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Farmer Protests
Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha were stopped from going to Chandigarh for their week-long dharna beginning Wednesday in support of their various demands, with multiple barricades and checkpoints set up across Punjab and security stepped up at all entry points of the Union Territory. The Morcha, which is a conglomerate of more than 30 farmer bodies, had given a call for the dharna in Chandigarh starting March 5 in support of their various demands. Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General of Police H S Bhullar said the protesting farmers will not be allowed to reach Chandigarh at any cost. "Wherever any farmer came out (on roads), police of that area stopped them," Bhullar said. Farmers, who left for Chandigarh in tractor-trolleys and other vehicles on Wednesday morning, were stopped by the Punjab Police at many places. In Moga, Krantikari Kisan Union district Moga president Jatinder Singh said they were stopped at Ajitwal in Moga district by the police when the
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the meeting with farmer leaders was held in a cordial atmosphere and the next round of talks will take place in Chandigarh March 19. A fresh round of talks between the protesting farmers and a central team led by Chouhan to discuss the formers' various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP on crops, was held here on Saturday evening. Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal also attended the meeting on Centre's behalf. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Chouhan said the discussions with the farmers took place in a cordial atmosphere. The central team placed the farmers' welfare programme, which is the priority of the Narendra Modi government, before the farmers during the meeting, Chouhan said. "We heard the views of farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher. A very good discussion took place. The discussions would continue and the next meeting will be held in Chandigarh on Mar
If the Centre's intentions are right, it should hold a meeting with the protesting farmers at the earliest rather than on February 14 which has been fixed now, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said on Sunday. His statement came a day after the Centre invited the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) for talks on February 14 at Chandigarh. "Dallewal's (farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal who has been on a fast-unto-death since November 26) health is worrisome. The ministry should hold the meeting with protesting farmers at the earliest," Khuddian told PTI on Sunday. "If their (Centre's) intentions are right then they should hold talks within a day or two." On Saturday, a high-level central delegation led by Ministry of Agriculture Joint Secretary Priya Ranjan met farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and representatives of SKM (Non-Political) and KMM at the Khanauri border point, and invited them for resumption of talks on February ...
A group of 101 farmers will resume on January 21 their march to Delhi from the Shambhu border point to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on Thursday. The "jatha" (group) of 101 farmers earlier made three attempts to head towards Delhi on foot on December 6, December 8 and December 14, last year at the Shambhu border. They were not allowed to proceed by security personnel in Haryana. The fresh move of protesting farmers came a day after a group of 111 farmers began a fast-unto-death on the Haryana side of the border near Khanauri in solidarity with fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered its 52nd day on Thursday. Speaking to reporters at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana on Thursday, Pandher, who is the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader, slammed the central government for not accepting the demands of farmers who have been
Farmers blocked roads at many places across the state on Monday as part of their Punjab bandh call, hamstringing the commuter traffic. A call for a shutdown was given last week by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha over the Centre not accepting the demands of protesting farmers. The bandh will be observed from 7 am to 4 pm. Farmers observed a sit-in at Dhareri Jattan Toll Plaza which affected vehicular movement on the Patiala-Chandigarh National Highway. At Amritsar's Golden Gate, farmers started to assemble near the city's entry point while in Bathinda's Rampura Phul, they blocked roads. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Sunday said though there will be a complete bandh, emergency services will be allowed to operate. "The bandh will be observed from 7 am to 4 pm. However, emergency services will remain operational. Anyone travelling to the airport to catch a flight or anyone going to attend a job interview, or anyone needs to attend a wedding... a
For a state that witnessed two elections of great significance this year and accounted for more than 20 per cent of athletes in India's Paris Olympics contingent, it is only fitting that the year's top newsmakers came from two fields: politics and sports. Add to the mix, the issues of farmers and farming -- farmers' protest remained a constant underrunning theme in the state's sociopolitical discourse through the year -- and Haryana's 2024 round-up is almost complete. As Haryana seemed to be settling into the regular humdrum of daily politics after high-pitched election season came the unsettling news of the passing of its five-time chief minister and political stalwart Om Prakash Chautala. He died on December 20 at the age of 89. The state entered 2024 with a great deal to look forward to for everybody: a BJP looking to repeat the 2019 feat of winning all 10 LS seats and also retaining power in assembly, a Congress emboldened by projections it would wrest back a large number of ...
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday urged the Centre to give up its "stubbornness" and hold talks with farmers who are protesting at the state's border over various issues, including a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. Farmers led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. Farmer leader from Punjab Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a hunger strike at the Khanauri border since November 26 to put pressure on the Centre to accept the farmers' demands. As his fast entered the 27th day on Sunday, doctors termed his health condition "critical". In a post on X, Mann said the central government should give up its "stubbornness" and open the way for talks with the farmer organisations. "If Modi ji can stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, then can't he talk to the farmers
Hours before the resumption of the farmers' protest march to Delhi from the Shambhu border, the Haryana government on Saturday suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 12 villages in Ambala district to maintain "public peace". The suspension will remain in force till December 17, according to an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Sumita Misra said. "It has been brought to my notice by additional director general of police, CID, Haryana and deputy commissioner, Ambala that in view of the call for Delhi Kooch given by certain farmers' organisations, there is an apprehension of causing tension, annoyance, agitation, damage of public and private property and disturbance of public peace and tranquillity in the area of districts Ambala," the order said. Misra said the order to suspend mobile internet in Dangdehri, Lehgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Choti Ghel, Lharsa, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar (Hira Nagar, Naresh Vihar), Saddopur, Sultanpur and Kakru villages i
Slamming the Centre, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said farmers are pleading for justice because the Modi government "betrayed them again and again", and asserted that the tillers' right to raise their voice should not be taken away from them. Kharge asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why farmers have to come to Delhi's doorstep again and again for justice. "Today, when you will be on a tour to Haryana and Rajasthan, I hope that you will definitely try to understand the struggle of the farmer who provides food to the nation. Farmers are pleading for justice because your government has betrayed them again and again," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X. "The betrayal of not doubling farmers' income by 2022, the betrayal of not implementing Input Cost + 50% MSP as per the Swaminathan report, and the betrayal of forming a committee to give legal status to MSP but not acting on it," he said, slamming the Modi government. Kharge claimed that there was neither ..
The Congress on Friday reiterated its support for farmers' demands and said their protests have received a "huge booster dose" from no less a person than Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. The opposition party's assertion came ahead of a scheduled march by a group of farmers to Delhi from their protest site at the Shambhu border on the Punjab and Haryana border. Also, the remarks comes days after Dhankhar, speaking at a ceremony to mark the centenary of ICAR-CIRCOT in Mumbai, said, "Agriculture minister, I request you to please tell me, what was promised to the farmer? Why was the promise not fulfilled? What should we do to fulfil the promise? There was a movement last year, there is a movement this year, too." Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh noted farmers are marching to Parliament Friday. "Their protests received a huge booster dose from no less a person than the Vice President and Hon'ble Chairman of the Rajya Sabha himself," Ramesh said in his po