Rakesh Tikait, farmer rights activist and leader of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).
| Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K.

Chandigarh:

The Centre will hold a meeting with Punjab’s protesting farmers on February 14 in Chandigarh to discuss their demands, a senior official of the Union government said on Saturday evening.

The breakthrough came after a delegation of officials from the Union Agriculture Ministry, led by joint secretary Priya Ranjan, met fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and held a meeting with the representatives of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

The central government delegation also urged Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered 54th day on Saturday, to take medical aid so that he can participate in the proposed meeting.

Speaking to reporters at the Khanauri protest site, Ranjan said a high-level delegation was sent by the Centre keeping in mind the deteriorating health of Dallewal.

“We enquired about his health and held a meeting with the representatives (of protesting farmer bodies),” said Ranjan.

He said that the meeting will be held in Chandigarh on February 14.

“We urge him (Dallewal) to break his fast, take medical aid so that he can participate in the meeting,” he said.

Four rounds of meetings had taken place between the Central ministers and protesting farmers on February 8, 12, 15 and 18 last year, but talks had remained inconclusive.

Earlier in the day, farmers protesting at the Khanauri and Shambhu border points between Punjab and Haryana said they have received a proposal from the central government which they will discuss.

Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 last year. The farmers pitched their tents there after security forces refused to allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Farmer leader Dallewal, the convener of the SKM (Non-Political), has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point since November 26 last year.

Farmers earlier said Dallewal’s condition is “critical”. Dallewal has lost about 20kg and has refused any medical aid during his fasting, they said.

On Saturday, 10 more farmers began a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point. The number of fasting farmers has now increased to 121. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

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… all these things have been kept out of our bandh call,” he said.

Meanwhile, 70-year-old farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike entered its 35th day on Monday.

Mr Dallewal has so far refused medical treatment.

Hundreds of farmers have been protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border demanding a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Mr Dallewal had earlier said he would not break his fast until the government agreed to the farmers’ demands.

The top court has given the Punjab government time till December 31 to persuade Mr Dallewal to shift to a hospital, granting the state the liberty to seek logistical support from the Centre, if necessary.

Farmers, under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

A “jatha” (group) of 101 farmers attempted to march to Delhi on foot three times between December 6 and 14 but were stopped by security personnel from Haryana.

Besides the MSP, farmers are also demanding a debt waiver, pension, no hike in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

Farmers blocked train routes at several places in Punjab on Wednesday as part of their three-hour ‘Rail Roko’ protest to press the Centre into accepting their various demands, including a legally binding minimum support price for crops.

The call for the ‘rail roko’ has been given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers have been squatting on rail tracks at many places from 12 noon and will continue to be there till 3 pm.

The places where the protest was supposed to be held included Moga, Faridkot, Kadian and Batala in Gurdaspur; Phillaur in Jalandhar; Tanda, Dasuya, Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur; Makhu, Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur; Sahnewal in Ludhiana; Shambhu in Patiala; Mohali, and Sunam and Lehra in Sangrur.

Farmers under the banner of 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.

For the past three weeks, Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops.

A “jatha” (group) of 101 farmers made three attempts to enter Delhi on foot on December 6, December 8 and again on December 14. Haryana security personnel did not allow them to proceed.

Besides a legal guarantee on MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Workers weigh and pack paddy bags at a grain market.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Amid complaints and protests by farmers’ organisations in Punjab that paddy procurement from the State has been delayed, the Centre said on Saturday (November 9, 2024) that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the State agencies have procured 120.67 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) paddy from the State.

Watch | What is Minimum Support Price?

The Centre said so far 6.58 lakh farmers in the State have received the benefits of procurement with minimum support price (MSP) worth ₹27,995 crore. “As such paddy procurement is going on smoothly,” the Union government said.

“A total quantity of 126.67 LMT of paddy has arrived in the Punjab mandis as of November 8, 2024, out of which 120.67 LMT has been procured by State agencies and the FCI,” the Food Ministry said in a statement. ‘A’ Grade paddy is being purchased at MSP at the rate of ₹2,320 per quintal and the total paddy purchased till date in the ongoing kharif marketing season (KMS) amounts to ₹27,995 crore. “Further, 4,839 millers have applied for shelling of paddy and 4,743 millers have already been allotted work by Punjab State Government,” the Centre said.

Earlier, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had protested against the delay in paddy procurement. The SKM had alleged that with the FCI delaying procurement of milled rice of last season, rice mills are unable to keep and process the fresh stock of paddy.

“The procurement of paddy for KMS 2024-25 has commenced in Punjab from October 1, 2024 and 2,927 designated mandis and temporary yards are operational throughout the State for smooth procurement from the farmers of Punjab. The Central government has fixed an estimated target of 185 LMT for paddy procurement for the ongoing KMS 2024-25 which shall continue up to November 30, 2024,” the Centre said and added that the paddy procured from the mandis is in full swing and the paddy being lifted is more than the quantity arriving daily.

New Delhi:

Thousands of farmers on Thursday participated in the ‘Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat’ at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan where a resolution was passed to intensify the protest against the Centre’s policies regarding the farming sector and to continue the stir during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

This was perhaps the biggest gathering of farmers in the national capital after their agitation at Delhi’s borders ended in 2021 following the repeal of the three contentious farm laws by the Centre.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer organisations that spearheaded the 2021 protest, adopted the resolution to “intensify the fight against the policies of the Union government to save farming, food security, land and livelihoods of the people”.

It also vowed to continue its stir during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls if its demands are not met, according to the resolution.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters, “We held a meeting here and a message has gone to the government that farmers of our country are united. The government should talk to us to resolve the issue. This agitation is not going to stop anytime soon and it will spread from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.”

Mr Tikait said the government wants to destroy the country by turning the farmers into labourers.

“They have already ended the ‘mandi’ system in Bihar and now they want to do it across the country. This way, they want the farmers to become labourers,” he said.

He also said the government wants to break the unity of farmers by forming different farmers’ unions.

“They want to divide us based on caste, religion, regionalism and language,” he charged.

Krantikari Kisan Union leader Darshan Pal, who also participated in the mahapanchayat, said the demands of the farmers have been neglected for years.

“We have been holding agitations since 2021 and their charters have already been sent to the President and the Prime Minister but nothing has happened so far,” he said.

“Today, we discussed the same issues and again informed the farmers who came here from various parts of the country about our demands. We also passed a resolution to continue our agitation and target the policies of BJP during the election period as well,” he added.

Mr Pal also showed his displeasure over the limited gathering permitted by the Delhi Police at the Ramlila Maidan.

“We were not allowed to come to Delhi. The permission for the ‘mahapanchayat’ was given at the eleventh hour with several restrictions like only 5,000 farmers could come. The farmers were not allowed to go to gurdwaras and they were also stopped at railway stations,” he claimed.

The farmers also raised slogans against the Union government at the protest venue. Several women farmers also joined the protest.

There were yellow, red, blue and white coloured flags that were carried by different farmers signifying their affiliation to different farm unions.

Farmers from states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal had come for the mahapanchayat.

Harman Singh, a farmer from Punjab’s Patiala, said he arrived in the capital on Wednesday night.

“We want the Centre’s policies to be pro-farmers. We also want our demand for an MSP (minimum support price) on crops to be fulfilled,” he said.

Ravinder Singh, a farmer from Punjab’s Bathinda, said action should be taken against the accused in the violence that erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri in October 2021.

“We want action against the person who drove his car over farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. The family members of the victim should get compensation and a government job,” he said.

Layak Singh, who was carrying a small plough on his shoulder, said he came to Delhi from Himachal Pradesh and was upset with the policies of the Centre.

“My family completely depends on farming and if the situation of the farmers remains the same, we will have to opt for some other work,” Singh said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Protesting farmers will start marching towards Delhi to press their various demands to the central government today. The announcement has prompted the police to increase security at the Punjab and Haryana borders.

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), the two umbrella bodies that are leading the farmers’ protests, on March 3 gave a call to farmers from across the country to reach the national capital today.

They also called for a four-hour countrywide “rail roko” next week in support of their various demands, which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the crops.

The protesting farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after their “Delhi Chalo” march was stopped by security personnel on February 13.

While the farmers from Punjab and Haryana will continue the agitation at Shambhu and Khanauri border points, the farmers and farm labourers from other states have been asked to reach Delhi today.

Farmers’ ‘Rail Roko’ Protest

To intensify the agitation, farmer leaders have also called upon the farmers and labourers across the country for the ‘rail roko’ protest on March 10.

They have announced a countrywide ‘rail roko’ protest from 12 pm to 4 pm.

Farmers’ body Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which spearheaded the 2020-21 agitation, has also announced a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Delhi on March 14.

The SKM said that over 400 farmers’ outfits will participate in the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ to press the Centre to accept their demands.

Delhi Police Step Up Vigil

The Delhi Police has directed its personnel to ensure strict vigil at the Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders in view of the farmers’ protest.

Additional police and paramilitary forces have also been deployed at railway and metro stations and bus stands.

The police said checking will be intensified at various locations and that there may be traffic congestion in the capital.