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Update on Farmers’ protests: Rakesh Tikait, in a show of strength warned of gaddi-wapas demand

In the middle of gaining international attention, the farmers’ protests took another turn. On Wednesday, in a show of strength by protesting farmers, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait addressed a massive rally and warned the government that it could find it difficult to stay on in power if the new agri-marketing laws are not repealed.

Just before Tikait was to begin his speech at the ”mahapanchayat” in Kandela village, the makeshift stage on which the farmer leaders had gathered collapsed under their weight.

Nobody was reported hurt and Tikait went on to address the gathering. But the episode triggered a commotion and he and the event organizers had to repeatedly tell people to maintain calm.

Calling for a “wapsi” (withdrawal) of the new central laws, Tikait indirectly warned the government that it could lose its “gaddi” (power) if the agitation continues.

“We have so far talked about “bill wapsi” (repealing the farm laws). The government should listen carefully. What will you do if the youth call for “gaddi wapsi” (removal from power)?” he said.

He asked the Centre to repeal the three laws and frame a new one to assure continuation of the minimum support price (MSP) system.

The BKU leader from Uttar Pradesh has been camping at Ghazipur on the Delhi-UP border as part of a campaign by farmer unions against the central laws enacted in September.

Also Read: The unprecedented protests by farmers: Background, Unions, Loopholes in the laws & role of Charan Singh

Farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are also massed at Tikri and Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border for two months. After violence on Republic Day, police barricaded these protest sites with cement barriers and spikes on the roads leading to them.

Criticizing the restrictions, Tikait said, “When the king is scared, he secures the fortress.”

He suggested that he would lay down on the nails embedded on the roads there so that others can cross them by stepping on him.

He said that the Centre must talk with the farmer-unions spearheading the agitation.

The”mahapanchayat” was attended by Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni and BKU leader from Punjab, Balbir Singh Rajewal. Over 50 “khap” leaders were also present.

Last week, a large number of farmers participated in a mahapanchayat in UP’s Muzaffarnagar in support of the BKU-led protest at Ghazipur.

Jind is often considered a part of Haryana”s political heartland and the ”mahapanchayat” was meant to muster support for the farmers’ agitation. It was organized by Sarva Jatiya Kandela Khap headed by Tekram Kandela.

Five resolutions were passed at the “mahapanchayat”. These urged the government to repeal the new laws, give a legal guarantee on the MSP, implement the Swaminathan Commission report, waive farm loans and release farmers arrested after the events in Delhi on January 26.

Tikait said that the campaign against the farm-laws was going strong, further adding, “The way we are getting support from khap panchayats, we will win this fight.”

He urged everyone involved, particularly the youth, to keep protesting in a peaceful manner and assured victory will be theirs.

He underlined the role played by farmers and their unions from Punjab. “We need their help. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh will back them. We will maintain the prestige of the farmers’ turban,” he said.

Seeking to project unity among the farmer unions, Tikait referred to BKU (Rajewal) chief Balbir Singh Rajewal as “our leader”.

Tikait, whose show of emotion recently appeared to have helped revive the farmers’ agitation after the violence on Republic Day, said that there are 40 unions spearheading the protest and decisions will be taken collectively.

Rajewal accused the Modi government of behaving with farmers in a manner that “no other government in the world” would.

“Centre brought laws which will destroy farmers and this country. We began this agitation several months back in Punjab, it has now spread to entire country,” he told the “mahapanchayat”.

On the new police barricades, Rajewal said that the government has turned protest-sites into a kind of “open jails”.

Khap leader Kandela said that the prime minister and the Union home minister should talk directly with the protesting farmers.

(Source: FE)

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Protesters said that there is still no internet in and around the protest-sites- farmers’ media team must travel two km away from the Singhu border protest site in order to access the Internet

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) did not extend an order to suspend Internet beyond 11 p.m. on February 2 at Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri, the three locations bordering Delhi where farmer-groups continue to swell to protest against the three farm laws passed by Parliament last September.

However, protesters at the three locations said that Net remained blocked on Wednesday as well. International artist Rihanna and author Meena Harris, niece of U.S. Vice President Kamal Harris, had through tweets criticized the Internet shutdown at the protest site.

The MHA invoked the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety Rules 2017) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 to suspend Internet in Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri from 11 p.m. on January 31 to 11 p.m. on February 2. The emergency provisions were invoked by the MHA on January 26 and January 29 during the Farmers’ protests.

Before this, the provision was used only twice- during the anti-CAA protests on December 19 and 20, 2019. The rules framed in 2017 empower the Union Home Secretary and a State’s Home Secretary to pass directions to suspend the telecom services, including Internet in an area “due to public emergency or public safety.” A senior government official said that the Net suspension order that was effective till 11 p.m. on February 2 had not been extended.

“There is still no Internet at the Singhu border today. It is still suspended, despite whatever the Home Ministry is saying,” said Harinder Singh, media coordinator for the Samyukt Kisan Morcha.

Also Read: The unprecedented protests by farmers: Background, Unions, Loopholes in the laws & role of Charan Singh

In order to post updates on the Kisan Ekta Morcha social media handles, or webcast a press conference, or even find out what the government was saying, the SKM media team must travel two km away from the Singhu border protest site in order to access the Internet, he said.

 “It is just another attempt to defame the farmers. They know it very well that farmers at Singhu are not aware of these claims and they cannot counter these claims, so they are spreading their anti-farmer propaganda,” he stated.

“Even journalists are not able to send the news properly and timely. Since Internet is already banned, media entry is also disturbed and therefore, government wants to become the only source of information. This is a clear attack on democracy and diverse opinions,” he added.

Internet suspension in five Haryana districts

The Haryana government has extended the suspension of mobile internet services and SMS services and all dongle services provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in five districts namely Kaithal, Jind, Rohtak, Sonepat and Jhajjar till 5 pm on February 4.

Panipat and Charkhi Dadri were today taken off from the list of districts where internet services had been suspended. This order has been issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of these districts of Haryana and shall be in force with immediate effect.

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The unprecedented protests by farmers: Background, Unions, Loopholes in the laws & role of Charan Singh

The farmers’ protests against the three new farm-laws, in the region surrounding Delhi has taken India by storm, & gradually turning increasing number of eyes from around the world, with many international figures and politicians now taking to social media to express their concerns. Even James Manuel Costa, the U.S. Representative for California’s 16th congressional district, has recently stated in a tweet that the events unfolding in India is troubling. He also added that as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is closely monitoring the situation as the right to peaceful protest must always be respected. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and some MPs from UK had shown support for the farmers’ protests in the earlier days.

Apart from this, over 400 academicians from across the country and several universities abroad have recently urged the Central government to immediately repeal the three new farm-laws which they said “pose a major threat to farming communities all over India”.

When the government led by BJP passed the three farm laws in September last year, the scale and magnitude of the long-running protest would have been the last thing that they might have even remotely imagined. The three farm-laws that are at the centre of the farmers’ protests are the Farmers produce trade and commerce (promotion and facilitation) Act, Farmers (empowerment and protection) agreement on price assurance and farm services ordinance, and, the Essential commodities amendment act.

GOI has taken to setting up concrete barricades, barbed wires, planting spikes, and digging the roads with JCB machines near the major protest sites, showing the discomfort & fear the protests have put the government in.

The farmers and various experts suspect that the laws would dismantle the mandi system and the MSP system of price assurance to the farmers.

Problematic features in the three farm-laws

The laws have included almost all the crops grown by Indian farmers. For these crops, the companies or individuals in Agro-marketing and distribution, irrespective of whether they are large or small will be able to lay down contracts with the farmers for the sale of the crops. The agreements which will be enunciated in the contracts will fix the time period during which the produce of the farmers will be purchased. The first point of concern in the farm bills is that instead of keeping a minimum support  price for any crop, there will be a least price in which the crops or rather the worst quality of the crop can be purchased in the market. Hence the minimum support price will become the minimum selling price. This means that even if the crop produce will be of high quality (which has another rider in the new bills) then the MSP will be the highest selling price. This will inherently destroy the price support offered by the government to the farmers.

The quality of the crops will be defined with three terms stated in the bills-quality, grade, and standard. These three factors will be decided by the officials appointed by the government. This group of officials with the authority to give certificates on the grade, quality and standard will then be susceptible to palm greasing by the corporations who can get certificate showing lower quality for a genuinely good quality crop. The corporations will do this to reduce the crops’ selling prices nearer to the least selling price, decreasing their cost of purchase.

There is another position defined in the bills called as the mediator who is supposed to bring manures, fertilizers and other related things to the farmers. A grave issue will arise here keeping in mind the profit seeking tendency. The mediator can charge the farmer for high priced fertilizers which will be decided prior to planting of the crops, and can bring the farmers low quality materials.

The bills will also entail Essential commodity act to be functionally inapplicable which can and will give rise to rampant hoarding and stockpiling of the produce. The food price will skyrocket fatally puncturing the food security of large chunk of population.

Another problematic issue in the bills is that the agreements between the farmers and the corporations can be terminated anytime. This will give chances to the corporations to terminate the agreements and force the farmers, who have nowhere to go, to sell the produce at extremely low rates (even lower than the least selling price).

The above provisions will definitely give rise to litigation issues and disputes which some farmers will take to authorities. The bills speak of a specific category of boards which will decide on such disputes. Such boards can be easily influenced by the big corporations.

All of the above leave actually no room for dispute solution for the farmers, with high probability of hoarding of crop produce and sky high prices of food-grains for the public. With the increased probability of hoarding due to the removal of some of the staple food crops from the essential commodities list, and sky-high prices of the food-grains in the market due to the subtle leeway provided to the big corporations in the laws, it can be said that the hunger would become a prominent and common issue in India wiping out the bottom of the economic pyramid.

Genesis of the protests

Last year on November 26, the protests began when the farmers’ groups from Punjab and Haryana began their march towards the national capital. The day was carefully chosen as it also happens to be the constitution day.  It was on November 26 in the year, 1949, that the constituent assembly of newly independent India had adopted the newly drafted constitution. Prior to November, last year, protests were going on but in small fragmented scales across the country.

The farmers’ groups while beginning the rally had asserted that the protests were to protect the rights of the farmers and the constitution. Supports to the farmers from various groups within India and abroad have also got wide acclaim and recognition. One such group is the Khalsa Aid that has been providing support for the protesting farmers.

Recently, the group has been nominated for Nobel peace prize which has sent the government into further discomfort.

Last year on December 8, the farmers and various groups supporting their cause had called for a nationwide general strike. The call had found voice of support from the trade unions in protest against the central government’s economic policies, specifically the three farm laws.

Trade unions such as the INTUC-Indian National Trade Union Congress, AITUC-All India Trade Union Congress, HMS-Hind Mazdoor Sabha, CITU-Centre of Indian Trade Unions, AIUTUC-All India United Trade Union Centre, TUCC-Trade Union Co-ordination Centre, and SEWA-Self-Employed Women’s Association had joined the strike.

Unions involved in the protests

There are many farmer-unions participating in the protests around the capital. The number of farmer-unions across the country providing support to the protests has been estimated at above 500. Some farmer-unions are leading from the front on the roads around the national capital.

They include- Bharatiya Kisan Union which is an amalgam of the groups: Ugrahan, Sidhupur, Rajewal, Chaduni, & Dakaunda.   The other unions in the protests are

Kisan Swaraj sangathan, Jai Kisan Andolan, All India Kisan Sabha, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, National Alliance for People’s Movements, Lok Sangharsh Morcha, All India Kisan Khet Majdoor Sangathan, Kissan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Rashtriya Kisan Majdoor Sangathan, All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, Krantikari Kisan Union, ASHA-Kisan Swaraj, Lok Sangharsh Morcha, All India Kisan Mahasabha, Punjab Kisan Union, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Sangtin Kisan Mazdoor Sanghatan,Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, & Terai Kisan Sabha. The farmers have recently rejected the Centre’s new proposal of putting the three new farm laws on hold for 18 months.

In the early weeks of December, the meeting of 13 members of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha with Union Home Minister Amit Shah had created a rumour and confusion over division among the farmer-unions. The rumours were later dismissed by the farmer-leaders together.

Not only Delhi, but the protests are also taking place all over India. Farmers united for Republic Day through vehicle rallies in many places in Karnataka. Farmers’ tractor marches are taking place in Kerala, & Maharashtra as well.

Farmers of Bilaspur and Rampur in Uttarakhand had prepared for the farmers’ parade in Delhi by organizing tractor march. Farmers in Chhattisgarh had planned for a march towards the Raj Bhavan on January 23 and a group of farmers also planned to leave for Delhi.

The Kisan Delhi Chalo Yatra of Navnirman Kisan Sangathan, which was started from Odisha, was being disturbed repeatedly by the Uttar Pradesh Police.  Instructions were being given to change their route.  A three-day big protest in Kolkata was planned from January 20 to January 22.

After the Republic Day fracas created by some people, who were attempting to taint the protests, the movement took a surge after an emotional note added by Rakesh Tikait, when he stated that either the laws would be repealed, or he would take his own life, but he would not move from protest. The centre received criticisms from various quarters regarding the chaos created on Republic Day. Participation of people like Deep Sidhu, who had campaigned for BJP MP, Sunny Deol, and others like Aman Dabas and Krishnan Dabas with connections in BJP, highlights the attempts to malign the movement of the farmers.

Connection with Charan Singh

One of the prominent and leading unions in the ongoing protests by the farmers is the Bharatiya Kisan union. It was founded by the fifth prime minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh, from the Punjab Khetibari Union  also known as Punjab Farming Union, which became its Punjab branch.

Charan Singh had brought the farmers into the functional political structure of India. He considered that the true India resides in its villages. He cared and worked for rural people throughout his life. He was a farmer in thought and deed. He was essentially the first ‘kisan‘prime minister. He had played a pivotal role in re-organizing the political economy of agriculture in Uttar Pradesh by drafting and enacting different bills for agricultural reforms before and after Independence.

In 1939, Charan Singh had introduced the Debt Redemption Bill in order to give relief to the peasantry from moneylenders. Born in a village in a farmer family, Charan Singh had seen the plights of farmers and the ways in which money lenders exploited them.

Like merchant’s capital, it bears more heavily on the poor farmers than on rich ones. The issue of farm-debt is significant for middle and small farmers. The Debt Redemption Bill was one of the significant steps in making the farmers’ life better.

In April, 1939 Charan Singh had drafted the Land utilization bill whose aim was to transfer the proprietary interest in agricultural holdings of UP to such tenants or actual tillers of the soil. The condition for such tillers or farmers was to deposit an amount equivalent to ten times the annual rent in the government treasury to the account of the landlord.

In June of 1939, Charan Singh had published a newspaper article which had discussed the blueprint of the Land reform that should be pursued after independence.

Those reforms targeted to abolish the idea of landlords in UP. By 1945, Charan Singh had prepared a draft on land reform as part of Congress manifesto, which was approved by the All India congress committee in the Calcutta session held in December that year.

By that time, he had started preparing himself politically and ideologically as the kisan champion. On July 11, 1952, as agriculture minister, he led Uttar Pradesh in abolishing the zamindari system.

He had himself drafted the UP Zamindari and Land Reforms Bill. The aim was to strike a moral blow at the landlord class. However, it was not easy to get it through legislation since the landlord class opposed it and put all efforts to ensure its delay.

Being a lawyer and a successful politician, Charan Singh bided his time and saw the legislation through to a successful conclusion in terms of enactment. It was a landmark achievement in the peasant history of India. This changed the life and actions of small and middle farmers and produced a class of rich farmers in western UP and in other parts of India.

These steps taken by Charan Singh have a bearing on the ongoing protests around Delhi. The current central government under BJP has tried various means to stave off the protests, but to no avail.

It has been alleged by various observers that the BJP-government had drafted the bills, keeping in mind exclusively the benefits of its cronies. This is not surprising given the fact that the debt of the Food Corporation of India has gone up from around 91400 crore Rupees, in 2014 to 2.65 lakh crore Rupees in 2019 under Modi’s tenure.

FCI can certainly not rely on the banks, which have their own TBS problems, and issues created by defaulters & criminals like Mallya. Some details actually point out the intentions of the government which has its own favourite corporate houses.

Adani group has constructed a silo with a capacity of 200,000 metric tons in the Moga district of Punjab, which is currently providing a food storage facility to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Lining up another high capacity silo, the Adani group has purchased land in Faridkot district to construct and develop a high volume storage facility there.

These details and the indifference of the BJP-led government to the farmers have attracted international attention. The UN Chairperson Antonio Guterres has shown his support for the farmers.

It has also been reported that there is a strong possibility of upcoming US sanctions on the two corporate houses of Ambani and Adani in India.

The Magnitsky Act of 2012 passed under Obama would probably be used by Biden administration to place the sanctions. This may result in Ambani and Adani groups facing Economic and Financial sanctions from US, resulting in freezing of the assets of the corporations, and their money in foreign banks, locking out the access.

Also Read: Biden administration may place Ambani & Adani under sanctions guided by Magnitsky Act of 2012

When the water cannon and digging of the trenches failed to demoralize the farmers, the government resorted to talks. But, multiple rounds of talks have already failed. To the embarrassment of the government, the farmers have been bringing their own food and refusing to take the lunch provided by the government during the talks. Farmer-Leaders like Rakesh Tikait have clearly stated that the protests would not stop until the three laws are repealed, with a chakka jam being planned on February 06.

Farmers have gathered from states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, & UP at the various protest sites. Various organizations handling the marketing of farm produce in states like Madhya Pradesh have also provided their support to the protests given the fallen sentiments in the market.

There is also presence of a special cyber team at the protest site to prevent the misinformation being circulated over the Social media. The impact of the protest is such that Facebook was forced to reverse its ban on the page of Kisan Ekta morcha, which live-streams the developments in the protests. Leaders in the protests have stated that they will not move until the laws are repealed and that they are ready to hold their ground till May 2024.

Among the protest sites, Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur have become really powerful places of the protests essentially tilting the balance of power away from the parliament, challenging the status quo, in an unprecedented manner in Indian history.

The protests have demonstrated the power in the mind and souls of the protesters, who have braved rains, water cannons, and winter nights assembled at the sites. This shows that the farmers’ protests have not only grown to be the largest & most resilient protest in human history, but have also become an important inflection point in the political history of the subcontinent.

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Protests against Farm Laws: Rajya Sabha adjourned four times today

parliament

In the midst of agitation & sloganeering by opposition members on the three new farm-laws, Rajya Sabha was adjourned four times today.

A walkout from the Rajya Sabha was staged by opposition parties including Congress, Left, TMC, & DMK after their demand for business suspension of the day to take up a discussion on the agitation by farmers of more than two-months-old was denied by the Chairman- Vice President.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union, which has been leading the farmers’ movement has vowed to raise awareness across the country on the new contentious farm laws. ANI quoted Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson of BKU as saying, “We are going to different parts of the country like Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, & will launch a campaign to raise the public awareness on the farm-laws. Each state has its own set of problems. We will proceed accordingly, and raise awareness about the government policies among the tribals, employees, & downtrodden.”

Farmers  additionally have declared a countrywide ‘chakka jam‘ on February 6 when they would obstruct national and state highways for three hours in dissent against the Internet ban in territories close to their protest-sites, purportedly carried out to contain and suppress the movement.

Also See: Overview of the Farmers’ unions in the protests

When the Upper House- Rajya Sabha met at 10:30 am, the sloganeering continued and the Deputy Chairman, who was in the Chair, tried to persuade members to allow the House to function.

However, as the opposition members did not yield, he adjourned the proceedings till 11:30 am. At the time of adjournment, ports, shipping, and waterways minister Mansukh Mandaviya was speaking on The Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020. Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that opposition members themselves were demanding Question Hour and the government agreed.

“Question Hour is going on, whether they (protesting members) want Question Hour or not, let them place it on record,” he said, as opposition members were raising slogans. Opposition parties including the Congress, Left, TMC and DMK had given a notice under rule 267 that calls for setting aside of the business of the day to take up a discussion on the issue pressed.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu had, however, disallowed the motion saying that the members were free to raise the issue during the discussion on Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

Also See: An overview of Farmers’ protests-role of Charan Singh

When the House met for the day, Mr. Naidu said that he has received notice under rule 267 from various members but the issue can be raised during the discussion on Motion of Thanks to the President’s address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.

The President, he said, had referred to the farmer’s agitation in his address made at the start of the Budget session of Parliament last week.

While the Lok Sabha was scheduled to start a discussion on the motion on Tuesday, Rajya Sabha will do so on Wednesday(tomorrow). The upper House as of now is adjourned till 9 am tomorrow.

(Source: ANI, PTI)

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KisanMorcha at Naujheel area of Mathura- RLP & SP leaders also reached the site

The farmer-movement has intensified after the empathic emotional statement of Rakesh Tikait, a prominent leader of Farmers’ Union at Ghazipur border in Delhi. In this episode, farmers’ mahapanchayat was held on Saturday in Naujheel area of Mathura district. Thousands of farmers participated in it. Major leaders of RLD and SP also reached the Mahapanchayat.

Such Mahapanchayats are generally being organized at various places with regards to the peasant movement.

Also See: Overview of the Farmers’ unions in the protests

After the video of farmer-leader Rakesh Tikait getting emotional went viral, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh and his son RLD vice-president Jayant Chaudhary announced their open support to the peasant movement. SP leaders, including Jayant Chaudhary, also attended the Kisan Mahapanchayat organized in Mathura’s Naujheel.

On the call of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait), the Kisan Mahapanchayat took place in the grounds of Morki Inter College, located in Naujheel region. Thousands of farmers gathered from all over the district. According to the information, a strategy has been made for the ongoing peasant movementunder the leadership of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur border in Kisan Mahapanchayat held in the grounds of Morki Inter College.

Also See: An overview of Farmers’ protests-role of Charan Singh

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and MLC Dr. Sanjay Lather, former District Panchayat President Chetan Malik, Bhakiyu District President Rajkumar Tomar, RLD leader Yogesh Nauwar, Bhakiyu’s state, along with RLD’s national vice-president Jayant Chaudhary as the keynote speaker at the Kisan Mahapanchayat, Vice President Budha Singh Pradhan, former MLA Thakur Tejpal Singh and others joined in the Mahapanchayat.During the farmers’ protests, especially after Republic day, the security has been beefed up on the Yamuna Expressway since Friday. Police and PAC jawans have been deployed on four cuts, including the Mont toll on the expressway, so that traffic on the expressway is not blocked. The DM and SSP have also appealed to the farmers to cooperate.

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Developing situation in the farmers’ protests after a day of confrontation- from GOI’s stance to internet ban to the view of Akal Takht

After a day of confrontation during the farmers’ protests, at the Singhu Border, the situation is relatively calm at the protest-sites. Meanwhile, the chief priest at the Akal Takht- Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singhji has stated that a resolution needs to be found out between the GOI and the protesters regarding the protests against the farm-laws. He also added that both parties need to take a few steps back to calm down the situation.

Rakesh Tikait, who has been jailed earlier 44 times, turned out to be a game-changer for the protesters at the Ghazipur protest site. Protesting continues to be prevalent at Karnal highway. Meanwhile, in the wake of the unrest triggered by farmer protests in the National Capital Region, the Haryana government on Friday extended the suspension of mobile Internet services, SMS services, and all dongle services in 17 districts across the state till 5 pm on January 30.  The affected districts in the state are Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat, Hisar, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Rewari and Sirsa.

The suspension of these services was already in place in the districts of Sonipat, Palwal, and Jhajjar and that too has been extended till Saturday 5 pm. It is being suspected that the move is to blackout the efforts of the protesters to make their peaceful agenda public.

The protesters said that one of them, Ranjeet Singh was beaten up brutally by the Police and that the Delhi Police had placed charges on him. Another man, named Jaggi Baba was also known to be beaten on his head by the Police. Jaggi Baba had been at the protest site helping out in the Langar for the farmers. The photo of an injured & bleeding Jaggi Baba is doing rounds of the internet.

It was blamed by the protesters, that last night around 44 people were arrested by the Delhi Police, most of the arrested being from the Kundli Industrial area, to place false charges on them. Even on the morning of January 30, when many farmers sat for a hunger strike, gunshots were heard at the protest-sites. At Tikri border, Kanwar Grewal, a prominent singer, also gave speech at the podium highlighting that the need is to focus the discussions on the farm-laws, rather than other irrelevant issues that are causing distractions.

Also See: Overview of the Farmers’ unions in the protests

In a parallel development, in an all-party meeting, PM said that the GOI stands by the offer made to farmers with regards to the farm-laws.

The Chief of Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal authority, Giani Harpreet Singh has said that the flag hoisted at the Red Fort is Nishan Sahib and comparing the same with the Khalistan flag was not acceptable to the Sikhs.

Also See: An overview of Farmers’ protests-role of Charan Singh

Gyani Harpreet Singh said that the hoisting of the religious flag was not a crime and that it was done earlier too. “A lot of noise is being made about the hoisting of the Nishan Sahib flag on a pole at Red Fort which is baseless. Putting the Khalsa flags is nothing new. Every year, when the Guruparv is organized in New Delhi, such flags are put on the walls of many buildings including Red Fort,” he said.

“Indian soldiers also hoist this flag in Galwan valley. These flags were also seen on a tableau of Guru Teg Bahadur which was included in this year’s Republic Day parade,” he further added.

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Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait has been jailed 44 times! Here are some more facts about him

Amid the ongoing protest by farmers, Rakesh Tikait is one of the persons who have come out to be a leading voice in the ongoing agitation.

The national spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) recently went on a hunger strike demanding that a Supreme Court-appointed committee should probe the violence that broke out on Republic Day in Delhi during the tractor march.

He refused to surrender even as the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government issued an ultimatum to the protesting farmers to vacate the Ghazipur border protest site.

With his considerable popularity in western Uttar Pradesh, Tikait’s leadership has been instrumental during the protests.

Here’s what you need to know about the farmer leader:

Rakesh Tikait is the son of another farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, who led lakhs of farmers to protest in Delhi against the Rajiv Gandhi government.

Before he became a farmer leader, Rakesh Tikait worked as a Sub Inspector after joining the Delhi police in 1985.

Born in the Sisauli village of Muzaffarnagar on June 4, 1969, Rakesh Tikait did an MA from the Meerut University. He later finished his LLB as well.

Rakesh has fought elections twice but lost both the times. He contested the UP Assembly election from the Khatauli assembly seat in Muzaffarnagar as an independent in 2007, but he lost the election. He later contested the Lok Sabha election as a candidate of the Rashtriya Lok Dal from Amroha in 2014, but he lost the poll again.

His brother Naresh Tikait is the chief of the Baliyan Khap Panchayat.

The 51-year-old has been jailed 44 times in connection with several farmers’ protests.

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Internet services suspended till January 31 at Delhi border regions

On Saturday, the Union Home Ministry temporarily suspended internet services in Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri borders and their adjoining areas from 11 pm of January 29 to 11 pm of January 31 to ‘maintain public safety and averting public emergency’ amid the ongoing farmers’ protests.

The Home Ministry order stated, “It is necessary and expedient to order the temporary suspension of internet services in the areas of Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri, and their adjoining areas in the NCT of Delhi from 11 pm on January 29 to 11 pm on January 31.” The order was passed using the powers under Rule 2(1) of the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.

Also See: Overview of the Farmers’ unions in the protests

Meanwhile, thousands of farmers from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh marched towards the Ghazipur border to extend their support to the farmers and participate in a Kisan mahapanchayat. The Kisan mahapanchayat was called after the farmer-leader Rakesh Tikait had broken down on the night of January 28 which proved to be a turning point for the protests.

Both carriageways of NH-24, to and from Ghaziabad and Ghazipur border, have been closed, the Delhi Traffic Police said today.

On Friday, the Haryana government had suspended internet services in 14 districts till 5 pm on 30 January, taking the number of districts with internet shut down to 17.

Only voice calls will be allowed in the 14 districts including Ambala, Yamuna Nagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat, Hisar, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Rewari and Sirsa.

Also See: An overview of Farmers’ protests-role of Charan Singh

The Government of Haryana had also suspended internet services in Sonipat, Palwal and Jhajjar. The shutdown orders came in view of the ongoing farmers’ agitation in the national capital and adjoining areas.

The Yogi Adityanath administration had also temporarily cut off power and water supply to hundreds of farmers at the Ghazipur border, who have been camping out on the roads, as per reports. Later on the supplies were restored, and the Deputy CM of New Delhi had also visited the sites to examine the availability of the basic facilities of electricity, water and toilet for the protesters.

Also Read: Possibility of National front with tie-ups between SAD and Shiv Sena, TMC, TRS, SP & other non-BJP parties

Tens of thousands of farmers protesting against the three farm-laws, known to be with many glaring loopholes, at the Delhi borders have spent the last several weeks demanding the repeal of the agricultural laws that they claim will leave them at the mercy of large corporate houses like Adani and Ambani.

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Clashes in counter-protests at Singhu border-protesters breach police barricades- situation under control-Left blames BJP

Farmers Protests

The farmers’ protests drew stream of people in counter-protests specifically at the Singhu Border. The counter-protesters came through police barricades in broad view of the police.

A group of around 150 men claiming to be local residents got past three layers of security barricades on Friday to reach the protest site at the Singhu border to Delhi, staged a brief protest of their own claiming that the farmers’ agitation had affected their livelihood, and clashed with farm-protesters as both sides pelted stones at each other, all in full view of police.

The local protesters gathered near GTB Memorial at the Delhi-Haryana border around noon and raised slogans, asking protesters to vacate the area and saying that they would not tolerate any insult to the Tricolour in a reference to the violence on Republic Day. Police said that they were from nearby villages of Singhu, Narela, Bawana, Alipur, and Kundli.

Within an hour, the group had easily breached the police barricades and could be seen arguing with farmers, demanding that their protest be wound up and the road cleared. The argument soon spiralled into violence, with the group attacking tents and shelters at the site, and both sides indulging in stone-pelting. Police resorted to teargas shells and lathi charge to bring the situation under control.

Also See: Overview of the Farmers’ unions in the protests

“The protesters entered peacefully without drawing much attention, from the side that is not barricaded. Once they reached the barricades, we tried to stop them. But they went around the barricades and got through. There were around 100 in number,” said a sub-inspector at the site.

Reactions come from Left

Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday blamed Bharatiya Janata Party/Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of sending ‘goons’ to Singu borders where hundreds of farmers are protesting against the contentious three farm-laws. Earlier in the day, the situation at Delhi’s Haryana border at Singhu deteriorated as violence broke out at the border protest site after a huge number of people claiming to be locals reached the site to vacate the area, which led to a clash between them and protesting Kisans. In order to maintain the law and order situation, Delhi Police had resorted to baton charge and use tear gas shells.

Condemning the attack on farmers, CPI(M) demanded answers from Union Home Minsiter Amit Shah. “BJP /RSS goons brought in to attack Farmers at #SinghuBorder while Police and RAF stationed there remain mute spectators. Usual Sanghi playbook of provocation being enacted. CPIM strongly condemns this attack. Home Minister must answer.” CPI(M) tweeted.

Without taking names of any media organization, the CPI(M) said that the ‘Godi Media’ which was calling the people, who attacked the farmers, as locals are infact the goons of Hindu Sena, RSS and BJP. “Godi Media is calling these attackers as locals. They are Hindu Sena, RSS, BJP goons mobilized to attack farmers with the Police and RAF remaining mute spectators. Familiar script of this Govt. Shame!”, the Left party tweeted.

“While Godi media pushes the narrative of a clash between “locals” and farmers, their cameras tell a different story. BJP, RSS goons bought in, pelt stones at the farmers with active Police connivance as they allow the goons in and remain, silent spectators, while the goons attack,” CPIM’s another tweet read.

Also See: An overview of Farmers’ protests-role of Charan Singh

The SHO of Alipur police station, Pradeep Kumar Paliwal was injured during the clashes. Prompt intervention by farmer-union volunteers and police personnel helped the situation from escalating. The volunteers from the farmer-unions stopped the attackers which prevented the situation from turning ugly. “They are not locals, but hired goons. They were throwing stones, petrol bombs at us. They attempted to burn down our trolleys also. We are here to resist them. We would not leave the place,” PTI quoted Harkirat Mann Beniwal, 21, from Punjab’s Khana district, as saying.

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Farmers’ protests: U-turn after a night of clampdown- if need be we would protest standing, said a septuagenarian protester

Farmers Protests

The night of January 28 had become very tense at the Delhi borders especially at the Ghazipur region, where section 133 of CrPC (conditional order for removal of nuisance) was imposed.  After the ruckus created on the Republic Day, at the farmers’ tractor-rally, by some groups of protesters, who were blamed to be working to taint the farmers’ protests, FIRs were lodged against some of the farmer-leaders. The brief chaos created at the Red Fort led the police to clamp down at the farmers camping at the Delhi borders, especially at Ghazipur. The power lines & water supply were cut to discourage the farmers. Even the police had dug up trenches in the road using JCB machines. Ghazipur saw the arrival of 300 CAPF personnel, 600 troops of the Provincial Armed Constabulary, and 1000 other police personnel.

Delhi Police had issued notice to 20 other farmer unions’ leaders including Yogendra Yadav, Rakesh Tikait, Balbir Singh Rajewal Surjeet Singh Phool, Gurnam Singh Chaduni, and others in connection with the violence that took place on Republic Day in Delhi. According to a senior police officer, notice had been issued to all farmer union leaders who attended the meeting with the Delhi Police, agreed to all 36 conditions, and signed the undertaking to conduct the rally on Republic Day. Around 25 FIRs had been registered by the Delhi police in the matter and 19 accused arrested and 50 persons had been detained. Even UAPA was invoked to discourage the farmers.

At the night of January 28, Rakesh Tikait, one of the most vocal and assertive farmer-leaders, had broken down for some moments, tears flowing from his eyes. He, at the protest site in Ghazipur, had stated in clear terms that the protests would go on till the three contentious farm-laws with glaring loopholes are not repealed. He stated, “They want to destroy the farmers, we will not allow this to happen. Either the laws are repealed or Tikait would kill himself. This is a conspiracy against the farmers.”

The tears of Tikait turned out to be the turning point in Ghazipur site of protests. A Mahapanchayat was called. He stated that even though the water supply was cut off, the farmers, especially he would not back down. That created a flurry of response from the villages nearby. Water and Matthi were brought to the site.

Also See: Overview of the Farmers’ unions in the protests

Thousands of farmers gathered at a Muzaffarnagar town on Friday for a ‘Mahapanchayat’ in support of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)-led protest at the Ghazipur. The Kisan Mahapanchayat was held a day after the Ghazipur border saw the deployment of policemen in heavy numbers which led to a significant decrease in the numbers of protesters at the agitation site. The emotional breaking down of Tikait became the driving force for hundreds of farmers from various districts like Meerut, Baghpat, Barout to return to to the protest site late at night.

On Friday, the GIC ground near Mahaveer Chowk in Muzaffarnagar was packed, a sea of people came together to extend their support to the protesters at UP Gate in Ghazipur. Hundreds of tractors with the tricolour and flags of farm unions were parked along city roads, disrupting traffic movement.

The GIC ground was the centre stage and scores of regional farmer leaders took the mic to back the protesters at the UP Gate in Ghazipur.

Delhi deputy CM, Manish Sisodia, visited the sites and examined the water supply and the toilet facilities. Former union minister Ajit Singh of the Rashtriya Lok Dal communicated with BKU and extended his party’s support. His son Jayant Chowdhury asked Tikait & BKU, in a tone of assurance, not to worry & that the protesters need to stay united. Sukhbir Singh Badal, leader of SAD, alleged that the GOI is using brute force against the protesting farmers.

Also See: An overview of Farmers’ protests-role of Charan Singh

Crowd swelled in support of the farmers

Villagers blocked the Jind-Chandigarh highway on the intervening night of January 29 for two hours in support of the farmers’ protests. One of the farmers, Surendra said, “The villagers have decided to conduct a symbolic dharna in support of the farmers’ protest.”

Hundreds of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) members stayed put on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on Friday as the crowd swelled there overnight, notwithstanding the Ghaziabad administration’s ultimatum to vacate the UP Gate protest site. On a call of the BKU, more farmers from western Uttar Pradesh districts such as Meerut, Baghpat, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Moradabad, and Bulandshahr reached the UP Gate by early morning to join the stir, even as the security forces at the protest site thinned out overnight. Many of the deployed security personnel (around 1900), including those from the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF), left the protest site in the dead of the night following official instructions.

Tikait was not alone-many braved cold with him

Tikait, flanked by supporters at 1 am, remained at the centre-stage of the protest site, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, which has been barricaded from both sides, prohibiting regular traffic movement. Around 500 protesters stayed put at the UP Gate with more pouring in from western Uttar Pradesh in the night on the call of the BKU, an influential farmers’ union in north India.

Several protesters waved the tricolour with some waving flags of farmer unions such as the Kisan Ekta Manch amid a continuous sloganeering of “jai jawan, jai kisan”, while many of them were lying down on mattresses covered in blankets as they braved the bone-chilling cold and wind.

One of the protesting farmer, Jagat Singh Rathi, 78, said, “Zaroorat padhi to khade rehke dharna denge, tum dharne pe baithe rehne ki baat karte ho (I can protest while standing up and you are asking me whether I am going to continue my sit-in protest).” With a muffler tied around his head and a stick in his hand for support while walking, the septuagenarian from Meerut said that he has been at the BKU’s protest since the agitation was launched on November 27-28 last year.

Asked if he would vacate the protest site following the administration’s communication, Rathi said, “(UP Gate) khaali nahi karenge. We have not seen any such order to vacate the protest site. When the Supreme Court has said that farmers have a right to protest, then what? We will do it.” Ankit Sahrawat, a farmer from Muzaffarnagar, said that he reached the UP Gate early on Friday along with 40-50 people.

Boycott of President’s address

A total of 16 political parties including, Congress, NCP, J-K National Conference, DMK, AITC, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, RJD, CPI (M), CPI, IUML, RSP, PDP, MDMK, Kerala Congress (M), and AIUDF, boycotted the President’s address in the Parliament to register their protest against the three farm laws. Apart from these 16 parties, BSP, AAP and SAD also boycotted the President’s address. MPs from the Left parties also held a protest march to Parliament in support of farmers agitating against the farm laws.