Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers to welcome New Year at Singhu as protest continues | 10 points

Several thousands of farmers who are on the roads protesting the three agriculture laws will welcome the new year away from their homes and families. A group of farmers on Thursday broke through barricades at the Shahjahanpur border between Rajasthan and Haryana in their attempt to enter Haryana. The Haryana police used a water cannon and tear gas which resisted some, while some others managed to push past the barriers.Here are the latest updates:1. Though agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar repeatedly requested the union leaders to send women, children and old people back to their homes, protesters are not budging. According to Kisan Ekta Morcha’s Twitter handle, 74-year-old Jal Kaur who is wheelchair-bound has joined the protest at Singhu.2. Several farmers are sitting at Rajasthan-Haryana border after they were stopped from moving further into Haryana. A group of protesters on Thursday broke through the police barricades at the Shahjahanpur border with Rajasthan. The Haryana Police on Thursday used a water cannon and tear gas on them. Farmer leaders at the site made it clear that the protesters who forced their way into Haryana did not have their consent.3. At Singhu, protesters are ushering in the New Year eve in their own way. Some have decided to do ‘sewa’ as they have done in the past. A ‘turban langar’ will be put up for all farmers. Many farmers don’t have a fresh turban. The langar will distribute turban. 4. On Thursday, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar again said he will leave politics if he fails to secure minimum support price guarantee to farmers. Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala too said the same committing to MSP for farmers.5. The Kerala Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution demanding the immediate withdrawal of the three contentious central laws. BJP’s lone member in the Kerala Assembly, O Rajagopal, supported the resolution, in a surprise move.6. The Rajasthan government has decided to run a week-long ‘Kisan Bachao-Desh Bachao’ campaign from January 5 in all villages of the state.7. The Aam Aadmi Party has installed five hotspot devices at the Singhu border on Wednesday. 8. Farmers’ protest in Punjab has taken a worrisome turn as over 1,600 mobile towers have been damaged for which the Governor has summoned the chief secretary and the DGP. Reliance Jio has written to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh seeking his intervention for action against those responsible for the incidents of “sabotage and vandalism”.9. As the talks between the farmers and the Centre are going on, a common ground has been reached on the issue of stubble burning and power tariff rise. 10. No consensus has been achieved on the issue of MSP as the farmers are demanding a legal guarantee for MSP.The next meeting which will be the seventh round of meeting will take place on January 4. While the Centre is hopeful of a resolution in the meeting, the farmers have said they won’t withdraw protest until the laws are repealed.

Hindustan Times

31-12-2020

India