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Farmers’ protests update: Many sports persons from Punjab to return their awards in support of the farmers

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After getting support from MPs in Canada and UK, farmers protesting in Delhi get support from sportspersons. Several former sportspersons including Padma Shri and Arjuna awardees have extended their support to the agitating farmers and said that they will return their awards in protest against the “force” used against the peasants’ en route to Delhi.

Among them are Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee wrestler Kartar Singh, Arjuna awardee basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema and Arjuna awardee hockey player Rajbir Kaur. They said that they will proceed to Delhi on December 5 and will place their awards outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan. They slammed and criticized the Centre and Haryana government for using water cannons and teargas against the protesting farmers to stop them from going to Delhi.

The sportspersons said that they are the children of farmers, and that the farmers have been holding peaceful agitation for the last several months. Not even a single incident of violence took place.

Farmers had faced water cannons and teargas when they were heading towards the national capital as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march against the farm laws.

Kartar Singh said that several former players will go to Delhi on December 5 and will return their awards. “If farmers do not want such laws, then why the central government was imposing on them,” asked Singh, who has retired as Inspector General in the Punjab Police. He further said that former players would also join farmers’ stir at the Delhi borders on December 5. Singh said that they are also trying to contact former players in Haryana for coming out in support of farmers’ agitation.

Cheema said that several former players including Kaur and Arjuna awardee (shotput) Balwinder Singh have backed them. Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana have stayed put at various Delhi border points for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday protesting against the new farm laws, which they fear will dismantle the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporates.

In a parallel development in Punjab, during the reading of the daily sermon at the Manji Sahib Gurudwara, the priest Giani Pinderpal Singh urged the sangat to pray for the protesting farmers and asked the farmers to keep their protests peaceful.

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Government cannot stop MSP as doing so will lead to breakdown of PDS, say experts

The government of Punjab is directly included in an apparently unending showdown with the Centre against the new central farm laws. The anti-Centre disturbance is basically designed by the politicians of the administering party. The new law as passed within the State Assembly on October 20, 2020 has ensured the minimum support price (MSP) for the rice and wheat producers. In all the states, wheat and paddy producers had begun to induce MSP security since 2018 with the Central government’s decision in its Union budget of executing MSP for the first time. It exists for a total of 23 crops as of now. A fear has been permeated through the minds of the common farmers that with the recently passed central laws, the MSP would no longer exist.

Ahead of another farmers’ protest planned for month-end against the three farm laws, the Centre recently declared that the central laws are within the interests of the farming community and it was still open to have dialogue with them and clear their queries.

Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar and Food Minister, Piyush Goyal  asserted that these laws were enacted by the central government to give more options to farmers to sell their produce at better rates, but the states like Punjab, as per the Ministers, are “misleading” them. Ever since the three laws were passed in Parliament in September, farmers have been protesting largely in the Congress-ruled states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Punjab which have brought their own farm laws to negate the central acts.

Farmers are widely under a fear that this may affect the procurement system, and that it could well impact the availability of foodgrains in the public distribution system, at a time when India ranks 94 out of 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index. The consequences of this damage would extend far beyond the agricultural sector and could engulf the cities as well.

With a growing number of urban households moving away from a dependence on the PDS, there is a tendency to dismiss the centrality of the public distribution of foodgrains in the cities. But for those who are vulnerable, ration wheat and rice continue to form an important part of the household budget and consumption basket. In times of crisis, particularly after the loss of jobs and income during the Covid crisis, the dependence of the poorer households on the PDS can be acute and has infact increased. Around 67 % population of the country falls under the Public Distribution System (PDS) for food grains. Hence, stopping of MSP is not even thinkable as stated by experts. If government stops MSP then PDS will also be abolished automatically.

“MSP procurement cannot be stopped in India when around 90 crore people are to be covered under PDS for food grain. Farmers of Punjab need not worry about stopping of MSP purchase because Punjab’s food grain is going across the country under PDS system,” said economist Dr. Sardara Singh Johaladding. He also added that at the time of any natural calamity, the government has to distribute ration to the poor as it happened during the pandemic, and without procuring food grain on MSP, such distribution by the government is not possible. However, doing so is not as easy as the government thinks.

The PDS also continues to be a critical urban policy instrument. Recently during the lockdown which came in the shadow of the pandemic, the government provided 5 kg of rice and wheat free of cost to each ration cardholder in the PDS. This had not strained the government’s finances as it used stock of grains that was already procured. In a quarter when the economy had contracted to just around three-fourths its size, the government would have struggled to find the resources to buy the grain in the open market. And, yet such an open market is precisely what the government has ensured with its three Farm Bills.

Even during the pandemic, not only BPL but also the Above Poverty line (APL) group, with an annual income of less than Rs 1 lakh, were eligible for food grains under PDS, and large numbers of such families have availed foodgrains under the system.

The author is a student member of Amity Centre of Happiness

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Talks about resumption of Freight train services refuted by Railways while Punjab faces power outage

The Railways have recently categorically refuted the reports that the freight movement had been resumed in the state of Punjab and that 97 goods trains had arrived or departed on Wednesday. The power production has further dipped with the non-availability of coal at thermal plants due to the halted train services.

Northern Railway Ferozepur Division Additional Divisional Railway Manager Sukhwinder Singh said that the goods train traffic in the state remained suspended and no fresh decision in this regard had been taken yet. He further added that the discussions on resumption of goods train movement, which remains suspended due to farmers’ agitations, were continuing at various levels but no final decision had been taken. He asserted, “Railways, in any case, are prepared and the movement of goods trains would be resumed immediately as and when decided by the headquarters”.

As a result of non-plying of goods trains in the state for almost a month now, state officials said that Punjab is heading towards major power outage with its thermal power plants facing a deficiency of coal.

Most of the power plants have been left with Coal-stock of around two-four days because of the halting of train services due to the farmers’ protests. Coal stock of Nabha Thermal Plant at Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo Power Limited in Mansa has been completely exhausted as per statement given by A. Venu Prasad, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited chairman-cum-managing director. Currently, the plants are operating at a minimal capacity. The current requirement of electricity per day in the state is at 6,000 megawatts (MW) and it is largely met through purchase from the national grid.

The state-owned thermal plants in Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat have been shut. Consequently, the government is procuring electricity mostly from other state thermal units located in Rajpura, Talwandi Sabo and Goindwal.

The Punjab Chief Minister recently spoke to the Union Railway Minister in the light of the decision of the Railways to extend the ban on the movement of goods trains. The decision to discontinue the freight movement in Punjab, has negated the results of discussions, said the Chief Minister. He has further warned that the move to discontinue the train services may, in fact, further provoke the agitated farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws.

The author is a student member of Amity Centre of Happiness

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Punjab collates database of health care workers, after Centre’s hint

With a desire of moving ahead with a COVID vaccination in near future as a result of trials reaching progressive stages, the Punjab government has commenced an exercise to consolidate the database of health care workers (HCW). This began after the centre recently stated that the HCW of both the government and private facilities may be prioritized for the vaccination, once the vaccine becomes accessible.

Punjab secretary Health cum Mission Director National Health Mission Kumar Rahul in a letter to all deputy commissioners and civil surgeons across the state asserted that all the districts need to assure that every facility within the district fills up detail of all healthcare workers (HCW) linked with it, in a standard template and submit it back to the district.

Union Health Ministry secretary Rajesh Bhusan stated on October 16, that the union health ministry was in the process of preparing a database of HCW of government and private facilities who maybe selected for receiving the first round of COVID-19 vaccine once it is accessible. Mission Director National Health Mission, Kumar Rahul also wrote that after acquiring the complete dataset from the facilities, the district will upload the template on COVID-19 vaccination Beneficiary Management system (CVBMS) for which guidelines will be shared later.

During the pandemic 13 health officials, including a doctor, pharmacy officers, and multipurpose health worker (both male and female), ASHA (accredited social health activist) have died after contracting the infection in Punjab. More than 1200 health officials, who have been on the frontline to confront the pandemic have been mainly infected in the state. According to Punjab’s nodal officer for COVID, Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, the exact details collected designation-wise from those contaminated from health department were in the process of being compiled, with the preponderance of those infected include multi-purpose health workers and ASHA.

Punjab ASHA worker Union president Kirandeep Kaur Panjola stated that atleast 500 ASHA workers were infected before they stopped getting tasted. As per the official website of WHO, there are presently more than 100 COVID 19 vaccine candidates under development with a number of them in human trial phases. The WHO is working in cooperation with scientists, business community, investors and global health organizations through the ACT (access to Covid19 tools) accelerator to speed up the response to pandemic. When a safe and effective vaccine is found, COVAX (a global cooperation) led by WHO, GAVI (global alliance for vaccine and Immunization) and CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic preparedness innovation) will coordinate the equitable access and distribution of the vaccine to protect people in all countries. Among others, Bharat Biotech, and Zydus Cadilla are in various stages of clinical trials to develop the vaccine.

The author is a student member of Amity Centre of Happiness.

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Protests continue in Punjab as the state government brings in new legislations against the existing central farmer bills

On, Monday, October 19, a meeting was held between members of Bhartiya Kisan Union-BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) and the ministerial panel of the Punjab Cabinet regarding the farmer laws related conflicts and ongoing protests. The sole purpose of this meeting was to convince the farmers to dial down their protests as it is creating problems for the state government.

BKU protestors had also threatened to ‘gherao’ (cover) the Vidhan Sabha but dropped the plan after receiving calls from the government to sit down and have a discussion. At the meeting, the president of BKU, Joginder Singh Ugrahan made the statement that the protests would not stop unless they are completely satisfied with the government’s actions to reject the farmer laws that have already been passed by the Parliament. Joginder Singh Ugrahan said, “We also want the Congress government to withdraw the amendments made by the state government in 2017 related to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act, and monetary compensation for those who died in the agitation.”

Three ministers from the cabinet later disclosed that the government had agreed to cancel all the registered cases against farmers in Punjab as demanded by the Farmers Union.

In addition to this, the Punjab Government is planning to introduce 3 new legislations to be put against the existing laws passed by the Parliament, namely – The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Under the rules of the three laws, especially the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment Bill, 2020 any sale of food-grains in the state would be allowed only if the sale value is equal to or higher than the MSP.

This has been done concerning the recent happenings where the protestors agreed to lift their ‘rail roko’ plan on the condition that the government will reject the three agricultural laws. The legislations to be brought in will be focusing on ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the farmers to buy food grains.

The Business Advisory Committee meeting held on Monday was decided to take place beforehand as the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh gave a hint of taking an ‘exemplary’ action in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Sunday, October 18.

The author is a student member of Amity Centre of Happiness.

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Nationwide farmers’ strike today; rail, road transport to be affected. All you need to know

Day after three-day of ‘Rail Roko’ started in protest against the passage of three controversial farm bills in the Rajya Sabha by farmers’ organizations in Punjab and Haryana, Farmers’ organizations across the country will take to the road on Friday to meet their legal demands, guaranteed minimum support price (MSP). A total of 31 farmer organizations have given their support on the call for Bharat Bandh today.

All India Farmers Union (AIFU), Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), All India Kisan Mahasangh (AIKM), and All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) declared a cross country bandh. Farmers’ bodies in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra have also called for a shutdown.

RSS-affiliated farmer organizations like Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Swadeshi Jagran Manch are also demanding amendments in the legislation, but they will not take part in the protest today.

Ten Central Trade Unions including the All India Trade Union Congress, National Trades Union Congress, Center of Indian Trade Union, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, All India United Trade Union Center, and Trade Union Coordination Center have also given their support.

The Congress on Thursday supported the call for a Bharat Bandh. A total of 18 parties including AAP, Congress, Left parties, NCP, DMK, SP, Trinamool Congress, RJD encouraged the President not to sign the Bills.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has asked farmers to keep up peace and follow the Covid-19 security convention. No FIR will be lodged for violation of Section 144 during protests, the CM said.

Fourteen special passenger trains running from the Ferozepur division of the railways have been canceled from 24 to 26 September in view of the three-day rail stop protest by the farmers’ organizations. The trains suspended incorporate the Golden Temple Mail (Amritsar-Mumbai Central), Jan Shatabdi Express (Haridwar-Amritsar), New Delhi-Jammu Tawi, Sachkhand Express (Nanded-Amritsar), and Shaheed Express (Amritsar-Jayanagar).

Farmers’ associations have chosen to go for an uncertain rail block from October 1

The Delhi-Haryana border is likely to be sealed as protesters may march towards the capital city. Delhi Police is on high alert.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will conduct a three-hour roundabout jam (road blockade) across Punjab from 11 am to 2 pm.

On 20 September, the Rajya Sabha promoted farmers and excise (commerce and promotion) on the Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill amid opposition from opposition parties.

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Badal and Bajwa urge to declare Punjab as a principal market yard

On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had been asked by Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal to immediately declare the entire state of Punjab as a principal market yard for agricultural produce so that the centre’s latest laws on agricultural marketing do not apply in the state. The bills on regulation of agro-marketing passed by both the houses by parliament after they receive Presidential assent are set to become laws. Badal’s proposition came in this urgent context.

In a written statement Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Wednesday, that this is the best, the quickest and the most effective way for Punjab to pre-empt the application of centre’s latest anti-farmers Acts in the state because the Center’s Acts do not and will not apply to principal market yards declared by any state government. Therefore, he stressed that the Punjab government must act without delay. The central government has the power to identify the entire state as a principal market yard, sub-market yard and market sub-yards.

The present acts’ provision by the centre exempts these yards or marked areas from the jurisdiction of the legislation. Badal added that, if the whole state gets declared as a principal market yard by the Punjab government, the centre’s acts will automatically be rendered infructuous in the state and will not apply in any part of the state. As a result, there will be the same competition for private players who enter the market, under the same set of laws as applicable to state procurement. The SAD president further added that in the event of the failure of (Captain) Amarinder Singh to revoke these amendments, the SAD will revoke these in the first cabinet meeting when they form a government in the state.

Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda stated that farmers’ interests are paramount to the state government and that the Chief Minister will shortly unveil what he has in his mind. Captain Amarinder Singh has a much larger vision for the farmers of the state.

Badal added that the SAD will never allow these Acts to apply to Punjab. He further stressed that the acts will not be allowed to be implemented in Punjab irrespective of the required steps the SAD has to take or the price that have to be paid. SAD further added in their statements that if Captain Amarinder Singh does not do it today, he would be exposing the Punjab farmers to exploitation by private corporate sharks. The CM must do it preferably today itself so that the centre does not get an opportunity to enforce these new laws in Punjab by inserting a sub-section to ensure the retrospective effect as stated by Badal.

The amendments which Chief Minister brought into the state, especially the APMC Act, have provisions which are identical to the centre’s Acts which Captain Singh claims to oppose. Badal asked the chief minister to abolish them describing them as a strange development. The Chief Minister first implemented the same Acts in his state, which he now claims to oppose in the Central legislations. The only difference between the provisions of the Punjab Act and centre’s Acts is that the Acts passed by the Parliament are applicable throughout the country while Amarinder’s APMC Act amendments apply only in Punjab.

Badal commented that the Congress government in the state needs to come clean on this suicidal contradiction for Punjab and to revoke the amendments enacted by it. He further added that if Amarinder refuses to revoke his amendments, this would show where he exactly stands with regards to the centre’s Act.

Identical request made by Congress MP Bajwa

Punjab government has also been requested by Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa to amend the Punjab APMC Act, to expand the geographical boundary of “market yards” to cover the entire state to circumvent Centre’s recent farm legislations.

Bajwa wrote a letter to CM Amarinder Singh in which he pointed out that it must be noted that the Government of India in Chapter 1 of the Bill, specifically Clause 2(m), defined ‘trade area’ as any area or location that does not include the physical boundaries of principal market yards, sub-market yards and market sub-yards managed and run by the market committees formed under each state APMC Act in force in India.

Bajwa had added in the letter that due to the clause 2(m), the state government of Rajasthan has notified all warehouses of the Food Corporation of India as procurement centres under the State APMC Act. He urged the Punjab CM to do the same to prevent implementation of the central laws.

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Youth comes forward to express their support towards the farmers involved in ongoing protests in Punjab

Ongoing protests in Punjab against the 3 laws passed by both the Houses of Parliament are gaining nationwide support, especially from the youth. These protests are being organized by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugarahan). Young men and women are actively participating in these protests to show their support towards the farmer community.

The protests are taking place in Patiala and Badal village in Punjab, which are the hometowns of the state’s current Chief Minister –Amarinder Singh, and the former CM-Parkash Singh Badal.

The State President of the Union- Joginder Singh in a statement said that this is for the first time that the youth is actively participating and thronging to the protest sites. He further added that out of the gathering observed almost 50% is youth, which is a positive sign for the movement against the draconian ordinances.

These youngsters are not only participating in the rallies against the 3 ordinances, but also helping the farmers run their social media platforms to gain more followers and spread their messages nationwide.

Apart from the farmers, many unemployed men and women, people from a technical background, job-oriented people, everyone is showing their support in large amounts, as stated by Joginder Singh. Many Punjabi artists and economists have also come forward to support this movement.

Balwinder Singh Tiwana, who is a former professor of economics at Punjab University in Patiala said that these ordinances and bills are opening the way for entry of big corporate houses in agriculture, and that they will ultimately capture the land and agricultural market.

As per a statement made by 24-year old Parminder Singh, technology plays a crucial role in spreading the message and targeting a large group of audience. He stated that they have around 49,000 followers on the union’s social media page. He further added that youth cannot sit at homes accepting this injustice with the farming community which is fighting for its survival. Parminder is responsible for handling all the social media platforms dedicated to the farmers involved in these protests. He  hails from Gharacho village in the Sangrur district.

Ajaydeep Singh, another 29 years old youngster, claimed that it is not fair for the farmers in their old age to protest during this time of pandemic, compromising their health to protest against the unfair laws that have been passed by the Parliament. Youngsters must join this movement to support the farmers during this crisis.

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Punjab, three ordinances and amended APMC Act-private buyers of cotton in favour of central ordinance while some oppose

There have been varied responses to three ordinances passed by the central government – Essential Commodities amendment ordinance, Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) ordinance and the Farmers (empowerment and protection) agreement on price assurance and farm services ordinance 2020. Punjab and Haryana farmers have protested against these ordinances, with the primary focus being on the second ordinance related to the trade and commerce of farmers produce outside the APMC. The other two ordinances are primarily meant to do away with the removal of stockholding limits on various foodstuffs until and unless required by extraordinary circumstances which include war.

APMC or Agricultural Produce Market Committee is a state level market mechanism run by government to protect farmers from exploitation. APMC allows the farmers to sell their produce. In the Punjab’s APMC structure there are arhtiyas which are commissioning agents under the State Food and civil supply department which ensures the farmers fair price for their produce. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) ordinance 2020 takes the provision of trade of the farmers’ produce outside the APMC through additional marketing channel. Main concerns from the farmers are that the ordinance wants to do away with the minimum assurance of price to the farmers under the garb of promoting market efficiency. Another concern regarding the structural intent of the ordinance is that it wants to implement the recommendations of the High Level Committee on Restructuring of Food Corporation of India headed by Shanta kumar; especially the one which wants to remove the FCI responsibilities of food procurement.

In this context, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh had said that these ordinances are in violation of Federalism as enunciated in the constitution. These developments come in the context of removal of the licence requirement by the central ordinance as opposed to the Punjab state’s APMC act which requires that only a licence holder can trade in agricultural food stuffs. As per the recently passed central ordinance, anybody with PAN can trade in the state food grains’ market.

The perception of the Punjab state’s cotton spinning mill owners and ginners are somewhat different towards the new ordinances. They argue for the market induced efficiency in favour of the central Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) ordinance 2020. They stated that if the state government in Punjab does not allow implementing this ordinance, then it may lead to a loss for around Rs 300-400 per quintal of cotton. Cotton Corporation of India is a prominent buyer of Punjab’s cotton. Apart from it, there are many private players who separate the cotton from the seeds and the ginners who are the other prominent buyers of the raw cotton. The percentage of purchase by the CCI is not that much in the case of raw cotton of Punjab. One of the main arguments by the private buyers is centred on the 4.5 per cent tax which includes a 2 % mandi fee and a 2.5% Rural Development Fund. They argue that why would they pay these taxes if the farmers can sell their produce to anyone outside the mandis managed by the state. The impact of the taxes is transferred by the buyers to the cotton farmers through a lesser paid price. Hence, the private buyers asserted that if the cotton market is made more open in the state, then they need not pay the taxes. This means that the buyers can pay the farmers a bit more handsomely. It can be understood in the price mechanics of the medium staple and the long staple cotton. The minimum support prices for the medium and the long staple cotton are Rs 5515 and Rs 5825 respectively. If the farmers sell directly to the buyers, they will get the prices closer to the MSP but if they sell through the arhtiyas of Punjab state government, they will get a price of around Rs 5000 per quintal. This translates into a loss for the cotton farmers.

So the ordinances are going to have different impacts on different types of crops and varied responses from different parties involved.