Farmers Protest: Another Meeting Between Union Ministers, Protesters On Thursday; Singhu & Tikri Borders Sealed

Our live coverage of farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest has moved here.

Delhi Traffic Police on Wednesday issued a traffic advisory to be followed in and around the Singhu border as NH-44 is inaccessible for traffic because of farmers’ protest.

Another round of meetings is likely between the union ministers and protesting farmers in Chandigarh on Thursday.

The first meeting with the Union ministers was held on February 8 in which detailed discussions with the leaders of farmer organisations took place.

AAP MP Sandeep Pathak on Wednesday said that the party is supporting the protesting farmers.

“Farmers’ protest is very unfortunate. First, the BJP accepted the demands of these farmers and then forgot to fulfil them. Farmers are demanding what should rightfully be theirs. Farmers of the country stand in support of the protesting farmers. We stand with the farmers,” he said.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the Grameen Bandh called on February 16.

“We want an immediate end to this repression and meaningful talks have to be conducted. On Feb 16, there is going to be a big nationwide action program, including some sectoral industrial strikes along with the trade unions. This is something that the Modi govt cannot ignore. It has to immediately concede,” he said.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), along with central trade unions have called for a Gramin Bharat Bandh (nationwide strike) on February 16 to press forth their demands before the Centre.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday said that the government needs to respect the farmers and they are failing to do so.

“We’ve never heard of drones being used to fire tear gas shells on the farmers and all sorts of barricades that have been erected. They are trying to stop the march of the farmers to Delhi. Respecting the farmers and respecting the people who feed all of us, is required of this government,” said Yechury.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday asked what was the need to bring the three black farm laws.

“When this government brought those three black laws for the farmers, questions arose as to what was needed. Those three laws would have privatised our agriculture sector… The Swaminathan Committee report said that the MSP should be 1.5 times the detailed cost of production. He gave the Bharat Ratna to MS Swaminathan and also Chaudhary Charan Singh, all this is hypocrisy.”

A virtual meeting has been called between protesting farmers and the Union Minister Piyush Goel and Arjun Munda at around 7 pm.

The protesting farmers will announce their next course of action after the meeting.

More than two years after a massive agitation by farmers resulted in heavy losses for them, traders and shopkeepers at Delhi’s Singhu border are again looking at tough times with a fresh round of protests threatening their businesses.

It is the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by farmers from Punjab this time and it began on Tuesday with thousands moving in trucks, tractor-trolleys and on foot.

Farmers protesting at the Haryana- Punjab Shambhu border have come up with a unique way to deter police drones from dropping tear gas shells.

The Haryana Police is using drones to drop tear gas shells on farmers to deter them from entering the state and heading towards the national capital as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest.

Haryana Police lobbed tear gas shells at farmers from Punjab at the Shambhu border between the two states as thousands of protesters stayed put there on Wednesday, the second day of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday clarified that political parties participating in the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest are not a part of their movement.

“Political parties from the opposition can support us but that doesn’t mean they are part of this movement. This is a farmers’ protest and not a political one. We are ready for talks and the government has come up with a solution,” he said.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday clarified that political parties participating in the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest are not a part of their movement.

“Political parties from the opposition can support us but that doesn’t mean they are part of this movement. This is a farmers’ protest and not a political one. We are ready for talks and the government has come up with a solution,” he said.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday condemned the closing and barricading of borders around Delhi and said farmers are rightfully protesting in the national capital.

“It’s a democratic right of the farmers to protest and come and be heard in the National capital. I don’t think the border with China is fortified the way this city is fortified. The government should have learnt a lesson from the previous farmers’ agitation- consult the stakeholders. Last time it took a year-long agitation before the government surrendered and withdrew,” he told ANI.

On the farmers’ march, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij says “The report on MSP came in 2004 when Congress was in power. Why didn’t they do anything in 10 years?… The farmers want to go to Delhi and have a conversation with representatives of the Govt but when they came to Chandigarh, the farmer leaders refused to talk to them. I am surprised that the Punjab Govt has released a notice asking us not to send drones to our border…. When farmers started moving from Amritsar, they did not even try to stop them. This clearly means that they want the farmers to create terror in Delhi. Stone pelting is going on and one of our DSP & 25 other police officers are injured in this…”

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Wednesday said the tillers will consider any invitation for talks from the Centre over their demands but it should ensure a positive atmosphere for dialogue.

He also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enact a law to guarantee the minimum support price (MSP).

“It is said that you (Modi) have a big heart. Give us a law to guarantee the MSP,” Pandher said.

When asked whether farmers have received any invitation for holding talks, he said it was being said that the Centre was inviting farmers for a dialogue.

Scores of farmers from Punjab continued to stay put at the two borders of the state and Haryana on Wednesday while security personnel fired some tear gas shells on the protesters at the Shambhu border near Ambala.

As the peasants gather there to resume their ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest, farmer leaders will first hold a meeting before moving ahead with their plan to break multi-layered barricades at the Shambhu border in an attempt to march towards Delhi.

With the farmers from several places in Punjab continuing to pour in to participate in the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, a large number of tractor-trolleys could be seen parked along the national highway on the Punjab side.

Jhajjar, Haryana: On security arrangements amid farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest, Jhajjar SP Arpit Jain says, “There is peace so far in our district. However, we have placed barricades as a preventive measure… If someone doesn’t follow law & order, legal actions will be taken… Pedestrians have been given space… I urge everyone to maintain peace and harmony…”

Bharatiya Kisan Union-Ugrahan (BKU-Ugrahan) on Wednesday announced that farmers will block the railway tracks in Punjab, tomorrow from 12 pm to 4 pm ,to show solidarity with the farmers marching towards Delhi.

Delhi: Union Minister Arjun Munda, who is also negotiating with the farmer leaders, says “…The way things are being said by (farmer) organisations and the way in which instead of solving the problems, they are trying to add to those problems, is creating difficulties for the people. I would request all the farmer organisations to take initiatives that can strengthen a way to solve the problem and to find a solution through dialogue, the government is completely ready for it…”

Farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march: “Majority of the arrangements have been made by the Delhi Police. (Meanwhile), we would try to stop them (farmers) at the Panipat-Sonipat border. We have put up our barricades there. Here we will play the complementary role to the Delhi Police,” says Satish Baliyan, CP (Sonipat), Haryana Police on security arrangements at Singhu border.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has spoken with a farmer injured in police action during the tillers’ protest march, and accused the Modi government of having a “dictatorial attitude” towards the country’s food providers.

Gandhi’s telephonic conversation on Tuesday night with the injured farmer, Gurmeet Singh, was facilitated by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Raja Warring who visited a government hospital in Rajpura town of Patiala district after the farmers clashed with Haryana Police.

In a post in Hindi on his WhatsApp channel, Gandhi said, “Talked on phone to former soldier Gurmeet Singh ji, who was seriously injured in police atrocities during the farmers’ movement.”

“Their (farmers’) demands should have been accepted. However, to hold discussions with them, they have selected a minister, who represents the corporates of the country. Piyush Goyal has been selected to hold talks, this is ridiculous,” says former Madhya Pradesh CM and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on farmers’ protest.

The Congress is now promising the moon to the farmers on MSP if it comes to power in 2024, but the UPA government in 2007 had rejected the MSP formula of the MS Swaminathan Commission, saying it will “distort the market” and be “counter-productive”.

The National Commission on Farmers (NCF) headed by Dr Swaminathan had recommended that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production.

However, when the National Policy for Farmers, 2007, was finalised by the then UPA government, this recommendation was not included. The recommendation continues to be the demand of the protesting farmers, who now also want a law guaranteeing MSP.

Here’s what Union MoS Ajay Mishra Teni said when asked about farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest.

“The BJP has always supported the farmers. Our governments have worked for them. While former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee started the Kisan Credit Card, PM Modi after taking the oath launched the Kisan Samman Nidhi for the farmers.”

“There is an attempt to make a perception about us. We have not come here for confrontation with the government,” says farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher at Shambhu border.

“I appeal to farmer organisations should not get inspire from political parties. There will be no solution because of the prevailing abnormal situation and protest. We always want fruitful dialogue with farmers and we are ready to talk. No decision can be taken on the law by protesting like this… Farmers should not take any decision in haste… Government is concerned about the farmers, we will find a solution…We will let you know when will the next talk happen,” said Union Minister Arjun Munda.

Farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march: “We have come for MSP of our crops, to demand compensation for our brothers who died in Lakhimpur (Kheri) and loan waiver. Farmers should get pension, we have come for our rights,” says Amandeep Kaur, who has come from Punjab’s Khanna district, at Shambhu border.

Visuals from Shambhu Border| Tear gas shells have been fired to disperse the agitating farmers who were approaching the Police barricade.

With protesting farmers seeking to march to the national capital, security remained tight on Wednesday with personnel deployed in huge numbers and barricades regulating movement in central Delhi and at border points with Haryana, which can cause hardships to commuters.

The traffic movement at Singhu (Delhi-Sonipat) and Tikri borders (Delhi-Bahadurgarh) is suspended, an official said, adding the security personnel in anti-riot gear are deployed and drones being used to keep an eye on the situation.

Multiple layers of barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails and container walls have been placed at Singhu and Tikri borders as well as Ghazipur border.

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said the Centre should initiate talks with protesting farmers instead of taking action against them. Her remarks come as protesting farmers from Punjab make an attempt to march to Delhi to press for various demands.

Mayawati said the government should take seriously the demands of the hardworking farmers who have made India self-reliant in food production. The Centre should resolve their issue in a timely manner so that the farmers are not forced to protest again and again in support of their demands, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a post on X.

“Instead of taking strict action against the agitating farmers under the current campaign of ‘Dilli Chalo’, it would be better if the Centre tries to end their movement by having proper talks with them,” she added.

Amid the ongoing protest by the farmers on Delhi borders, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) along with Central Trade Unions have called for a Gramin Bharat Bandh (nationwide strike) on February 16 to press forth their demands before the central government.

The SKM has called all the like-minded farmer organisations to unite and take part in the nationwide strike after farmers from Punjab and Haryana were stopped on the adjoining borders by the Delhi Police on Tuesday, leading to violence.

The nationwide strike, called the Gramin Bharat Bandh, is set to start from 6 am to 4 pm on February 16. In addition to the Bharat Bandh, the agitating farmers will also join massive chakka jams on main roads from 12 pm to 4 pm. Meanwhile, most of the state and national highways in Punjab will remain closed for four hours on Friday.

As the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest continues to move towards the national capital on Wednesday, traffic restrictions also continue to remain in place in Delhi-NCR areas.

Security has also been further beefed at many of the locations in Delhi and its connecting borders. Rapid Action Force personnel along with police teams and Riot Control Vehicle are deployed at the Singhu border to ensure maintenance of law and order situation.

Massive traffic snarls were also seen at the Ghazipur border, where security was further tightened on Wednesday.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, Police personnel and a riot control vehicle have been deployed at the Singhu Border in Delhi in view of farmers’ protest.

Farmers ‘Delhi Chalo’ march: “Our preparations are complete. Whatever the government is doing…our preparations are also complete,” says a farmer Gurlal Singh Kakkar at Shambhu border.

AICC general secretary organisation K C Venugopal has issued a circular to all Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents asking them to extend support to the Bharat Band called by the Farmers’ union on 16 February.

Venugopal has asked PCC presidents to ensure awareness is being raised in favour of Bharat Bandh.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait has called upon farmers to observe ‘Bharat Bandh’ on February 16 over several issues in the country including non-implementation of a law that guarantees MSP for crops.

Besides farmers’ groups, traders and transporters have also been asked to support the cause and observe a work strike that day, said Tikait, the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and central trade unions have also issued guidelines for their long-announced Gramin Bharat Bandh. While the Gramin Bharat Bandh will run from 6 am to 4 pm, farmers will join a massive chakka jam on main roads nationwide from 12 pm to 4 pm. In Punjab, most of the state and national highways will be closed for four hours, according to a report by Indian Express.

Multi-layer barricading at Ghazipur border of Delhi in view of farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. Traffic movement smooth as of now.

On farmers’ protest, Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, “We constantly say, maintain peace and participate in the discussion. If PM Modi can save Naval officers from death sentences in Qatar and bring them safely to the country, then we can find a solution through talks…Nothing will be achieved by violence or vandalism, it will cause harm to the country, so please continue the talks. I appeal to maintain peace and request the farmer leaders to join the talks…”