In their seventh attempt to end the jam on the three agricultural laws, ministers representing the central government and 40 agricultural union leaders are set for talks in Delhi on Monday. Two key demands from farmers are expected to be on the table for the government to consider.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the platform for agricultural unions, has upped the ante and said that thousands of farmers will arrive in the capital on their tractors for their own Republic Day parade if their demands are not met by January 26. . Republic Day – An Event of Global Significance – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scheduled to attend.
Meanwhile, a 70-year-old farmer, who was part of the agitation against farm laws at UP Gate in Ghaziabad, reportedly died by suicide in a portable toilet near the protest site on Saturday. So far, 47 people have died at various protest sites since farmers began their agitation against three controversial farm laws passed by Parliament in September last year, said the national spokesman for the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Rakesh Tikait.
Despite the ongoing rains and cold snap in northern India, farmers agitating against the Center’s agricultural laws stood firm on the borders of the national capital and continued their protest for the past 39 days.
Why are farmers protesting?
In one of the largest strikes in decades witnessed by India, farmers are demanding that the Center repeal the three contentious laws. Basically, the laws change the way India’s farmers do business by creating free markets, as opposed to a decades-old network of government markets, which allow traders to store essential commodities for future sales and establish a national framework. for contract farming.
These laws are the Agricultural Products Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Act of 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Guarantee and the Agricultural Services Act of 2020 and the Essential Products (Amendment) Act. 2020.
Here are the latest updates:
2:15 pm: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweets in favor of farmers
12:49 pm: Agricultural leaders arrive at Vigyan Bhawan to meet with ministers, talks begin shortly
11:58 am: Hope government takes a humane approach, says agricultural union leader
Hannan Mollah, Secretary General of All India Kisan Sabha before today’s talks with the government, said: “It is up to the government whether it wants to solve the farmers’ problems or conspire against the farmers to stop their struggle. We hope the government takes a humane approach to farmers. “
11:26 am: Farmers unions reiterate demand for repeal of agricultural laws
The leaders of the farmers’ unions reiterated Monday that nothing less than repeal of the central farm laws will be acceptable to them.
Ahead of the eighth round of talks with the central government on the issue, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesman Rakesh Tikait said: “Many issues will be discussed today. The government must understand, the farmer has taken this move to heart and will consider no less than the repeal of these laws. The government should implement Swaminathan’s report and enact laws on MSP. “
The Deputy Secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sukhwinder S Sabra, also threatened to hold a tractor march if the unions’ demands were not met.
10:55 am: Reliance Jio will move Punjab and Haryana HC
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), through its subsidiary Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, in a petition mentioned to be filed today in Punjab and Haryana High Court, has sought urgent intervention from government authorities to completely stop the illegal acts of vandalism by criminals. RIL said.
These acts of violence have endangered the lives of thousands of its employees and caused damage and disruption to vital communications infrastructure, points of sale and services run by its subsidiaries in the two states, RIL said in a press release. .
10:45 am: The government is likely to discuss clause by clause of farm laws with farmers once again
With the eighth round of the meeting between the farmers’ unions and the central government scheduled for today, the ‘clause-by-clause’ discussion on three farm laws is expected to take place between the two if the farmers remain firm in their demand for repeal the law. laws.
Government sources said that with two demands by farmers’ unions (the repeal of the three farm laws and the legalization of the minimum subsistence price (MSP)) that have not been resolved, the Center is likely to discuss the farm laws clause for clause, as it did initially. before the MSP issue. The exercise was previously conducted by the government to understand farmers’ objections against the laws.
10:11 am: Chilla and Ghazipur borders in Delhi remain partially closed
The Ghazipur and Chilla borders connecting Delhi with Ghaziabad and Noida remain partially blocked on Monday with only one road open for those leaving Delhi. At both borders, traffic heading towards Delhi was diverted, and farmers blocked a road as they continued their agitation against three new farm laws.
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