Updated: December 14, 2020 10:41:00 pm
New Delhi: Farmers on the Singhu border during their sit-in protesting the Center’s agricultural reform laws in New Delhi, Monday, December 14, 2020. (PTI)
Intensifying their agitation against the Center’s controversial farm laws, leaders of around 32 farmers’ unions observed a one-day hunger strike at the Singhu border in Delhi on Monday. The hunger strike started at 8 in the morning and ended at 5 in the afternoon, although talks with the government remained inconclusive.
The unions said more people are expected to join the ongoing unrest, which has now entered its third week. According to the PTI news agency, United Farmers’ Front said the 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. Several borders of the national capital remained closed due to the ongoing turmoil. Undeterred by the harsh winter weather, protesters in Tikri, Ghazipur and Singhu said they are determined not to give in until their demand is met.
Meanwhile, the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government is engaging with farmers’ leaders to decide the next date for the talks. “The reunion will definitely happen. We are committed to the farmers, ”Tomar said, quoted by PTI. Tomar, reiterating that the government is ready for discussion at any moment, said that farmer leaders have to “decide and transmit” when they are ready for the next meeting.
Tomar, who is leading the negotiations with 40 farmers’ unions, along with Food Minister Piyush Goyal and State Minister for Commerce and Industries Som Parkash, also met with a delegation of MPs and MLA from Haryana BJP who extended their support. to the three new agricultural laws.
However, the leaders of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), who had organized an event to demand the release of jailed activists last week, decided to distance themselves from the one-day hunger strike.
Sitting outside the district headquarters in Punjab, Haryana
Following a nationwide call by their unions against the new central laws, farmers also raised slogans outside the district commissioners’ offices and held protest marches in Punjab and Haryana.
Protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Ludhiana. (Express Photography: Gurmeet Singh)
In Punjab, protests took place in various districts, including Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Bathinda, Moga, Faridkot, Ferozepur, and Tarn Taran. In Haryana, protests were reported from Fatehabad, Jind, Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Bhiwani, Kaithal and Ambala.
As a result, the Haryana police also had to close the Ambala-Patiala highway for a few hours after protesters gathered at the Shambhu border crossing with neighboring Punjab.
“Farmers held protests in front of the deputy commissioners’ offices in various places in Punjab,” Bhartiya Kisan (Ekta Ugrahan) Union Secretary General Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said, according to the PTI news agency. “Protest marches were also held,” he said. Despite the cold weather, farmers, including women and children, participated in the riots in large numbers, the union leader said.
New Farm Laws Will Lead to Massive Inflation: Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who along with other AAP, MLA leaders and volunteers observed a one-day fast in support of protesting farmers, said the new farm laws will lead to immense inflation and only favor a few capitalists.
Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is heading during a one-day hunger strike to support farmers, protesting against new agricultural laws, in New Delhi.
“I call on the parties to stop playing dirty politics on the issue of farmers. These laws are anti-farmer and anti-aam aadmi and are intended to benefit a few capitalists. These laws will lead to immense inflation through hoarding. These laws give license to inflate, ”said Kejriwal. “Don’t think you are doing a favor by supporting farmers. Farmers are doing a favor by protesting these laws. “
However, Kejriwal’s support for the hunger strike called by farmers’ union leaders was called “nothing but hypocrisy” by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
“@ArvindKejriwal, this is your hypocrisy. He promised to amend the APMC Act in the Punjab assembly elections. He notified a farm bill in Delhi in November 2020 and he is fasting today. Nothing but hypocrisy, ”Javadekar tweeted.
Meanwhile, AAP leader and spokesman Raghav Chadha said Monday that whoever calls farmers protesting the new agricultural marketing laws as “anti-national” is against the country, and should go to Pakistan.
The AAP MLA said some people refer to agitator farmers, who are the country’s food providers, as “anti-nationals.”
आज किसानों के एक दिवसीय उपवास के समर्थन में दिल्ली विधानसभा में गांधी जी की प्रतिमा के नीचे एक दिन के उपवास पर बैठा हूँ। pic.twitter.com/IMO84bLxqE
– Ram Niwas Goel (@RamNiwasGoelAap) December 14, 2020
Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel also observed a fast in support of farmers.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the Center was open to discussion of agricultural laws and that it was not about taking “backward” measures against the agricultural sector. Singh also said that recent farm laws, which farmers want removed, were adopted with farmers’ best interests in mind.
Addressing the 93rd annual general meeting of the FICCI, Singh said: “Agriculture has been a sector that has been able to avoid the adverse effects of the pandemic and, in fact, it has turned out to be the best. Our products and acquisitions have been abundant and our warehouses are full. “
“This is not about taking retrograde measures against our agricultural sector ever. However, we are always ready to listen to our fellow farmers, remove their misgivings and offer them guarantees that we can provide. Our government is always open to discussion and dialogue, ”said Singh, who is considered a moderate, pro-farmer leader in the ruling BJP.
Will launch a hunger strike if agricultural problems are not resolved: Anna Hazare
Activist Anna Hazare, who has repeatedly expressed her solidarity with farmers protesting the new farm laws, said on Monday that she will go on a hunger strike if she demands such autonomy as the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and implement the Minimum Support Price. (MSP) the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission are not met.
In a letter written to Tomar, Hazare reminded the government of promises taken to him by Tomar’s predecessor, Radha Mohan Singh, in February 2019.
-PTI inputs
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