The agitating farmers met the central ministers on Wednesday after they were assured of holding a fresh round of talks regarding the demands put forward by them. Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai met the farmers in Chandigarh. This was the third meeting between farmers and central ministers. Protesting farmers have decided to maintain peace and not try and push their way through the barricades at the borders until the meeting takes place.
In a traffic advisory, the police announced that thorough checks will be conducted by setting up barriers at all the borders between Noida and Delhi. This will result in increased pressure on vehicle movement and traffic will be redirected as needed.
The police reportedly said, "People going to Delhi please use Metro as much as possible to avoid traffic inconvenience. Arrival of all types of goods vehicles will be restricted on the route from Yamuna Expressway to Delhi via Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and from Sirsa to Surajpur via Pari Chowk. To avoid traffic inconvenience, drivers can use alternative routes to reach their destination."
As the Delhi Chalo protest by farmers continued into its third day on Thursday, two crucial border crossings between Delhi and Haryana stayed shut to traffic.
Meanwhile, security forces in anti-riot gear carried out practice drills to ensure thorough readiness.
The Delhi Police has reportedly procured over 30,000 tear gas shells from the Border Security Force's Tear Smoke unit.
The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police announced on Thursday that they will be implementing restrictions under CrPC section 144, which includes prohibiting unauthorized public gatherings, throughout the district on February 16.
This decision was made in response to planned protest marches organized by the farmers' group Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and other unions.
Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai are the central government's representatives at the meeting with farmers.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has also joined the meeting.
Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai have arrived to hold the third round of discussion with leaders of protesting farmer unions in Chandigarh.
The Haryana government on Thursday extended the ban on mobile internet services in 7 districts till February 17 in view of the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' agitation.
These districts are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa.
On February 13, the state government had extended the suspension of these services for two days.
“I have never seen this much-extended struggle of farmers after independence. Didn't they (the central government) get time in this one year after the farm laws were repealed to communicate with the farmers?”
“When PM Modi himself was the Chief Minister, he used to demand the law for Minimum Support Price (MSP) from the UPA government, but what happened now?”, the former Rajasthan CM asked.
“Congress party is with the farmers, justice will prevail at the end."
The third round of crucial talks, a day ahead of the Grameen Bandh, is to begin shortly. Three Union ministers, Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai, will meet with fourteen leaders of farmer unions who participated in the 'Dilli Chalo' march in Chandigarh.
On the call for ‘Bharat Bandh’ on February 16 by farmer unions, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait told news agency PTI, “Farmers should not go to their farms and work tomorrow. A new line of thinking will emerge out of this. Labourers will also go on strike. This will show how many people are participating in the movement.”
On barricading and other preventive methods being used against farmers to block their entry into the national capital, BKU leader said, “Barricading is wrong. The barricading done on NH by the Haryana government to stop us (is wrong). Our demand is with the Government of India and we have no issues with Haryana (government). We appeal to the farmers to be patient and stay with the movement.”
On Farmers Protest, Binod Anand, Member, PM MSP Committee, told news agency ANI, "If this (legal guarantee on MSP) is the only way for the country's economic progress and farmers' welfare, we will leave no stone unturned in doing this. But when was the law on MSP guaranteed?”
“The PM never said that,” he added.
“These are hooligan farmers and a few politically inspired people. People in a particular state are using farmers in this manner against their political rivals. Nothing on the legal guarantee for MSP was ever said. We have to make agricultural policies that will be valid until 2075 so that financial inequalities go down,” the member of the Minimum Support Price Committee said.
“MSP is a complex subject; they should come and sit with us. I assure them that if I am unable to answer all their questions, I will resign from the committee. This is a drama and something to distract and break the nation," Anand concluded.
In 2020, farmers from the North Indian states, including Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, protested against three new farm laws passed by the government. The farmers feared that the laws aimed to reform the agricultural sector but were viewed by many farmers as unfair and threatening their livelihoods.
The laws weakened the existing system of government-regulated wholesale markets (mandis), lacked legal guarantees for Minimum Support Price (MSP), and allowed for more flexible contract farming agreements.
The protesting farmers demanded the repeal of these laws and the enactment of a law mandating MSP for all crops to ensure fair prices. They also sought exemption from rising electricity bills, which added to their financial strain.
After nearly a year of protests, the government finally agreed to repeal the laws in November 2021 and accepted most of the farmers' demands, in what was celebrated as a huge victory for the farmers.
Two years on, farmer unions argue that the government has failed to deliver on its promise to legally ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Speaking on the BJP government's action against farmers who are protesting for their demands to be met by the Centre, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said: "Administration of Ravan has crossed all Lakshman Rekhas."
She added that the BJP is not bothered even as farmers are protesting and the "country is burning."
Fourteen members of the farmer union—seven from each of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political)—are scheduled to meet with Union ministers today for the third round of talks.
Protesting the Haryana government's actions against farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, farmer unions BKU Ugrahan and BKU Dakaunda staged a four-hour rail roko in 15 Punjab locations, stopping rail services. Three cancellations, six diversions, five short terminations, and five short originations were reported by the Ferozepur Railway Division, affecting many routes. The rail roko took place in a number of locations, including Valla railway crossing, Rajpura, Sunam, Jethuke, Bhucho, Moga, Mansa, Malaut, Jagraon, Fazilka, Gur-har-sahai, and Ghsl Kalan, from 12 am to 4 pm.
(PTI Images)
Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni told news agency ANI that three decisions were taken today.
“The first is that we will keep Haryana toll-free for 3 hours tomorrow, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. the day after tomorrow. There will be a tractor parade in every Tehsil at 12 p.m. on February 18. There will be a joint meeting of all farmers' and labour organisations, and further decisions will be taken in that meeting."
A group of Karnataka farmers was arrested in Bhopal, MP, while they were heading from Bengaluru to Delhi to take part in the farmers' protest.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, has asked his counterpart in Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, to return the farmers from the state four days after the incident. According to Siddaramaiah, the farmers have remained in custody for four days and have not yet been released.
"It is now learnt that your police authorities are shifting them to Varanasi. Travelling to Delhi to participate in a peaceful protest is the Constitutional right of the people. It is highly unfortunate that farmers who are seeking better policies are being arrested and ill treated by police authorities in Madhya Pradesh," the letter said.
Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana, told reporters that while it is everyone's right to make demands and travel to Delhi, "the motive has to be seen."
“We have seen all of this last year, how a scene was created and they occupied various borders, which created problems for everyone. We have an objection to the way they are protesting,” the Chief Minister added.
“Tractor is not a mode of transport; they can come on buses or trains. Discussions should be done democratically so that a solution can be reached."
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, speaking to reporters on Thursday, said that people are fed up with the disruptions caused by agitating farmers.
"Creating scary picture in the name of protest, do they think that people will get away from Modi ji? They are mistaken. Today, people are getting fed up with such disruptions caused by them. They think that they will take their tractors-trolleys and go to the Red Fort? What scenes came out previous time? Does the country want this? People don’t want such things," he said.
He said talks between the protesting farmers and the Centre are the only way to address the farmers' issues.
He also asked the media to use designated areas to avoid injuries. "Media should follow the designated areas for parking their vehicles or for their operations to ensure their safety," he said.
On the Farmers 'Delhi Chalo' protest, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh told news agency PTI that it's intriguing that a political leader (PM Modi), who's facing such significant agitation from farmers and also facing anti-incumbency due to issues like unemployment, inflation, and regional divides, is travelling abroad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Qatar's capital, Doha, late Wednesday night, following his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he inaugurated the country's first Hindu temple, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, and addressed the 'Ahlan Modi' event.
In solidarity with the farmer unions who called for the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march in an attempt to put pressure on the Centre, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner faction) are staging 'Rail Roko' from 12PM to 4PM today by blocking railway track in Punjab's Rajpura.
Right ahead of the much awaited fresh round of talks with the central ministers today, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that PM Modi should speak to 3 Union ministers to resolve farmers' demands.
As farmers have paused the protest march ahead of the meeting with the Centre today, several visuals have surfaced on social media where they were seen busy preparing and distributing food at Shambhu border.
Commenting on the list of demands the farmers have put forward ahead of the meeting with the Centre, leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “Our demands aren’t 'repetition' but a matter of life and death for us. We will put forward our point in front of the ministers.”
Promising to pause the protest march until the meeting happens, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarvan Singh Pandher said, "Based on a message we got last night and Union Minister Anurag Thakur's call for dialogue, we spoke to everyone in the movement and decided that we would remain peaceful today and not try and push further from where we were. A meeting has been called for 5 pm tomorrow and we will continue our peaceful protest. No action will be taken from our side until then."
In solidarity with the agitating farmer unions, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner faction) have announced a ‘rail roko’ in Punjab on today between 12 noon and 4 pm, as per media reports.
“We stand with them in solidarity. To prove it, our supporters will hold rail roko (stop trains) at as many places as we can", BKU (Ugrahan) General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan announced.
Commenting on the meeting with central ministers scheduled today, the General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarvan Singh Pandher said, "We have a meeting with the ministers today, and we want PM Modi to have a conversation with them so that we can reach a solution for our demands. Or else, we should be allowed to protest peacefully in Delhi."
He further added, "We are going to attend the meeting in a completely positive mood today and we have full confidence that a positive solution will emerge from this meeting".
Farmers who gathered at Shambhu border this morning were seen preparing the morning tea before day three of the protest begins.
A meeting with the Centre is awaited today as the central ministers agreed to meet the agitating farmers for the third time to decide the next course of action.
With several rounds of tear gas and water cannons fired by police, the second day of the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march called by the farmer unions also turned into a day of violence after the day one where over 60 people were injured.
However, the second day ended on a slightly positive note as the Centre assured the protesting farmers of holding another fresh round of talks which is scheduled to take place today. As per reports, Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai will meet the farmers via video conferencing. Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher announced that the meeting with the Centre will be held at 5pm today. This will be the third meeting between farmers and central ministers.
Despite tightened security deployment across the Punjab-Haryana borders, hundreds of tractor trolleys were seen lined-up at Shambhu border as farmers continued the protest march with unwavering spirit.
Thousands of farmers embarked on their 'Delhi Chalo' march from Punjab on Tuesday, February 13, in an attempt to put pressure on the government to meet their demands. There march started amid heavy barricading at the Haryana-Punjab border and entry points to Delhi.
