poster put up on the guide map near the Sector 66/67 traffic lights in Mohali announces a reward of $ 1 million for killing Captain Amarinder Singh
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. File Photo
Mohali, January 1
Mohali Police have registered a case against an unidentified person who has announced a reward of $ 1 million for killing Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh by putting up a printed poster on the guide map near the Sector 66/67 traffic lights.
On the poster, it was written that a reward of $ 1 million would be given to the person who kills the Chief Minister.
According to the sources, a case has been registered against the unknown person under Sections 504, 506, 120 B, 34 of the IPC and 3, 4 and 5 of the Punjab Protection of Defacement of Property Ordinance Act at the Phase 11 police station.
A senior police officer said the investigation was on after registering an FIR and the accused would be nabbed soon. CCTV footage from around the area is being scanned.
An email address ibrahim@hotmail.com has been found on the poster and the cyber team is on it, said the officer.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police Director General (DG) SS Deswal – File photo
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 1
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) today said the force’s Director General (DG) SS Deswal has been touring the frontier areas along the LAC in Uttarakhand as part of a move to review security preparedness and boost morale of the troops deployed there.
Officials said the DG visited the Mana post located at a height of 11,000 feet and the ITBP base at Joshimath in the border district of Chamoli as part of a four-day tour that began on Tuesday.
Addressing his men at “sainik sammelans (meeting with troops)” held at Mana and Joshimath, Deswal said the nation was “grateful” to them for their “commitment and dedication towards duty and safeguarding the borders” in the tough climatic conditions of the Himalayan region.
“The DG stressed on the need to focus on health and urged all personnel to make fitness their top priority. He also told jawans to ensure that they undertake 2-3 hours of exercise daily for leading a healthy life in the tough mountainous terrain,” the spokesperson of the force quoted him as saying.
The problem Rahul Gandhi has created for Amarinder Singh in Punjab by backing farmer protests
Amarinder Singh comes across as weak and indecisive as he hedges on tackling farmers vandalising Jio towers. The agitation could also end up helping revive AAP months ahead of Punjab polls.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh at their press conference in Patiala in October, 2020 | By special arrangement
New Delhi: Capt. Amarinder Singh, the Chief Minister of Punjab, always had an aura around him — of a firm and decisive politician with an uncluttered mind who could hold his own even against the Congress high command.
This image has taken a hit as he stands as a helpless spectator while Reliance Jio towers are vandalised in Punjab by farmers protesting against the Centre’s new farm laws. The CM, who had taken out a tractor rally in support of farmers, finds no takers for his appeal to not indulge in vandalism. The state police haven’t registered any FIR so far, with Amarinder still weighing the pros and cons of acting against farmers.
Congress functionaries closely associated with him tell ThePrint that Amarinder is “extremely concerned” about the possibility of the farmers’ agitation getting out of hand but remains clueless about his own plan of action. This display of weakness and indecisiveness is quite uncharacteristic of the scion of the erstwhile royal family of Patiala, who has had an outstanding track record in public life.
In his assessment, say Amarinder’s associates, the agitation that was expected to hurt his political adversaries may end up damaging the reputation of his government and also his political prospects, with the assembly election barely 13 months away.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) might have lost much ground for being a part of the Central government that brought these farm laws, but it’s the prospect of the Aam Admi Party’s (AAP) revival that is haunting Congressmen in Punjab.
ThePrint reached Amarinder Singh’s office via telephone, but there was no response until the time of publishing this report.
The AAP’s influence in the state was on the wane but Congress leaders believe that Arvind Kejriwal’s party has been able to make “considerable gains” through its pro-active support of the farmers’ agitation. On 27 December, Kejriwal also went to Singhu border to extend support to them.
“The attacks on Jio towers and targeting of corporate houses may scare away many investors from Punjab. All that Captain has done as chief minister in the past four years will be forgotten if there is a serious law and order situation in the election year,” a Congress MP told ThePrint.
Amarinder, say Congress sources, would like the farmers to end their agitation, given that the Narendra Modi government is ready to guarantee continuation of minimum support price (MSP) and make amendments in the laws to address other concerns of the farmers.
It’s clear that the Centre will not repeal the laws and farmers have nothing more to gain from stridency, but “leaders like Joginder Ugrahan have a different agenda”, say Congressmen.
The chief minister seems to be caught between the proverbial devil and the deep sea. With former-and-would-be Congress president Rahul Gandhi strongly backing the farmers’ agitation, Amarinder can’t openly differ with or disapprove their course of action or act against vandals. But, it would be politically suicidal to be seen as a weak CM who stands as a mute spectator to a worsening law and order situation and also lets the AAP regain its lost ground.
There are also apprehensions among Congressmen that if the farmers’ agitation, largely led by Sikhs, continues and turns ugly at some stage, it may lead to the resurfacing of identity politics in Punjab, a scary prospect that the CM can’t ignore.
There was a time when Singh was decisive. In 1984, he had quit the Congress over Operation Blue Star and joined the Akali Dal. He returned to the party 14 years later.
Ahead of the 2017 assembly election, when Rahul Gandhi was seeking to undermine Amarinder and was toying with the idea of projecting a different leader as the CM face, the Capt. put his foot down and forced the Congress high command to back off. Rahul Gandhi’s lieutenants in Punjab have been targeting him, of late, but he has just ignored them.
A story that one often hears in Congress circles is when a party leader once suggested to Amarinder that he should start calling Rahul Gandhi “Rahul ji”. The CM laughed it off, saying he was Rajiv Gandhi’s classmate in Doon School and so Rahul should call him ‘uncle’. It may be an apocryphal story but it shows how Congressmen regard Amarinder for holding his own.
At 78, Capt. Amarinder Singh seems to be losing his mojo as he falters in dealing with the farmers’ agitation. He seems inclined to comply with Rahul Gandhi’s wishes and look away when vandals threaten to throw Punjab into turmoil, again.
Amid this looming political crisis, Amarinder also has to deal with Central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, which has summoned his son, Raninder, in a FEMA violation case.
As the adage goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. But the moot question is whether Capt. Amarinder Singh is still the tough politician that he was once.
India, Pakistan exchange lists of civilian prisoners, fishermen
New Delhi, January 2, 2020 : India and Pakistan on Friday exchanged through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody.
India handed over lists of 263 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 77 fishermen in India’s custody to Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan has shared lists of 49 civilian prisoners and 270 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or believed-to-be Indians. This is in keeping with the provisions of the 2008 Agreement under which such lists are exchanged every year on January 1 and July 1.
A Ministry of External Affairs release said the Government has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen, along with their boats, from Pakistan’s custody.
In this context, Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of three Indian civilian prisoners and 185 Indian fishermen to India whose nationality has been confirmed and conveyed to Pakistan.
“In addition, Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to Indian fishermen and 22 civilian prisoners who are in Pakistan’s custody and are believed to be Indian,” the release said.
The government also requested Pakistan to expedite the grant of visas to the members of the medical experts’ team and facilitate their visit to Pakistan to assess the mental condition of believed-to-be Indian prisoners of unsound mind, lodged in different jails of Pakistan. It was also proposed to organise an early visit of the Joint Judicial Committee to Pakistan.
The release said India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other’s country.
“In this context, India has also urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 80 Pakistan prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan,” the release said.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan has been requested to ensure the safety, security and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be Indian civil prisoners and fishermen, it added (ANI)
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