Farmers' stir LIVE: Farmers write to Centre, take hard line on agenda for Dec 30 talks

22:51 December 29

Farmers’ agitation on the outskirts of Delhi against the three contentious agricultural laws entered day 34 on Tuesday, on a day when the sixth round of talks between the government and the farm unions were expected to take place.  As soon as the videos of this unique langar surfaced on social media, called ‘Pizza Langar’ it made headlines and garnered compliments from across the country. Meanwhile, farmers are also providing services by doing tailoring and stitching dresses. 

21:49 December 29

Copies of farm laws burnt as BKU's Bhanu, Lok Shakti factions stay put in Noida

Farmers burnt copies of the three new agri-marketing laws at the Delhi-Noida border on Tuesday, even as they remained resolved in their demand for withdrawal of the contentious legislations for the 29th day.

At the Chilla border, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) supporters, hailing from various districts of western Uttar Pradesh, also practised march-past, saying they are preparing to hold a parade on the Republic Day if their protest extends till January 26.

The Delhi-Noida Link Road via Chilla remained partially closed due to the farmers'' agitation, according to a police official.

“The Delhi to Noida carriageway is open but the other side on the road is closed,” the official said.

After burning a copy of the new laws, Yogesh Pratap Singh, the UP unit chief of the farmers'' union, said, “BKU Bhanu members are resolved to stay put in protest until the legislations are repealed by the Centre.”

21:47 December 29

Hema Malini pitches for farm laws

Actor-politician Hema Malini on Tuesday pitched for the three new agri-marketing laws, saying the Narendra Modi government has now given farmers more options to sell their crops. “Ever since the BJP-led government came to power, it is making every effort to increase the farmer’s income,” Mathura’s BJP MP told reporters through a video link. Earlier, she also talked to officials here through video conferencing. Chanting the “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” slogan, Hema Malini praised both soldiers and farmers. She appealed to farmers and their unions to give up their protest over the new farm laws and sit across the table with the government to remove their apprehensions. She asked them to have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him their well-wisher.

21:47 December 29

Green jalebi, marriage procession: Farmers look at unique ways to grab eyeballs

 

Serving ''green jalebis'' to taking out a ''baraat'' (wedding procession), farmers protesting at Singhu border here are using innovative ways to communicate their grievances and demands to the central government.

A group of farmers from Mohali in Punjab have been serving special green jalebis (sweet), saying it symbolised the colour of their crops and the prosperity associated with it.

"We have been distributing green jalebis from the last few days. Nearly five quintals of the sweet are distributed everyday," Jasvir Chand, a protesting farmer, said.

"The green colour of the sweet symbolises Green Revolution as well as peace and tranquillity," Chand''s companion Baldev Singh (65) said at the protest site.

"We have been peacefully protesting against the three new farm laws of the central government for over a month. Although the government has not accepted our demand, we are determined to continue the protest peacefully," he said.

Notably, many curious people queued up to taste the ''green jalebi'' which is usually available in golden colour.

21:46 December 29

Farmers, sympathisers continue to target telecom towers

Dozens of telecom towers in Punjab continued to be damaged by protesting farmers and sympathisers on Tuesday, ignoring the state government order to crackdown on those vandalising telecommunication masts.

Power supply to towers belonging to Reliance Jio was snapped and cables cut in parts of the state as farmers vented their anger on the infrastructure owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's firm as they saw him along with infrastructure tycoon Gautam Adani as major beneficiaries of the three new farm laws.

Neither Ambani's Reliance group nor Adani's companies are in the business of procuring food grains from farmers.

Sources with knowledge of the matter said as many as 63 towers were damaged on Tuesday.

21:45 December 29

Faced unprecedented vilification campaign for helping protesting farmers: Khalsa Aid India director

Khalsa Aid India, an NGO known for providing aid to people in distress, said the 'vilification' faced by the organisation for helping their 'own people' during the ongoing farmers protest was 'unprecedented'.

Registered separately as a charitable trust in 2013, Khalsa Aid India has been camping from day one of the farmers protest at the two major protest sites of Singhu and Tikri. Initially serving only langars, they shifted attention to the other important needs of the protesting farmers when others too started free community kitchens.

The NGO is currently running a 600-bed full-to-capacity night shelter along with the two 'Kisan Malls' which provide various items of daily use, such as inner wears, thermals, toothbrush and sanitary pads to those in need.

Amarpreet Singh, the director of Khalsa Aid Project (Asia Chapter), told PTI that a team of six full-time employees and over 150 volunteers from across the country were working tirelessly at different protest sites.

21:45 December 29

Tomar, Goyal met Amit Shah a day before crucial talks with farmers

Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal on Tuesday met home minister Amit Shah in the national capital ahead of the crucial sixth round of talks with farmers agitating over the three farm laws. The key representatives from the government discussed and finalised the government’s position for their talks with the farmers

21:44 December 29

Farmers write to Centre, take hard line on agenda for Dec 30 talks

Protesting farmer unions Tuesday wrote to the Centre on the talks scheduled between the two sides on Wednesday, saying the discussion will only be on the modalities of repealing the three legislations, giving a legal guarantee on the MSP, and on two other issues they proposed earlier this week for a resumption of the dialogue.

The government has invited the protesting farmers for the sixth round of talks on Wednesday.

In its letter on Tuesday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which represents 40 farmer unions, said the modalities for repealing the three contentious laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) must be part of the agenda for the talks.

18:15 December 29

Free WiFi hotspots to be set up at Singhu for protesting farmers: AAP''s Raghav Chadha

AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Tuesday said free WiFi hotspots will be set up at Singhu border for the farmers who have been camping there for over a month protesting the three Central farm laws.

Addressing a press conference, he said the decision has been taken by "farmers'' ''sevadar Arvind Kejriwal".

"We want the farmers to stay in touch with their family. We have identified a few spots to install the WiFi hotspots. This is an initiative of (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal and the party," Chadha said.

He said the first hotspot will be installed within a day or two and more such facilities will be set up depending on the demand.

"Each WiFi hotspot will cover a radius of 100 metre. The initiative has been taken after the farmers complained of limited availability of Internet in the area," the AAP leader said.

"We are starting with the Singhu border. But as and when demand arises we will expand it to other border points too (where farmers are protesting) and install more such hotspots," Chadha added.

Farmers from various parts of the country have been camping at different border points of Delhi for over a month now to demand repeal of the three agri laws which were voted through in Parliament in September amid strong protests by opposition parties.

Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party have come out strongly in support of protesting farmers. Earlier this month, he had visited Singhu border sites, and reviewed arrangements made for farmers by the AAP-led city government.

18:14 December 29

Ahead of talks with govt, protesting farmers defer proposed tractor march

Protesting farmer unions have deferred to Thursday their proposed tractor march against the contentious agriculture laws, so that the rally does not clash with their talks with the government on Wednesday.                     

The unions have agreed to hold the next round of talks with the Central government on Wednesday, but insist the agenda of the meeting should include discussing modalities for repealing the three legislations.

Earlier this week, Samyukt Kisan Morcha—an umbrella body of 40 unions leading protests at Delhi border points --- had announced a tractor march from the Singhu and the Tikri borders to the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Highway on December 30.

18:13 December 29

Govt bulldozed three farm laws; Agriculture can't be run sitting in Delhi: Pawar

NCP supremo and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday accused the Centre of bulldozing three new farm laws without consulting states and asserted that agriculture cannot be run "sitting in Delhi" as it involves farmers toiling in distant villages.

As farmers'' protest on Delhi borders against these laws has entered its second month and five rounds of talks so far have failed to resolve the crisis, Pawar also raised questions about the composition of the three-member ministerial group negotiating with the unions, saying the ruling party should have put forward leaders with "in-depth" understanding of agriculture and farmers' issues.

The former union minister said the government needs to take the protests seriously and it was "unfair" on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to blame opposition parties for the agitation by farmers.

He said opposition parties will take a call on their future course of action on Wednesday if the government fails to resolve farmers' issue in the next scheduled meeting with representatives of 40 protesting unions.

On Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's claim that Pawar as the then agriculture minister during the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government also wanted farm reforms but failed to do so due to political pressure, the NCP leader said he certainly wanted to bring some reforms in the sector but "not in the way" BJP government has done, and they were different from the current ones.

Pawar said he consulted all state governments before initiating the reforms and didn''t move forward until all their reservations were resolved.

18:13 December 29

If Govt again ignores farmers' issues in Dec 30 meeting, opposition parties will sit and decide next course of action: Sharad Pawar.  

18:13 December 29

BJP should've included leaders with 'in-depth' understanding of agri, farmers' issue in ministers' group negotiating with unions: Pawar.

18:13 December 29

If the opposition was strong, wouldn’t have to agitate: BKU’s Rakesh Tikait

“If the Opposition were strong, what was the need for farmers to launch the agitation,” says Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait.

18:04 December 29

Anti-farm bill demonstration lathicharged in Patna, several injured

Patna:Several people were injured in Patna on Tuesday in a lathicharge at a busy crossing in the heart of the city when police personnel tried to stop a procession, taken out in protest against the farm laws from heading towards the Raj Bhavan.

The march started from Patna famous Gandhi Maidan and the police blocked the protest at Dak Bungalow Chowk, using barricades and batons, resulting in a clash. The protesters were mainly led by members of various Left parties and unions.

Earlier, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Mahasabha, affiliated to CPI (ML), state secretary, Ramadhar Singh, said besides the farmers the sharecroppers also participated in the Raj Bhawan march.

''In the first protest against the zamindari system the farmers had shown their unity and now against these three controversial laws the farmers of the whole country are up in arms.''- Ramadhar Singh, state secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Mahasabha

The farmers are protesting the three controversial farm laws passed by the Centre in September. 

16:00 December 29

Another Punjab farmer dies at Delhi border during protests

Another farmer from Punjab died of pneumonia during the ongoing protests against the three farm laws in Delhi. Sardar Piara Singh, 37, from Mansa's Dharampura village breathed his last  this morning at Delhi's Tikri border.

15:33 December 29

Mamata Banerjee demands repeal of draconian laws

We are with the farmers. We demand the three draconian agriculture laws be withdrawn: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

15:33 December 29

Leaders of 25 farmers’ organisations meet agriculture minister Tomar in Delhi, submit letter in support of the farm laws.

15:33 December 29

Police detains protesters outside Haryana CM's residence

Punjab Pradesh Congress Sewa Dal protests outside Haryana CM ML Khattar’s residence against the farm laws, in Chandigarh. Protesters detained after trying to cross police barricades.

13:46 December 29

Govt hopeful about talks

Former cabinet minister of Punjab Sujit Kumar Jyani in an exclusive interaction with ETV Bharat said govt is hopeful.  

He said," After meeting with Union Home minister Amit Shah on December 8, union government sent proposals to farmers leaders which were rejected by unions. Now the farmer unions have themselves approached for meeting and the government gracefully accepted.  

This matter can be solved only with table talks and we are hopeful for meeting on Wednesday.

"When asked about alleged attacks on BJP workers in Punjab, Jyani said those are notorious elements and not farmers. He said," Farmers are protesting peacefully from one month at various places and not even a single incident of violence is reported. We know these are notorious political elements who are trying to disturb peace for their own gain.  

None of our leaders ever said anything against farmers." We are constantly in touch with our senior leadership and farmer leaders. I am hopeful for a positive outcome on Wednesday and end of this protest, he added.

MP and MoS Som Prakash and Harjit Singh Grewal have also reached Delhi before meeting on Wednesday. 

11:19 December 29

 Locals from Delhi hold Prabhat Ferri

 Locals from Delhi hold Prabhat Ferri by involving them to encourage farmers on 33rd day of protest

11:17 December 29

Hema Malini appeals farmers to end protest

MP and former Bollywood actress Hema Malini has appealed the farmers to end the farmers' protest that has been going on from the last 33 days. Hema Malini said that our Prime Minister will never let down the farmers of the country.

06:20 December 29

Farmers agree to govt proposal for talks on Dec 30

New Delhi: Protesting farmer unions Monday agreed "in-principle" to a government proposal for holding the next round of talks on the new agricultural laws on December 30, but insisted the agenda of the meeting should include discussing modalities for repealing the three legislations.

The farmers' acceptance of the proposal came hours after the Centre sent them a letter suggesting December 30 as the date for the dialogue, against December 29 the protesting unions wanted.

Abhimanyu Kohar, a member of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha -- an umbrella body of 40 unions protesting against the contentious legislation -- said the farmers have agreed to go for the meeting on the date proposed by the Centre.

"In our letter sent to the government on December 26, we had clearly mentioned that repeal of three farm laws and legal guarantee for MSP should be part of the agenda for fresh talks, but despite this, the government in letter today has not mentioned any specific agenda," Kohar said.

But, we have agreed in principle to hold talks with the government," he said.

The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) in a statement said the protesting farmers want the meeting to include four specific agendas including "modalities to be adopted for the repeal of the three Central farm Acts".

However, the government has used "vague and unspecific language", indicating its willingness to discuss the full agenda items proposed by farmers, it alleged.

The government's latest invite followed a proposal made by unions last week to hold the talks on Tuesday, December 29, on agenda including modalities for the repeal of the three laws enacted in September.

Kohar said the government proposing to hold the talks on December 30, instead of agreeing to farmers' suggestion of December 29, exhibits the Centre wants show who is in command.

Meanwhile, the Singhu border where thousands of farmers have been camping in protest against the new laws since November 28, visibly swelled up on Monday as new protestors joined in over the weekend.

Navigating the highway-turned-township became challenging with the pathways being cramped as tractors and trolleys of new protestors occupied more and more space at the protest site.

Having already completed one month, the farmers said they were prepared for a long haul, and that essentials such as food and clothing are coming in sufficient quantities to sustain their agitation.

Apprehensive that the new laws will lead to the elimination of the MSP regime and the mandi system, the farmers have been demanding the three legislations be repealed.

The government, on the other hand, has been projecting the laws as major reforms in the agriculture sector.

Several farmers who had gone to their villages after spending a few days at the protest sites have returned with their families.

Amrinder Singh from Patiala had gone back home on December 4, and returned on Saturday with his wife and sister. "More people are coming in, and to keep our fight going, each house in every village in Punjab is giving Rs 1,000."

"More people will be coming from Fatehgarh Sahib on January 2 after a religious event there gets over," he said.