LIVE: Hopeful of positive outcome at Jan 4 meet, says Agriculture Minister

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting at various borders of the national capital for more than a month against the laws

12:15 AM

Farmers to hold tractor rally on Jan 6 if talks fail

Farmers' organisations under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, after a meeting at Singhu border, on Friday said that if the talks with the government on January 4 fail then they will intensify the protest and hold a tractor rally on January 6.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) General Secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal told IANS, "The topics of the next round of talks with the government were discussed in the meeting. The government has agreed to our two demands, but two important demands are yet to be discussed on January 4. If these two demands are not negotiated during the talks with the government, then a tractor rally will be taken out on January 6."

Friday marked the 37th day of the farmers' protest against the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Production and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020. The farmers are demanding withdrawal of all the three laws, while the government has agreed to amend the laws as per the suggestions of the farmers. The farmers will be taking up the issue during the 6th round of talks with the government.

10:24 PM

57-year old farmer dies of heart attack while protesting at Ghazipur border: Police

A 57-year-old farmer died of heart attack while protesting against the Centre's farm laws at the Ghazipur border here on Friday. Mohar Singh, a resident of Bhagwanpur Nangal village in Baghpat district, was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, an official said.

Indirapuram DSP Anshu Jain told PTI that as per medical information, the farmer died of a heart attack. Commenting on the incident, the state president of the BKU, Rajbir Singh, said all those farmers who died during the protest against the farm laws must get the status of a martyr.

The body was wrapped in a BKU flag. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait paid homage to him. On the eve of the New Year, a tribute was paid to all farmers who died during the protest. A candlelight march was also brought out.

9:37 PM

Punjab CM hopes for early resolution of farmers' problems, freedom from Covid

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday greeted the people on New Year, with hopes and prayers of early resolution of the problems of the peacefully protesting farmers.
 

Congratulating the farmers for continuing to exercise their democratic and Constitutional right to protest in a peaceful manner, the Chief Minister said they had won the hearts of the people worldwide with their behaviour. "Not a single instance of rioting or violence was resorted to by the agitating farmers earlier during their protest in Punjab, and now at the Delhi borders," he pointed out.

Expressing the hope that 2021 will see a new era of progress being ushered into the state, with the problems of the farmers being quickly solved, the Chief Minister asserted that his government would do everything in its power to push development and resolve any other issues facing the state.

9:01 PM

Farmer from Baghpat dies at Ghazipur Border protest site

Amid freezing temperatures in Delhi and adjoining areas, a farmer from Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh died near Ghazipur border on Friday while protesting against new agricultural laws enacted by the central government, IANS reported.

 

The farmer, Galtan Singh (57) was a resident of Bhagwanpur Nagal village in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh, said Saurav, an associate of Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who is leading the farmers from Uttar Pradresh demonstrating at the Ghazipur Border.

 

Saurav told IANS: "Galtan Singh was in good health and fit and but he suddenly felt uneasy with complaint of chest pains and was taken to the hospital but he died on the way. The body has been sent to his village," he informed.

8:32 PM

Punjab CM hopes for early resolution of farmers' problems, freedom from Covid-19

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday greeted the people on New Year, with hopes and prayers of early resolution of the problems of the peacefully protesting farmers. Singh also emphasised on the importance of industry and communications for the state's progress and employment generation for children.

 

While hoping for freedom from the pandemic, he also appealed to all Punjabis to continue to exercise caution and restraint amid the outbreak of a new more contagious strain of COVID-19 in many parts of the world.

 

Congratulating the farmers for continuing to exercise their democratic and Constitutional right to protest in a peaceful manner, the Chief Minister said they had won the hearts of the people worldwide with their behaviour. "Not a single instance of rioting or violence was resorted to by the agitating farmers earlier during their protest in Punjab, and now at the Delhi borders," he pointed out.

7:43 PM

Hopeful of positive outcome at Jan 4 meet; not an astrologer to predict future: Agriculture Minister

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday said the government is hopeful of a "positive outcome" at its next meeting with farmers' unions on January 4 but refrained from predicting whether the seventh round of talks will be the last one, saying he is not an astrologer. Speaking to PTI, the minister said that the last meeting held on December 30, 2020, happened in a cordial atmosphere and there is a possibility of positive results in the interest of farmers and of the country's farm sector at the next meeting.

 

On farmer unions sticking to their demand for the repeal of three farm laws and rejecting the government's proposal to suggest alternatives, Tomar said: "We will see."

 

Asked whether he expects the January 4t meeting to be the last one, the minister said: "I cannot say for sure now. I am not an astrologer. I am hopeful that whatever decision would be arrived at (in the meeting) will be in the interest of the country and of the farmers.

7:13 PM

Over 850 academics sign open letter in support of farm laws

More than 850 faculty members of various educational institutions across the country have come forward with a signature campaign in support of three contentious farm laws, against which thousands of farmers are protesting on borders of the national capital for over a month. In an open letter, these individuals have said they strongly believe in the government's assurance to farmers that their livelihood would be protected and the food would not be taken away from their plates.

 

They further said that the new laws would free farm trade from all restrictions and enable farmers to do all transactions at competitive prices.

 

"The Union government has repeatedly assured the farmers that these three bills on farm trade wouldn't do away with Minimum Support Price (MSP), but rather free the farm trade from all illicit market restrictions, open the market beyond 'mandis' and further assists the small and marginal farmers to sell their produce at market/competitive prices," the letter signed by 866 persons said.

7:04 PM

BJP and Jannayak Janata Party leaders will face protests in Haryana: Farmer leader

6:43 PM

Farmers protesting on Haryana-Rajasthan border to move towards Delhi: Unions

6:41 PM

Only 5% issues have been discussed in meetings with govt so far: Farmer union

6:31 PM

Will hold march at Kundli-Manesar-Palwal on Jan 6 if demands not met: Farmer Union

6:17 PM

Farmers' stir: UP to launch massive farmers' outreach programme from Jan 6

In the backdrop of the ongoing farm stir on Delhi's borders, the Uttar Pradesh government will launch a massive farmers’ outreach programme titled ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’ from January 6.

 

The three-week agenda, part of the broader theme of doubling the rural income, will cover all the 400-plus assembly constituencies spanning 75 districts of the state.

 

There are an estimated 23 million farmers’ households in UP, of which more than 21 million or 90 per cent are small and marginal farmers with fragmented land holdings and subsisting on low farm income. READ ON...

5:38 PM

Tikri, Dhansa, Singhu borders to be closed due to farmers protest: Delhi Traffic Police

Several borders of the national capital continued to remain closed due to the ongoing farmers' protest against the Centre's farm laws, including the Tikri, Dhansa, and Singhu borders, the Delhi Traffic Police informed on Friday.

 

"Traffic Alert: Tikri, Dhansa Borders are closed for any Traffic Movement. Jhatikara Borders is open only for cars, light motor vehicles, two wheeler and pedestrians. Available Open Borders to Haryana are following - Jharoda (Only Single Carriageway/Road), Daurala, Kapashera, Badusarai, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera Borders," the Delhi Traffic Police wrote on Twitter.

 

The police further informed that the Chilla and Gazipur borders are closed for traffic coming from Noida and Ghaziabad to Delhi, and told commuters to take alternate routes via Anand Vihar, DND, Apsara, Bhopra, and Loni Borders.

 

"Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, Saboli, and Mangesh borders closed. Please take alternate routes via Lampur Safiabad, Palla and Singhu school toll tax borders," the police said, further informing that traffic had been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road.

 

3:57 PM

Farmers' protest: NGO installing bio-toilets at Singhu border for women

With more women joining the farmers' protest at the Singhu border here over the last few days, an NGO is installing bio-toilets made using recycled material to ensure that they don't have to worry about the lack of basic amenities. Days after farmers from different states set up camp at various border points of Delhi to protest the Centre's new agricultural reforms in late November last year, many women protesters were forced to head back home due to the unavailability of clean toilets and bathing spaces.

 

"This is the first time we are doing a project at a protest site. Someone sent me a picture of a street here which was completely covered with fecal matter. So, we thought we should come here and do something," said Ashwini Agarwal, the founder of Basicshit, an NGO working for sanitation issues.

 

Each toilet will have a 10-foot-deep pit. Sawdust and charcoal will be used to remove the odour, he said. The pits have been dug on the roadside. The recycled material is sourced from multiple vendors across the county. Each toilet costs around Rs 60,000, he said.

3:31 PM

Turban langar by 'Khalsa Youth Group' at Singhu Border for protesting farmers today