Farmers Movement Archive

Security tightened around Jantar Mantar as 'Kisan Sansad' enters Day 2

Barely two kilometres away from the ongoing monsoon session at Parliament, security remained heightened around Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday as 200 farmers hold their 'Kisan Sansad' or farmer's parliament for a second day to protest against the three agricultural laws.The early visuals from the heart of the national capital showed thick barricading by Delhi Police on Friday morning at the designated protest site ahead of the arrival of farmers to continue their agitation. Security personnel from the Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were seen armed with anti-riot gear in the area.On the first day of the farmers' parliament, police used barricades along with metal detectors been placed on either side of the Jantar Mantar and two water cannons have also been stationed.Additionally, the security has been heightened at the Singhu border - a protest site at Delhi's entry point used by the farmers for nearly eight months now. The Delhi Police personnel have also escorted the farmers to the Singhu border to and back from Jantar Mantar.The farmer protesting against the three farm laws since November last year have said that the current agitation is being held to reiterate to the government that they are continuing to hold it after the union lost close to 600 people in the last eight months.The Kisan Sansad will run alongside the monsoon session till August 13 - the last day of Parliament.Farmers on Thursday said their parallel parliament will discuss the 42 anti-farmer laws brought by the Centre after 2014 and also pass a resolution declaring that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anti-farmer.The demonstration comes almost six months after violent protests broke out in parts of Delhi during a tractor rally carried out by farmers on January 26.The farmers' protests are the longest such demonstration in decades of independent India. Farmers have maintained that the laws, forced in by the government, essentially change the way India’s farmers do business by creating free markets, as opposed to a network of decades-old, government marketplaces, allowing traders to stockpile essential commodities for future sales and laying down a national framework for contract farming.These laws are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.The farmers claim these laws will benefit big corporate houses. The government has, however, tried to allay these fears and even said that it is ready to discuss changes to the law. The government has made it clear that it won’t scrap these laws and held at least 12 rounds of talks with the agitating farmers.

Hindustan Times

23-07-2021

India