NEW DELHI: As farmers protested the three farm laws entering the third week, representatives from more than two dozen farmers unions observed a one-day hunger strike on Monday. The unions claimed that demonstrations were held in various parts of the country. Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind kejriwal as well as several leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) joined the fast to support farmers.
Meanwhile, the defense minister Rajnath singh He reiterated that agriculture was a “mother sector” and that no “step back” could be taken against it.
Here are the 10 key developments of the day:
1. The leaders of around 32 farmers’ unions observed a one-day hunger strike at the Singhu border in Delhi to protest against the new agricultural laws. The hunger strike started at 8 in the morning and ended at 5 in the afternoon, although talks with the government remained inconclusive. Unions said more people are expected to join the ongoing unrest, which entered the third week. United Farmers’ Front said leaders also kept a two-minute silence on the alleged deaths of more than 20 protesters on the Delhi borders in the past 18 days.
2. Delhi Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal joined AAP leaders, MLA and volunteers at the party office to quickly observe in support of protesting farmers and said the three laws will lead to “immense inflation. and they will only favor a few capitalists “, as he described the” anti-peasant and anti-common “legislation. “I call on the parties to stop playing dirty politics on the issue of farmers. These laws are anti-farmers and anti-aam aadmi and are intended to benefit a few capitalists. These laws will lead to an immense inflation through hoarding, “Kejriwal said. He said the new farm laws will lead to immense inflation and will only favor a few capitalists. He said the new farm laws “give license to inflate,” as he called the “anti-farmer and anti-common man” legislation.
3. Shiv Kumar Kakka, one of the peasant leaders who observed the hunger strike, said the main purpose of the fast was to draw the government’s attention to their problem. “We wanted to send a strong message to the government that it is not just an agitation of Punjab farmers but also an agitation of farmers across the country. We have support from across the country. But because the trains don’t work, farmers can’t come or those who come are being detained, “he said.
Four. In Punjab and Haryana, farmers raised slogans outside the district commissioners’ offices and held protest marches. Haryana police closed the Ambala-Patiala highway after protesters gathered at the Shambhu border point, adjacent to Punjab. Hundreds of farmers have stayed on the Haryana-Rajasthan border when they were prevented from moving towards the national capital. “Tens of thousands of farmers are moving into Delhi from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and other states, and the number of farmers protesting on the Delhi borders is increasing,” said a peasant leader.
5. Several borders in the national capital remained closed on Monday due to continued protests from farmers. The Delhi Traffic Police took to Twitter to inform people of the road closures and advised them to take alternative routes to avoid inconvenience. In a series of tweets, the Delhi traffic police said: “The borders of Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, Sabholi and Mangesh are closed. Please take alternative routes through the toll tax borders of the schools of Lampur, Safiabad and Singhu. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba and GTK. ” Pl avoid Outer Ring Rd, GTK road, NH-44… The Ghazipur border is closed to traffic coming from Ghaziabad to Delhi due to protests from farmers. People are advised to take an alternative route to get to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Chilla, Apsara Borders and Bhopra. ”
6. The Indian National Lok Dal announced that it will “boycott” the upcoming municipal elections in Haryana in protest against the “atrocities” that are allegedly being committed against farmers by the Center and the state BJP-JJP governments. Elections for municipal bodies in Haryana are scheduled for December 27. INLD and MLA party senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala, in a statement issued here, alleges that BJP ministers are “insulting” protesting farmers by calling them “terrorists and traitors”.
7. The PNC in Maharashtra claimed that the BJP “somewhere” wanted to brand those who speak out in support of the poor and farmers as “Naxalites or terrorists”. In a video message, the minister of state and national spokesperson for the PNC, Nawab Malik, alleged leaders of the BJP have been using terms such as “Naxalites, urban Naxals and Khalistanis” and are also claiming the hand of China and Pakistan in relation to the ongoing protests by farmers for a repeal of three farm laws.
8. A leader of the Bharatiya Kisan (Bhanu) Union began an indefinite fast at the Chilla border between Noida and Delhi on Monday. Yogesh Pratap Singh, head of the BKU-Bhanu’s Uttar Pradesh unit, was joined by dozens of supporters, including the union’s national president and his father Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh.
9. In a speech at the annual general meeting of the FICCI chamber of industry, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that recent reforms in the sector have been carried out with the best interests of farmers in mind and that the government is always there ” open to discussion and dialogue “. “This is not about taking retrograde action against our agricultural sector. Recent reforms have been undertaken with the best interests of Indian farmers in mind,” he said. “However, we are always ready to listen to our fellow farmers, allay their misgivings and provide assurance that we can provide them. Our government is always open to discussion and dialogue,” Singh added.
10. A delegation of MPs and MLA from Haryana BJP met with Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and supported the three new agricultural laws. The Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Ratanlal Kataria, MPs from Lok Sabha Dharamveer Singh and Nayab Singh Saini and Rajya Sabha MP DP Vats and some MLAs were present at the meeting. After the meeting, Rohtak BJP MP Arvind Sharma said that state MPs and MLAs came to thank the central government for agreeing to amend certain provisions of the farm laws. A delegation of BJP leaders from Chandigarh asked Rajnath Singh to deliberate on the issue. The delegation consisted of Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma and Union Minister Som Prakash, along with state party leaders, including Surjit Jyani and Harjeet Grewal. Punjab leaders are believed to have discussed the farmers’ ongoing unrest and also briefed Singh on the terrain situation in the state.
Why do farmers protest?
Farmers from different states have been camping at Delhi’s Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points for more than two weeks to demand the repeal of farm laws enacted in September. Farmers protesting at Delhi’s border points have expressed fear that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum price support system, leaving them at the “mercy” of large corporations.
On the other hand, the government has argued that the new laws will provide farmers with better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.
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