Farmers' protests LIVE: Talks have made little progress, say unions

Farmers protest LIVE updates Day 8: Agitating farmers have urged the Union government to convene a special session of Parliament to repeal farm laws. Stay tuned for latest updates on farmers' protest

2:05 AM

Mamata expresses concerns over anti-farm law protests

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed her concerns over the ongoing anti-farm law protests being staged by the agitating farmers. "I am very much concerned about the farmers, their lives and livelihoods. The government of India must withdraw the anti-farmer laws. If it doesn't do so immediately, we will agitate throughout the state and the country. From the very start, we have been strongly opposing these anti-farmer laws," she tweeted. She said that the Centre is selling everything. "You cannot sell Railways, Air India, Coal, BSNL, BHEL, banks, defence etc," the CM said, giving an ultimatum to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government to withdraw the ill-conceived disinvestment and privatisation policy.

"We must not allow the treasures of our nation to be transformed into BJP's personal assets," she added. Banerjee said that her party, the Trinamool Congress, is slated to meet on Friday to discuss the issue internally. "We have called a meeting of the the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) on Friday. We will discuss how the Essential Commodities Act is impacting the common people and resulting in sky rocketing prices," the CM said, adding that the Central government must withdraw this anti-people law.

Meanwhile, Banerjee on Thursday also announced that the state government would give 3 per cent DA to all its employees in January 2021. "We give DA to all state government employees in January. This time also there will be no change. We will give 3 per cent DA to to them in January next year," she said.

1:50 AM

Protesting farmers step up agitation, block Ghaziabad-Delhi stretch on NH-9

Scaling up their stir against the Centre's new farm laws, thousands of protesting farmers from Uttar Pradesh blocked National Highway-9 near the UP Gate on Thursday while those from Punjab and Haryana stayed put at other border points leading to the national capital as they remained adamant on their demands. The protesting farmers had on Wednesday threatened to block other roads of Delhi in the coming days if the new agriculture laws are not scrapped soon.

Security personnel at border points - Singhu, Tikri, Chilla and Ghazipur - stand guard, with the ongoing protests entering their eighth day. The demonstrations are expected to continue as talks between three union ministers and a representative group of thousands of agitating farmers failed to yield any resolution on Thursday. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Naresh Tikait held a 'maha panchayat' at one of the protest sites -- Gazipur border. He said there was no midway for settlement on the issue of MSP, adding that the government must give assurance in writing to farmers.

Thousands of farmers, who were staying put at the Ghazipur Border under a flyover, suddenly started gathering with tractors at the NH-9 on Thursday leading to disruption of traffic from Ghaziabad to Delhi and later blockade of the busy stretch. "The local police have closed the routes on NH-9 and NH-24 from Ghaziabad to Delhi. On NH-1, both sides of the route have been closed near Shani Mandir," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted. Farmers from several districts of western Uttar Pradesh continued their sit-in demonstration at the Chilla Border between Noida and Delhi amid heavy deployment of security personnel.

The protest also led to partial closure of a key road connecting Noida and Delhi. One carriageway of the Delhi-Noida Link road from Delhi to Noida - was open for commuters, while the other side --- Noida to Delhi remained closed, causing inconvenience to travellers.

1:50 AM

Nashik: Farmers' organisations protest against new farm laws

Several farmers' organisations on Thursday held a protest in Nashik city of Maharashtra against the new farm laws brought by the Centre. The organisations, including Shetkari Samanvay Samiti, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Prahar, Janshakti, Chhava and Krantiveer, held demonstrations at the district collectorate in Nashik to express their solidarity with the farmers agitating in New Delhi.

They demanded that these farm laws should be rolled back immediately and warned of intensifying their agitation. The organisations alleged that due to the new farm laws, farmers and their lands will be at the mercy of the capitalists and these legislations have been passed for a few industrialists in the country.

Meanwhile, the city and district units of the Congress party also held protests against the new farm laws, alleging that the government was anti-farmers. The agitators said the Centre should cancel the law by December end.

11:43 PM

Said whoever commits suicide is coward, never said farmers are cowards: Karnataka minister

I'd said that whoever commits suicide is coward, never said farmers are cowards. They're nation's backbone. Govt has to look after them & ensure they don't commit suicide. History says suicide is cowardice. Not just farmers, whoever commits suicide is coward. Being the Agriculture Minister, I spoke about farmers. I have said farmers shouldn't commit suicide therefore there is no question of apology. Farmers have to live a good life, that's our intention, for that, we are doing our wor: BC Patil, K'taka Min

10:46 PM

94% farmers selling produce on MSP in Chhattisgarh: Govt

Over 94 per cent farmers in Chhattisgarh are getting benefit of the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy and it is expected to rise by two percentage points this year, an official statement said Thursday. Due to the policies of the state government, the number of farmers selling paddy in the state has increased from 12 lakh to 18.38 lakh, Chhattisgarh Information Centre said in a statement here. It said 94 per cent of farmers are getting benefit from the state government's paddy purchase at the support price. The statement said that due to "farmer-friendly policies of the Bhupesh Baghel government, not only the acreage of agriculture has increased in the last two years, but the people who had abandoned farming as a non-profit business are once again coming back towards farming."

In Chhattisgarh, where 76 per cent of the farmers sold paddy on MSP in 2017, after the Bhagel government came to power, it has shown an unprecedented growth and the figure reached 92.61 per cent in 2018 and 94.02 per cent in 2019, it said. This year, over 2 lakh new farmers have registered, so the figure is expected to cross 98 per cent. Paddy procurement has started in Chhattisgarh on support price from December 1, the statement said. Over 21 lakh farmers have registered to sell paddy in the state this year and the area where the paddy is sown is more than 27 lakh hectare, it said. In two years, the area has increased from 19.36 lakh hectare to 22.68 lakh hectare and the number of farmers has also increased from over 12 lakh to 18 lakh, the information centre said.

10:15 PM

Delhi SGMC sends legal notice to Kangana Ranaut over her tweet targeting farmers

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee member sends legal notice to Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut over her tweet allegedly targeting farmers protesting against new farm laws

9:03 PM

Govt to meet farmers' unions again Saturday, says it 'has no ego'

Government ministers and farmers’ leaders will meet again Saturday to try and break a deadlock over laws passed earlier this year seeking to deregulate the agriculture sector that has ignited the country’s biggest farm protests in years.

 

"Some points have been raised in previous meetings and today's meet. Farmer unions are mainly concerned about these. The government has no ego; it is discussing with farmers with an open mind,” said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar after a third round of talks that lasted almost seven hours.

 

Tens of thousands of growers have camped out at the entrance to capital Delhi in protest against the laws seeking to rid the sector of antiquated procurement procedures and to allow farmers to sell to institutional buyers and big international retailers. The farmers fear the laws passed in September could pave the way for the government to stop buying grains at guaranteed prices, leaving them at the mercy of private buyers. READ ON...

9:00 PM

LIVE: MSP will not be touched, Agriculture Minister assures farmer leaders

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday told the farmer representatives during their meeting that the minimum support price (MSP) "will not be touched and no changes will be made to it". The minister made the remarks during the fourth round of talks of government with representatives of protesting farmers at Vigyan Bhavan here.

 

MSP has been a major concern of farmers during their protest in border areas of Delhi against three farm laws enacted by the government recently. The government has repeatedly said that MSP will continue. The next round of talks is scheduled for December 5.

 

The farmers are protesting against 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.

8:55 PM

Farmers' protest LIVE: Key routes connecting Delhi with Uttar Pradesh closed

Police on Thursday closed routes on two national highways connecting Ghaziabad to Delhi as farmers remained unyielding on their demand for scrapping the Centre's new farm laws and stayed put at the national capital's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The protesting farmers had on Wednesday threatened to block other roads of Delhi if their demands were not met.

 

"The local police have closed the routes on NH-9 and NH-24 from Ghaziabad to Delhi. On NH-1, both sides of the route have been closed near Shani Mandir," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted. "One carriageway of NH 24 for UP to Delhi is closed for traffic at Gazipur border. Likewise, the carriageway from Noida to Delhi at Chilla border is closed for traffic," the traffic police added.

 

Commuters were advised to use the Apsara border on GT Road, Bhopura border on Wazirabad road and the DND flyover for Delhi from the UP side. NH 44 remained closed on both sides. Alternate routes available were NH-8, Bhopra, Apsara and the peripheral expressway. The Delhi-Haryana border at Jharoda and Jhatikra remained closed for traffic movement. The Badusarai border is open only for two-wheeler traffic.

8:50 PM

Govt also ready to make a provision for registration of traders operating outside APMC mandis

8:42 PM

LIVE: DMK to stage demonstrations in support of protesting farmers in Delhi

DMK President M K Stalin will lead party-sponsored demonstrations in different cities of the state on Saturday in support of farmers protesting at the Delhi border against the Centre's new farm laws, the party said. Stalin will participate in the protest at Salem, the native district of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami, according to a party release here on Thursday.

 

DMK General Secretary Durai Murugan, party Treasurer and Lok Sabha MP TR Baalu will participate in protests at Vellore and Mayiladuthurai, respectively.

 

Agitations will also be held in Tiruchirappally, Erode, Namakkal and Tiruvannamalai among others.

8:30 PM

Govt holding talks and will definitely reach to a solution: Agriculture Minister

8:22 PM

LIVE: Farmers' protests gain momentum in Rajasthan

Protests against the Centre's new farm laws gained momentum in Rajasthan on Thursday as farmer organisations blocked roads and held demonstrations and rallies in solidarity with thousands gathered at the national capital's borders as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march. A group of farmers, under the banner of Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti, held a protest at Jaipur's Surajpole mandi and blocked the Jaipur-Delhi highway for nearly an hour to demand a repeal of the laws.

 

Another group staged a protest on the Rajasthan-Haryana border in Alwar district and said their numbers would rise if the Centre failed to fulfil their demands. Thousands of farmers are now camping at the border of Delhi, demanding the repeal of the three Acts that they say will lead to the phasing out of the minimum support price (MSP) system, which the government denies. Farmer unions have also called for a nationwide protest on Saturday.

 

"The Centre should withdraw the farm laws immediately. Such a large number of farmers are raising their voices against the anti-farmer laws but the government is taking no step to fulfil the demands," CPI(M) leader Ravindra Shukla said.

8:21 PM

Issue is about the complete roll back of farm laws: Bharatiya Kisan Union

8:16 PM

Talks have made little progress: Farmers' union

8:02 PM

Govt-farmers talks deadlocked; Next meeting proposed on Saturday

Talks between three union ministers and a representative group of thousands of agitating farmers failed to yield any resolution on Thursday, as the union leaders stuck to their demand for the repeal of new farm laws and even refused the lunch, tea and water offered to them during almost eight-hour-long hectic parleys.

 

On its part, the government assured the group of nearly 40 farmer leaders that all their valid concerns would be addressed, but the other side flagged several loopholes and deficiencies in the laws, which they said were passed hastily in September. The Agriculture Ministry tweeted that doubts of farmers were addressed by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who led the government side at the talks.

 

Tomar later told reporters that the next meeting will take place on Saturday at 2 pm. A government source said the meeting would resume on Saturday as no final outcome could be reached due to paucity of time. Union leaders, who came out of the meeting venue shouting slogans, said the talks remained deadlocked and some of them threatened to boycott any further meetings if no solution was found at Thursday's meeting.

7:55 PM

Govt says Agriculture Minister addressed doubts of farmers during meeting with union leaders

7:46 PM

LIVE: Meeting of farmer leaders with Centre concludes. Next meeting on December 5

7:46 PM

Amarinder Singh passed similar farm laws 3 years ago: Sukhbir Badal

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, three years ago, passed the same farm laws in the state Assembly that the union government promulgated recently, said Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday.

 

Further attacking the Congress party, which has the government in Punjab, Badal said that the party, in its 2019 general election manifesto, had promised to abolish government mandis.

 

"I do not share the views of Captain Amarinder Singh because he has passed the same laws in his own Assembly. The farm sector laws, which the union government is implementing were passed three years back by Captain Amarinder Singh in the Punjab Legislative Assembly," the SAD president, in an exclusive interview, told ANI when asked if he shares the view of Punjab government on farmers' protest.

7:20 PM

LIVE: Farmers block Jaipur-Delhi highway to demand withdrawal of farm laws

A group of farmers on Thursday blocked the Jaipur-Delhi highway for nearly an hour to demand the withdrawal of the Centre's contentious farm laws. The protestors, under the banner of Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti, expressed solidarity with the farmers agitating at the national capital's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for nearly a week.

 

A group of farmers also staged a protest on the Rajasthan-Haryana border in Alwar district and said the number of the protestors will increase if the Centre failed to fulfil their demands.

 

"The Centre should withdraw the farm laws immediately. Such a large number of farmers are raising their voice against the anti-farmers laws but the government is taking no step to fulfil the demands, CPI-M leader Ravindra Shukla said. In Alwar, the agitating farmers were joined by the Rashtriya Kisan Mahapanchayat president Rampal Jat said. We are waiting for the outcome of the meeting being held in Delhi. If there is no positive result, the farmers will be mobilised from here, Jat said.

6:58 PM

Punjab Police Sub Inspector serves food to farmers on Singhu border

While the protests against the new farm laws entered their eighth day on Thursday, a police official from the Punjab Police was seen doing 'seva' (serving food) at the langar at Delhi's Singhu Border. In a rare sight, Sub Inspector Balvinder Singh from Punjab Police took forward the tradition of community service, one of the integral principles of Sikhism, as he was seen serving meals to farmers and others who were protesting at the Singhu Border.

 

When IANS tried to speak to Singh, he refused to do so saying that he does not want any publicity because he is only following the principles of Sikhism of serving and feeding people. The protests at the Singhu border began soon after morning prayers. Security arrangements in the area have been beefed up with addition of one more layer of barricades.

 

Farmers have been sitting on protest for the last eight days at Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh borders. Thousands of farmers have been camping at the Singhu border, while several other groups have blocked the entry at the Delhi-Haryana border in Tikri, the Delhi-UP Ghazipur border and the Delhi-UP Chilla border.

6:23 PM

Farmers protest against farm laws on National Highway-24 at Ghazipur border

6:16 PM

It's also about our future, says farmer's kid between online classes

You may call it day as usual but it is amid the most unusual of circumstances that children of farmers sitting in protests at the Delhi borders attend their regular classes online. As the protest by the farmers from Haryana and Punjab and several connecting states entered the eighth day on Thursday, and the stir took off with the early morning prayers, these kids logged in to their virtual classrooms.

 

"I am here to support my father, my uncle and our community. It's not just the present, but our future at stake," said Kunal, who studies in Class 9 in a Jalandhar school.

 

As the roads to Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Chilla continue to remain disrupted by the gathering of the agrarian community demanding repeal of 'black laws', thousands have been forced to setup temporary homes using stubbles. As both parents and in some cases even grandparent moved toward Delhi along with tens of thousands of others to chokehold Delhi until their demands were met, children had little option but to tag along.

 

With all schools still conducting classes online in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been a boon for them as they have not to lose any of their classes and assignments. These school going children at Delhi's borders are protesting along with their families, and simultaneously taking part in one of the most important uprising of their time.

6:06 PM

Agitating farmers assemble at Ghazipur border; try to break police barricades

6:05 PM

Congress protests in support of agitating farmers in Aurangabad

The Congress party held an agitation in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city on Thursday to express solidarity with the farmers protesting on the borders of Delhi seeking withdrawal the new farm laws. The Aurangabad unit of the Congress held the protest at the collector office here, during which the party workers and local functionaries raised slogans against the Modi government over the issue.

 

Congress's district unit president Kalyan Kale said, "We held the agitation against the anti-farmer and anti-labour laws brought by the Centre."

 

"Our party commenced the agitation against these acts at the national level and farmers have now come together on the issue. In a bid to crush the farmers' agitation, the Centre fired water cannons on the protesters and also lathi- charged them," he said. "We held the protest in support of the farmers," Kale added.

5:46 PM

Farmers refuse lunch at meeting with government at Vigyan Bhawan

Amid the fourth round of discussion between the Centre and the farmers over the three farm laws at New Delhi's Vigyan Bhavan on Thursday, farmer unions decided to boycott government-served food and beverages.

 

"We are not accepting food or tea offered by the government. We have brought our own food, we will eat that," a farmer leader said during lunch break.

 

The fourth round of talks commenced between the Centre and representatives of farmers' today afternoon at Vigyan Bhawan, with Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister Piyush Goyal representing the Central government. Before the meeting, the Union Agriculture Minister while talking to the media hoped that the fourth round of dialogue will bring some positive outcome to the farmers' issues.

 

"Government is constantly discussing issues with farmers. Today is the fourth round of talks and I'm hoping for a positive outcome," said Tomar while talking to media.

 

The government had held the third round of talks with farmer representatives on Tuesday. During the talks, the Centre offered to set up a committee, which the farmers' unions rejected, and instead demanded a special session of Parliament to repeal what they have called "black laws" made to favour corporate bodies. Farmers said they will continue their protest till their issues are resolved.
 

Notably, farmers have warned that Thursday's talks are the "last chance" for the government to take a decision on the laws.

5:31 PM

Farmers' protest LIVE: Delhi Police close one carriageway of NH-24 for UP to Delhi at Gazipur border

5:18 PM

Farmers' protest LIVE: Key routes connecting UP-Delhi closed

Police on Thursday closed routes on two national highways connecting Ghaziabad to Delhi as farmers remained adamant on their demand for scrapping of the Centre's agriculture reform laws and stayed put at the national capital's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The protesting farmers had on Wednesday threatened to block other roads of Delhi if their demands were not met.

 

"The local police have closed the routes on NH-9 and NH-24 from Ghaziabad to Delhi. On NH-1, both sides of the route have been closed near Shani Mandir," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted.

 

The crowd of farmers continued to swell at Ghazipur, prompting the police to close the Delhi-UP border on NH-24.

 

"The Ghazipur border on NH-24 is closed for traffic from Ghaziabad towards Delhi due to farmers' protests. People are advised to avoid NH-24 for coming to Delhi and use Apsara/Bhopra/DND instead," the traffic police said.

 

It said NH-44 is closed on both sides and asked people to take alternate routes via NH-8, Bhopra, Apsara border, and Peripheral expressway At the Chilla border, one carriageway from Delhi to Noida has been opened for traffic. However, the other carriageway from Noida to Delhi is still closed. People commuting from Noida to Delhi are advised to avoid Noida link road, the traffic police said.

4:57 PM

LIVE: Farmers continue their protest in Delhi against the new farm laws

4:40 PM

Uttar Pradesh farmers demand farm commission as they threaten to intensify stir

The farmers from Uttar Pradesh protesting at the Delhi border points against the Centre's new farm laws on Thursday threatened to intensify their stir and called for forming a commission to look into their grievances. Expressing their full support to the protesting farmers of Punjab and Haryana, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu group) cautioned against moves to divide the farmers protest.

 

Talking to media on Wednesday, BKU UP chief Yogesh Pratap Singh and General Secretary Shailendra Pal Singh said apart from revocation of the new farm laws, the farmers have also been demanding forming a Farm Commission comprising agricultural scientists and farmers.

 

The BKU leaders said more farmers from surrounding districts are expected to join them in the coming days. Meanwhile,the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) held a meeting here Wednesday evening in support of the farmers stir.