Protesting farmers being stopped at Masani barrage near Dharuhera town on Sunday. Tribune photo
Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Rewari, January 3
A clash between protesting farmers camping on the Delhi-Jaipur highway near Bhudla-Sangwari village for the past three days and police was witnessed on Sunday when the former reached Masani barrage near Dharuhera town after covering 4 km from their previous halt.
The police lobbed teargas shells to stop farmers. A tractor caught fire during the clash but the blaze was doused by farmers. The protesters were adamant on going ahead while the police had blocked the service lane. The farmers were trying to remove the blockade till the filing of this report.
Sources said many farmers from the Tikri border today joined the camp of another group of farmers at Bhudla-Sangwari village and decided to go ahead. In the evening, they removed police barricades near their camp and moved ahead. The police resisted them initially, but let them go later. The protesters were, thereafter, stopped at Masani barrage as police used teargas shells, sources added.
A member of the Rapid Action Force fires a teargas shell towards farmers as they try to cross barricades during a protest against newly passed farm laws on a highway at Dharuhera in Haryana on January 3, 2021. Reuters
Happy Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan, told The Tribune that a tractor-trailer caught fire due to teargas shells. Some blankets and quilts also got burnt while some farmers who were sitting inside saved their life by jumping off the trailer. They also managed to take out an LPG cylinder, he claimed.
“We wanted to go to Delhi peacefully, but the police lobbed teargas shells and used force on us to stop us from moving ahead,” said a protesting farmer, adding that they are vowed to go to Delhi and would do it come what may.
The sudden clash resulted in the blockade at the highway. Long queues of vehicles were witnessed, causing inconvenience to commuters who had to use alternative routes to reach their respective destinations.
Meanwhile, ‘Chetna Yatra’ being taken out by the farmers belonging to Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) reached the Shahjahanpur-Khera border in Rajasthan in the evening. They spent Saturday night at Gangaicha Jat toll plaza near Rewari city in the open amid bone-chilling cold. Locals provided them food and tea. The yatra would return to Tikri on Monday.
Kavita Arya, a farmer leader, said they welcomed the Chetna Yatra at the Shahjahanpur border and made special arrangements for food and stay for farmers.
Farmers step up pressure, to burn copies of 3 laws on Lohri 7th round of talks today | Unions ask Centre to discard obduracy
Amid rain, a farmer takes shelter inside a makeshift tent at the Singhu-Delhi border. PTI
Impasse: union agri minister Tomar meets Rajnath to firm up strategy
Tribune News Service
Sonepat, January 3
Ahead of the seventh round of talks with the Centre on Monday, Punjab’s farm unions announced that they would burn copies of the three contentious farm laws on Lohri (January 13) and celebrate January 23 — Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary — as ‘Azad Kisan Diwas’.
Edit: Cold and cruel
Representatives of the unions at a press conference here condemned the lathi-charge on farmers protesting against BJP leaders in Sangrur. Harmeet Singh Kadian said: “We will only focus on the repeal of farm laws and MSP during our meeting with the Centre on Monday.” In a statement, the All-India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee said the success of Monday’s talks would depend entirely on the repeal of three farm laws.
Sonia Gandhi, Congress
Shun arrogance: Sonia Gandhi
Over 50 farmers have lost their lives. This is an arrogant govt. Leave alone people, it cannot even heal the suffering of the ‘annadatas’.
Union leader Onkar Singh urged the Centre to discard obduracy and repeal the “black” laws. Jangveer Singh Chauhan observed that the protest had been peaceful for the past 37-38 days but some political leaders were trying to provoke the farmers. He also said they had sent a letter on sugarcane rates to the Punjab Government but had yet to receive a response. “We will decide whether or not to hold a tractor march on Republic Day after tomorrow’s meeting,” Kadian said. Farmers camping at Singhu and Tikri had a tough time owing to overnight rains. Waterproof tents were of little help. Meanwhile, farmers from Maharashtra on Sunday left Nagpur for Delhi to join the protesters.
Haryana cops use force to halt march
The Haryana Police on Sunday fired tear gas shells to thwart a march by a group of farmers proceeding towards Delhi at the Masani barrage in Rewari. The farmers, who broke barricades, had been camping at the service lane of Delhi-Jaipur highway for several days.
Braving all odds, women at forefront of farmers’ protest Women of all ages are out are staging a protest demanding the repeal of the farm laws.
Large number of women have been staging protest against farm laws at Tikri border. Tribune Photo
Sukhmeet Bhasin Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 3
Women in large numbers have emerged at the forefront of the farmer’s protests against the farm laws in Delhi.
This has led to the new awakening of gender equality amongst the male-the dominated mindset in the state amid the farmers protest.
Women of all ages are out are staging a protest demanding the repeal of the farm laws.
In the past few weeks, they have braved all odds and stayed put despite Delhi’s bone-chilling winter amid lack of toilets, privacy or hygiene. Many are staying in the tractors in the cold.
These women have given a new fillip to the protests as some can be seen singing revolutionary songs, while others are giving fiery speeches. They have been occupying front rows and are shouting slogans against the anti-government.
Shingara Singh Mann, state secretary BKU Ekta Ugrahan said “We have always believed that women should be given equal respect and chances as they are no less than men in any aspect, due to which our union has mobilized women in large numbers to participate in this protest.”
Harjinder Kaur Bindu, BKU Ekta Ugrahan women wing president said: “More than 2,000 women are staging a protest at Tikri border only and we have known that this fight against three farm laws would be big, so we planned that farmers along with their families would participate in this protest and mobilize the farmers accordingly.”
She stated that young girls, college-going women, newly married women and the elderly were all are participating in the protest.
80-year-old Mohinder Kaur of Bahadurgarh Jandian in Bathinda, who hit the national headlines after Kangana Ranaut tweeted her photo, said: “I went to Delhi to participate in protest because the union government want to give their lands to the big corporate houses, to save my land, I went to Delhi.”
Paramjit Kaur of Bathinda district, who along with his 10-year-old daughter is in protest at Tikri border said: “They have sacrificed everything and has come here along with her family in protest to save our land, because if we will not have land, then how we will survive. It is a fight for our survival, so she will be staying along with her family till these laws are not repealed”.
Heavy rain adds to woes of farmers protesting at Delhi borders Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said farmers have waterproof tents but they cannot protect them from biting cold and waterlogging
Waterlogged tents, soaked firewood and blankets, and cold conditions — farmers camping at Delhi borders in protest against new farm laws had a difficult morning on Sunday due to overnight rains.
The continuous downpour led to waterlogging at agitation venues and waterproof tents did not help much, according to the protesters.
Farmers at the Ghazipur border battle rain and cold weather conditions, in New Delhi on Sunday. Tribune Photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, who is a member of Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, said farmers had waterproof tents but they could not protect them from biting cold and waterlogging.
“The situation is very bad at protest sites due to rain which has caused waterlogging. There is so much cold after the rains but the government is not able to see our misery,” he said.
Gurwinder Singh, who is camping at Singhu Border, said there was waterlogging at some places as civic facilities are not up to the mark but asserted that the weather would not dampen the spirit of farmers who have been protesting for over a month.
“Despite facing several problems, we will not move from here until our demands are met,” he said.
Farmers at the Ghazipur border battle rain and cold weather conditions, in New Delhi on Sunday. Tribune Photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
According to a MeT Department official, heavy rainfall was reported in areas across Delhi and minimum temperatures have increased due to clouding and easterly winds.
“Safdarjung observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 9.9 degrees Celsius, an increase of 6.7 degrees with 25 mm rain. Palam observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 11.4 degrees Celsius with 18 mm rain. Rain with hail storm is expected until January 6,” the official said.
Farmers at the Ghazipur border battle rain and cold weather conditions, in New Delhi on Sunday. Tribune Photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at three Delhi border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — for more than a month, demanding repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and other two issues.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) leader Sukhdev Singh, whose Union is leading the protest at Tikri border, said arrangements made by farmers to brave the cold weather were not helping much because of rains and subsequent waterlogging.
Farmers at the Ghazipur border battle rain and cold weather conditions, in New Delhi on Sunday. Tribune Photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Veerpal Singh, a protesting farmer, said their blankets, clothes and wood were soaked.
“Our clothes are soaked due to waterlogging caused by rains. Besides, we are facing difficulties to cook food as rainwater has also soaked firewood. We do have an LPG cylinder but not everyone here has it,” he said.
Dharmveer Yadav, who is camping at Ghazipur border protest site, said farmers would not move an inch from their agitation venues.
Farmers at the Ghazipur border battle rain and cold weather conditions, in New Delhi on Sunday. Tribune Photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
“We are ready to face any problem, be it heavy or storm, but we will not leave this place in any condition until our demands are met,” Yadav said.
Rainwater also entered camps at Burari ground and the protesters were seen draining the water out and rearranging their belongings to prevent from soaking in water. PTI
4 more protesting farmers die at Tikri border; count rises to over 50 The farmers were from Bathinda and Sangrur in Punjab, and Jind and Sonepat in Haryana; cause of death is reported to be a cardiac arrest
Farmers during the ongoing protest against the new farm laws, at Singhu Border in New Delhi, on Saturday. PTI Photo
Tribune News Service
Jhajjar/Sonepat, January 3
Two farmers protesting against the Centre’s three agri laws reportedly died at Tikri border on Saturday night.
The two farmers were from Bathinda (Punjab) and Jind (Haryana).
Meanwhile, two more farmers died at Kundli (Singhu) border today.
The deceased have been identified as 45-year-old Kulbeer of Gangana village (Sonepat) and 45-year-old Shamsher Singh of Lidhra village of Sangrur district (Punjab).
The cause of death for all four is reported to be a cardiac arrest.
The dead bodies of the farmers have been sent to a mortuary at Sonepat.
As many as 13 protesters have, so far, have lost their lives during the ongoing farmers’ protest at Tikri. Of those 13, a total of 11 have died due to cardiac arrest.
So far, a total of 50 farmers have died while protesting against the farm laws on the Delhi borders.
In the first 15 days the protest at Delhi, as many as 15 farmers died either owing to the cold weather conditions or accidents.
Since then, the number of casualties has been continuously increasing.
As per a list released by the Sanjyutka Kisan Morcha on December 16, a total of 30 farmers have died during the protest against the three farm laws. Since then, as many as 20 more succumbed to either accidents or health issues.
The 32 farmer organisations had given the ‘Delhi Chalo’ call for November 26 and 27. Following a massive response from Punjab, a large number of farmers from other parts of the country also reached the capital borders.
JAI JAWAN JAI KISSAN :::VETERANS SUPPORT THE FARMERS
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Naib Subedar Ravinder Jakhar (40), who was killed in Pak shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district was a third generation soldier. His father Meer Singh Jakhar and grandfather Sheo Chand Jakhar also served in the Army.
Jitendra Jakhar, the elder brother of Ravinder, is serving in the Army as Subedar, while his son Nitin recently cleared the physical test and is looking forward to join the Army and maintain the family tradition of serving the nation.
The mortal remains of the martyr will be brought to his native village of Salhavaas here on Sunday for last rites.
A pall of gloom descended on the village as soon as the news of Ravinder’s martyrdom reached his family last evening.
Ravinder had visited his home three months ago and went back to Rajouri a day before Diwali on November 13 after spending over a month in the village.
“Ravinder was so passionate towards joining the Army that he started preparations for it soon after the completion of his Class 12th exams,” revealed Jitendra.
“He joined the Army in 1998 and participated in the Kargil war in 1999. Our entire family has served the Indian Army and we want our next generation too to join the Army.
“We have built a house in Ambala so that our children can get good education and crack the requisite exam for getting into the Army,” Jitendra added.
Jitendra also informed that Ravinder’s son Nitin was preparing for the medical exam – a prerequisite for joining the Army.
“We are shocked but also proud of Ravinder. He made the supreme sacrifice for the nation,” Jitendra added.
Ravinder’s cousin Ramesh said he was a brave, highly motivated and sincere man who always encouraged youth of the village to join the Army.
“He (Ravinder) would be known for his devotion to duty. A large number of people from nearby villages are likely to attend his last rites,” said Ramesh.
Ravinder’s last rites will be performed at Shaheed Park in the village and a statue of his will also be installed in his remembrance, said the villagers.
Summon me, not my officer if you want any clarification on law & order ; Punjab CM to Governor
Summon me, not my officer if you want any clarification on law & order ; Punjab CM to Governor
SAYS IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT GOVERNOR BOWED TO BJP’S MALICIOUS PROPAGANDA
SAYS DAMAGED MOBILE TOWERS CAN BE REPAIRED BUT FARMERS’ DYING AT DELHI’S BORDERS CAN’T BE BROUGHT BACK
Chandigarh, January 2, 2020 : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday took strong exception to the Governor summoning the state’s top brass instead of seeking a report directly from him, as home minister, on the law and order situation in response to the malicious and politically motivated of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
While the propaganda of the BJP on collapse of law and order in the state was nothing more than a tactic to divert attention from the Farm Laws issue and the resultant farmers’ agitation, if the Governor nevertheless had any concerns on the situation, he should have taken up the matter directly with him (Captain Amarinder) as custodian of the Home Portfolio, said the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister was reacting to the Governor summoning the Punjab Chief Secretary and DGP to question them on the alleged law and order problems in the state amid sporadic incidents of damage to some mobile towers.
Captain Amarinder slammed the state BJP leadership for adding fuel to the fire, with their irresponsible statements, in the already surcharged atmosphere triggered by the draconian Farm Laws. He termed it a vicious game-plan of the party to undermine the peaceful agitation of the farmers by terming a few minor incidents of damage to some mobile towers as a law and order problem.
“These damaged towers can be, and are being repaired, but what about the lives of the farmers lost in the bitter cold at the Delhi borders, where they continue to fight for their rights amid total apathy from the BJP-led government at the Centre?”, asked the Chief Minister. He expressed shock over the fact that not a single BJP leader had expressed any concern over the deaths of protesting farmers, including some by suicide. “The lost lives cannot be recovered,” he pointed out, asking the Punjab BJP leaders to stop politicizing a peaceful agitation with their ill-conceived comments.
Instead of the slandering of the farmers with terms like `Naxalites’, `Khalistanis’ etc., the BJP should press their central leadership in the Government of India to heed the voice of the `Annadaatas’ and revoke the black farm laws that were threatening the livelihood and future of the farming community. “At a time when the very existence of our farmers is at stake, the BJP leaders are busy indulging in petty politics and also dragging the Constitutional officer of the Governor into their unsavoury agenda,” he added.
Terming as `unfortunate’ the fact that the Governor had bowed to these antics of the BJP, the Chief Minister observed that it had taken just a day for the former to react to the state BJP leadership’s complaint of purported law and order collapse in Punjab. This was in sharp contrast to the prolonged delay in sending to the President the State Amendment Bills, passed by all political parties (barring BJP) in the Vidhan Sabha, for assent, he pointed out.
Captain Amarinder also mocked the BJP Punjab unit’s allegations of assault on democracy in Punjab by the Congress, calling it a shameless act of the pot calling the kettle black. “A party that has virtually destroyed every single democratic institution in the country has no business calling anyone else undemocratic,” he quipped.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha serves ultimatum on govt; to hold tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day if ‘demands not met’
Ravi S Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 2
The ‘Samyukt Kisan Morcha’ on Saturday served an ultimatum on the Union Government to accede to the demands of repealing of the three agri-farm laws, failing to which they would resort to a march towards Delhi on January 26 — Republic Day.
The ultimatum of a face-off with the government comes two days ahead of its scheduled meeting with the farmer’s organisations to break the impasse over the farm laws.
The decision for the January 26 agitation was taken at a meeting of the seven-member Coordination Committee of the morcha.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha interacts with the media about the ongoing talks with the Government of India and the future course of action of the farmers’ movement in New Delhi on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal
The Morcha, which is among others in the vanguard of the farmers’ protest against these farm laws, is a conglomeration of farmers’ organisations.
Announcing the morcha’s proposed march, the committee members said the “farmers’ republic parade” will take place after the official parade.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha interacts with the media about the ongoing talks with the Government of India and the future course of action of the farmers’ movement in New Delhi on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal
A mobilisation campaign will be launched across the country from January 6 to 20 regarding the proposed march.
“We intend to be peaceful and we told the Government of India a long ago during our talks that it has only two options — either repeal the three central farm acts or use force on us to evict us,” the Committee’s members said, and added that January 26 was chosen because the Republic Day represented the supremacy of the people.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha interacts with the media about the ongoing talks with the Government of India and the future course of action of the farmers’ movement in New Delhi on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal
They further said by the time of the march the farmers would have demonstrated patiently and peacefully at Delhi’s borders, their resolve for two full months in extreme weather conditions to get their demands met.
The government will hold the seventh round of talks with the farmers on January 4 on their demands.
Farmer leader Darshan Pal Singh said their proposed parade will be called “Kisan Parade” and it will be held after the Republic Day parade.
The next round of talks between the government and the protesting farmer unions is scheduled to be held on January 4. On Friday, the unions had announced that they would have to take firm steps if the meeting fails to resolve the deadlock.
After the press conference, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar told PTI that farm unions are hopeful for the January 4 meeting, but they cannot trust the government going by their experience with them.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at three Delhi border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur for more than a month, demanding repeal of the three farm laws, a legal guarantee for minimum support price for their crops and two others.
Asked about the route and timing for their ‘Kisan Parade’, Pal said unions will announce it later.
The farmer leader said their plan for the proposed tractor-march on Kundli–Manesar–Palwal (KMP) highway on January 6 will remain unchanged, which he said is “rehearsal” parade of their “January 26 tractor parade”.
Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav said it is a “plain lie” that the government had accepted 50 per cent of the farmers’ demands. “We have got nothing on paper yet,” he said.
“We were peaceful, are peaceful and will be peaceful, but will stay at Delhi borders until new farm laws are repealed,” another farmer leader said.
Farmers’ leaders made it clear that in the last round of talks, the government agreed to two minor demands of the farmers’ movement – even these are yet to be secured in writing or legal form – the major demands of the protesting farmers remain unresolved.
“On the demand to repeal the three central farm acts, the Centre had asked the farmers’ organisations to come up with ‘alternative proposals’ and the farmer leaders responded by saying that there is no alternative other than repeal.”
“The government has refused to agree, even in principle, to our demand for legal right to purchase at MSP. We have no alternative,” Samyukt Kisan Morcha said in a statement later.
Farmer leader B S Rajewal pointed out that the court has also said ‘peaceful march protest’ is one’s right, adding “we are not here for confrontation”.
After the sixth round of formal negotiations on Wednesday, the government and farm unions reached some common ground to resolve protesting farmers’ concerns over rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning, but the two sides remained deadlocked over the main contentious issues of the repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP).
Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Choduni said, “In our last meeting, we posed a question to the government that will you buy 23 crops on MSP. They said ‘no’. Then why are you misinforming the people of the country?”
So far, over 50 farmers have been “martyred” during our agitation, union leader Ashok Dhawale said.
“First they called it is a Sikh farmers’ protest, than a north- India protest, now when it is taking place not only country-wide, but worldwide. I fear the government now might tell people that it is taking place in only ‘earth’ and not on any other planet,” he said.
The government has presented these laws 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. — With PTI
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