Lakhs of people answered the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee’s nationwide call for a protest on September 25. While the states of Punjab and Haryana and West Bengal were touted the most for their vocal dissent, millions of pictures from the ground showcase the support for the movement shown by people from across the country.
September 25, 2020 saw an unprecedented outpouring of people on the streets with lakhs of farmers and workers coming together to protest the regime’s anti-people policies, including the recent spate of bills and codes, passed hastily in the Parliament.
Punya Prasoon Bajpai set the tone for the day presenting the bigger picture; touching upon the protests, distractions therefrom and the underlying political machinations.
आज किसान का दिन… आज बॉलीवुड का दिन… आज बिहार चुनाव के ऐलान का दिन…. आज मीडिया का दिन.. आज सत्ता प्रचार का दिन.. आज विपक्षी ताक़त के अनदेखी का दिन.. आज जुम्मा है…………….गुडमार्निंग
Meanwhile, Arfa Khanum Sherwani quoted celebrated Hindi author Ramdhari Singh Dinkar and tweeted:
बैलों के ये बंधू वर्ष भर क्या जाने कैसे जीते हैं बंधी जीभ, आँखें विषम, ग़म खा शायद आँसू पीते हैं ! -दिनकर हमारे किसानों को आपकी आवाज़ की ज़रूरत है, साथ आइये। एक अकेला थक जाएगा मिल कर बोझ उठाना। साथी हाथ बढ़ाना। #किसान_बचाओ_देश_बचाओ#भारत_बंद
However, a large section of mainstream media remained focused on either the Bihar election announcement or how actor Deepika Padukone had been dragged into the drugs in film industry controversy that broke out in wake of the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. While reporters fell over themselves to tail Padukone and her husband Ranveer Singh as they flew in from Goa yesterday, today, they considered it an achievement to drive alongside their vehicle! Many on Twitter rightly called out this desperate attempt to divert attention from the real issues being raised by the nationwide farmers’ protest.
एक दीपिका के पीछे 10 रिपोर्टर, करोड़ों किसानों के लिए एक रिपोर्टर भी नहीं. ये है न्यूज चैनल्स का सच.
Nationwide farmers are on strike today in India. #FarmersProtest against Modi’s #FarmBill2020 ignored by media, which is busy with Bollywood, IPL & Bihar election.
Meanwhile, civil society did its best to draw attention back to things that matter. Advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan tweeted this self-explanatory cartoon by Satish Acharya:
Harsh Mander, who was recently dragged into the investigation into Delhi riots tweeted about solidarity for farmers being expressed by CAA protesters:
Farmers from Punjab came to Shaheen Bagh to establish a langar in solidarity with their sisters protesting CAA/NRC. Now Muslim youth from Malerkotla serve food in solidarity with protesting farmers of Punjab. With these bonds of love that bind us, India is safe @karwanemohabbat
By early afternoon of September 25, hashtags supporting farmers’ and workers’ defiance to the recent agriculture and labour laws were trending on Twitter.
Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav who attended protests in Haryana posted a screenshot that showed #BharatBandh #NoToFarmerBills and #ScrapAntiFarmerActs as the top three trending hashtags in India.
Similarly, the three-day long “rail roko” agitation of Punjab farmers was leading on Twitter news. However, the star of the Twitter trend show was its neighbouring state that sent in visuals of dissent from every nook and cranny of Haryana.
State traffic police in their share of work to ensure farmers’ right to protest.
Haryana Traffic police did a fair job in managing the traffic at Sarsini. It diverted traffic to Chandigarh and Ambala city and not let people get stuck in the blockade. Ensuring one’s right to protest along with one’s right to move ? @cmohry@anilvijministerpic.twitter.com/LquaYEGZkb
Members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) sang and posted in memory of the Tebhaga Andolan by the Kisan Sabha in 1946-47. The takeaway message – This country is not going to surrender! We are going to teach this government a lesson they are never going to forget!”
#NoToFarmBills A song remembering the historic peasant revolt, Tebhaga Andolon. The farmers of this country fought the British with utmost resiliency, and this BJP’s time to feel the wrath! pic.twitter.com/Pe629begFO
While thousands of farmers stepped out on the roads across the nation, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s twitter account posted a video of a bunch of nameless farmers – save one – talking about the benefits of the new agriculture laws.
देश को आजाद हुए तो 70 साल से ज्यादा हो गए, लेकिन किसानों को अपनी उपज अपने हिसाब से बेचने की आजादी अब मिल रही है।
सुनिए, कृषि सुधार विधेयकों के पारित होने पर किसान दे रहे हैं मोदी जी को धन्यवाद। pic.twitter.com/nJ8wO6khWa
However, netizens remain disillusioned of these assurances as well as they continue to show their solidarity at least in the virtual world, with the farmers.
The Bombay High Court, on Thursday, refused to intervene in the Maharashtra state government’s decision against reopening places of worship. A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni, was hearing a Public Interest Litigation moved by a group called Association for Aiding Justice.
The court ruled, “Taking judicial notice of the given situation prevailing in the State of Maharashtra, we are not inclined, at this stage, to pass any order, as prayed for by the petitioner, directing the State to open the places of worship, even in a limited manner. We leave it to the State to decide its next course of action, if at all the situation changes for the better.” The court then adjourned the matter for two months.
Maharashtra was one of the first states to begin lockdowns in major hotspots like Mumbai, even before the national lockdown, with provisions against gathering at places of worship. Maharashtra currently has as many as 2,75,404 active cases. As per the state government’s latest statistics, over 7 crore tests have been conducted so far, with almost 15 lakh tests conducted in just one day yesterday!
The Bihar State Assembly election dates have been announced. Polling for the mammoth 243-member assembly will take place in three phases with polling taking place on October 28, November 3 and November 7, 2020. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced the dates at a press conference on Friday, September 25, 2020. With the announcement of the dates, the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect immediately.
Following are the key dates associated with each phase:
Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: Phase 1
Date of issue of gazette notification: Oct 1
Last date of nomination: Oct 8
Scrutiny of nomination: Oct 9
Last date of withdrawal of candidature: Oct 12
Date of polling: Oct 28
Date of counting: Nov 10
Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: Phase 2
Date of issue of gazette notification: Oct 9
Last date of nomination: Oct 16
Scrutiny of nomination: Oct 17
Last date of withdrawal of candidature: Oct 19
Date of polling: Nov 3
Date of counting: Nov 10
Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: Phase 3
Date of issue of gazette notification: Oct 13
Last date of nomination: Oct 20
Scrutiny of nomination: Oct 21
Last date of withdrawal of candidature: Oct 23
Date of polling: Nov 7
Date of counting: Nov 10
At present Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal United, leads a coalition government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). The Opposition is led by Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Yadav is the son of two former Bihar Chief Ministers Laloo Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi. Of the 243 seats, 38 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and two for Scheduled Tribes.
Over 72 lakh eligible voters are expected to vote at more than one lakh polling stations. The number of polling stations was increased to decongest them. Therefore, while earlier 1,500 electors voted at one polling station, this year the number has been capped to 1,000. Moreover, the duration of the voting period has been increased by one hour. Voting will now be held from 7 A.M to 6 P.M.
Polling in the times of Corona
Special provisions are being made to ensure the smooth conduct of elections amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. These include arrangements for over 7 lakh units of hand sanitisers, 46 lakh masks, 6 lakh PPE kits, 6.7 lakh units of faces-shields and 23 lakh (pairs of) hand gloves. In fact, 7.2 crore single-use hand gloves have been arranged for voters.
Additionally, a provision has been made for filing nomination papers online, though the offline option is still available. However, the number of people accompanying the candidate during filing nominations has been restricted to just two people. Moreover, candidates can now transfer their security deposit online as well. When it comes to door-to-door campaigning, the number of people has been restricted to five persons.
Additionally, people who are Covid positive can avail benefits of the postal ballot. If they want to vote in person, they can do so in the last hour at their designated polling booth. Senior citizens over the age of 80 can vote via postal ballot. Person with disabilities can also avail the facility, or utilize the provision of free passes to public transport on polling day. It has also been announced that all polling stations will be located on ground level and have wheeelchairs available to facilitate ease of voting for persons with disabilities.
CEC Sunil Arora also raised concerns over the proliferation of hate speech and fake news via social media. He said, “Adverse use of social media has emerged a challenged in the recent times. Digital platforms are dealth with sternly. We would like to make it clear that anyone who makes mysterious use of social media for electoral purpose shall face the consequences under the law.”
Impact of protests and other political machinations
The announcement of polling dates took place on a day when peasants and workers are agitating against anti-people policies of the regime. Recently, the government passed three key agriculture bills in the Parliament without discussion. All of these bills appear to pander to the corporate lobby even as they adversely impact rights of farmers, especially those who are small or marginal farmers. Farmers in Bihar are likely to bear brunt of these ‘anti-farmer’ policies of the state. Cashing in on the chance of a photo-op, Tejashwi Yadav was seen riding a tractor to show support for farmers’ rights. Meanwhile, HAM leader Jitin Ram Manjhi has already distanced himself from the opposition alliance. Now, RLSP leader Upendra Kushawa has openly said that Yadav’s leadership is unacceptable to him.
There is no dearth of drama amidst the ruling coalition either with LJP’s Chirag Paswan openly challenging Nitish Kumar, especially in wake of Jitin Ram Manjhi switching sides. Manjhi’s vote base is identical to that of Paswan. Nitish Kumar himself has been swinging partners; first embracing the BJP, then switching allegiance to the RJD, and then running back to the BJP.
Needless to say, in the coming days, we will see a lot of political posturing and back-channel negotiations by leaders on both sides, in order to ensure the seat-sharing arithmetic best suited to them. Will any of this actually benefit impoverished famers and lakhs of migrant workers who have returned to Bihar in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and now face an uncertain future, remains to be seen.
In our round-up of the day, here are ten iconic images from today’s historic protest. Yeah, it was historic all right, don’t let the mainstream media tell you otherwise.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir S Badal says Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s resignation “has shaken up Modi. For the past two months, there was no word on farmers, but now 5-5 ministers speak on it” He is planning a major protest march on October 1 and says it “will shake up the throne in Delhi as well the one in Chandigarh.
#WATCH “During World War II, the US shook up Japan with an atomic bomb. Akali Dal’s one bomb (resignation of Harsimrat Kaur Badal) has shaken up Modi. For past two months, there was no word on farmers, but now 5-5 ministers speak on it,”: SAD’s Sukhbir S Badal in Muktsar, Punjab pic.twitter.com/8ikbh093ii
Farmers erect a temporary shade on railway tracks to take shelter from the sun as they block the rail tracks during a protest against farm bills passed by India’s parliament,in Devi Dasspura village on the outskirts of Amritsar #BharatBandh#FarmersProtesthttps://t.co/0WQ7g7U6rs
WATCH: P Sainath and Teesta Setalvad on Farmers Anger and Media Blackout #ScrapAntiFarmerActs #BharatBandh
5:40 PM
These photos from Assam portray the ire of farmers
5:35 PM
Farmers protest in Yavatmal
05:30 PM
Haryana and Punjab held massive protests, may even unite and counter the #FarmBills
Massive protests in #Haryana, now the talk is to join Punjab & Haryana agitation, chart a common program, & then counter the #FarmBills with full might. Today #Punjab was completely shut, everyone except BJP was protesting. @PMOIndia there is still time, no shame in back tracking pic.twitter.com/ff0vwI13mX
#Bihar: Opposition parties stage protest against the new agriculture reform bills in Gaya, today
“We’re protesting anti-farmer laws which must be repealed by the Central Govt. It’ll only benefit corporations & will lead to the closure of all mandis,” says an RJD district worker pic.twitter.com/X1ZGbGZnKC
Our friends in the CJP tell us that they are facing technical issues with the live broadcast of Teesta Setalvad’s interview with P. Sainath, and are hoping to be up and running soon. Apologies for the inconvenience
05:00 PM
There were some who came to create trouble at a protest site, beating up farmers, but the farmer’s voice cannot be broken by lathi blows
मोदी समर्थकों ने कृषि बिल का विरोध कर रहे संगठन के लोगों को लाठियों से पीटा।
लाठी से साँप को दबाया जा सकता है। लाठी से आवाज़ को नही दबाया जा सकता है। अगर आप किसानो के ख़िलाफ़ केंद्र द्वारा थोपे गए काले क़ानून का विरोध करेंगे तो आपको भाड़े के पालतू गुंडों से पिटवाया जायेगा, तानाशाही को झेलिए और ग़ुलामी करिए, वरना मारे जाएँगे#KisanVirodhiSarkar#भारत_बंदpic.twitter.com/eVn6xMbjwF
Road art, sloganeering, drumbeats, music: Farmers protests were a force to reckon with in West Bengal’s West Midnapore,South Dinajpur, and West Burdwan Kajora More
04:30 PM
Protests at Ranaghat, West Bengal
04:25 PM
Highlights of protests in Sangalpattu district and other areas of Tamil Nadu
04:20 PM Every farmer of Haryana seems to be out sitting on the concrete road in the sun, to show their dissent.
04:15 PM
Farmers of Jalmana, Haryana carry on the state’s well-documented agitation against the anti-farmer Bills, creating a human blockade in the process.
04:10 PM
Protestors blocking road move tractors to make way for an ambulance
BREAKING: Thousands of workers of the AIKS, JMS, DYFI from Charota, Dahanu, Thane-Palghar of Maharashtra, blocked the Ahmedabad Highway despite heavy rains and police warning.
3.50 PM
It is a very hot day in Delhi, and yet the protest groups continue to stand with the #Farmers. Peaceful protesters reclaim their space to show solidarity at Jantar Mantar, which was once the hub of people’s protests, till the lockdown hit.
AIKS holds a dharna at Chauraha in Bhiwani, Haryana
03:40 PM Yogendra Yadav visits protest at Ratia, Haryana, to show solidarity with farmers.
03:35 PM Punjab
03:32 PM Here’s a poster honouring the chakka jam
03: 30 PM
DID YOU KNOW? Despite joining the Human Rights Council at the end of 2018, India is not a signatory to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants & Other People Working in Rural Areas adopted on 28.9 2018. Surprise?Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan are signatories with 29 excluding India have voted in its favour. PS: India joined Council a mth after! https://cjp.org.in/india-did-not-sign-up-for-the-un-peasant-rights-declaration-surprise/
03:25 PM Editorial cartoonist Satish Acharya, exposed the distraction tactics of some news channels
Farmers court arrest as a part of their protest in Karnataka. According to news reports, a group of farmers had blocked the busy Tumkur road near Yeshwanthpur in Bengaluru. They courted arrest when the police reached the spot to clear the blockade.
02:37 PM
BREAKING: With cries of ‘Narendra Modi Zindabad’ and thick wooden sticks, protestor in Bihar is attacked brutally
Northern Railway has canceled some trains due to farmers’ agitation in Punjab, say news reports, citing Deepak Kumar, Chief Public Relation Officers (CPRO) of the zone. #FarmersProtest
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020; The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce Bill, 2020; and The Farmers Agreement on Prices Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 – will destroy Indian agriculture and our farmers, say Left leaders.
Farmers, Union members and Congress members hold protest marches across West Bengal. In images: Photos from Debra paschim medinipur, Dubrajpur, Rampurhat, West Burdwan, Bankura Borjora, Imambazar of Hoogly, Purulia
01:35 PM
Protest in Jalna
01:35 PM
All India Kisan Sabha denounce the anti-farmer bills at Haryana’s Bahal Obra chowk.
01:30 PM
Protesters observe sit-in outside Rohtak railway station
01.30 PM Demonstration at Malwani, Mumbai
01.25 PM
DYFI in solidarity with the Farmers and their demands in IIT Market, Powai, Mumbai
01.25 PM
BREAKING: Tamil Nadu Cracks Down: AIKSCC TN Coordinator, K Balakrishnan, AIKS (CPM) State Sec Shanmugam, AIKKMS All India V-P Dr Rengasamy arrested
01.20 PM
Farmers put others first. Even as they continue to protest, they move blockade and give way to an ambulance #Punjab #IStandWithIndianFarmers #BharatBandh
हिसार लघु सचिवालय के सामने हाईवे 65 को किसान सभा के नेतृत्व में जाम किया गया है
12.40 PM
सहारनपुर के छुटमलपुर में देहरादून दिल्ली हाइवे को जाम कर धरना प्रदर्शन करते भाकियू कार्यकर्ता
12.40 PM
Protest in Tripura
12.40 PM
Protest in Odisha
12.40 PM
Here’s a video on the Farmers’ protest by CJP
12.35 PM
Highway Jammed by Protests in UP’s Baghpat, Police Deployed in Moradabad
AIKS President Ashok Dhavale addressed the protesters and said the farmers bills are an attack on the people and not only farmers of India
12.30 PM
Even the local MNS leader in Pune stood today in solidarity with farmers. He pointed out that these farmers have been feeding the nation even during the pandemic. Where is the point of bringing these “annadaatas” on the street?? #शेतकरी_विरोधी_भाजपा
ज्या शेतकरी बांधवांनी कोरोना सारख्या महामारित सुद्धा सर्वांना कष्ट करून अन्न धान्य, भाजीपाला पुरवून जगवल त्या शेतकरी राजाला कुणाच्या तरी फायद्या साठी रस्त्यावर आणणाऱ्या केंद्र सरकार चा जाहीर निषेध.. #होय_मी_शेतकऱ्यानं_सोबत#शेतकरी_विरोधी_भाजपा
12:05 PM Leaders of Kisan Sabha and other farmers organisation, workers organisation like CITU and Left parliamentarians are gathering at Jantar Mantar in Delhi
12 PM
A chakka jam by farmers on a highway that leads to Delhi , in west UP’s Hapur#FarmersProtest
The Aam Admi Party is protesting in cities of Maharashtra like Navi Mumbai, Pune, Shiroor, Pimpri in solidarity with farmers. Protesters stood in front of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue and held up posters with slogans like “Kaun banata HIndustan? Bharat ka Mazdoor Kisan!” Who makes India? The Workers and Farmers of India!
शेतकरी विरोधी कायदे केंद्र सरकारने मागे घ्यावेत यासाठी आम आदमी पार्टीतर्फे पुणे, पिंपरी, शिरूर येथे निदर्शने केली. pic.twitter.com/y7SgY9hHVx
11:55 AM AAP Mumbai organizes Bike & Car Rally in support of Farmers.
11:45 AM
In Images: Farmers are protesting in Maharashtra(Beed, Manjalgaon Taluka), Punjab, Odisha, West Bengal (Midnapur)
11:42 AM
Huge rally and bandh happening in Mansa, Punjab
11:40 AM
Farmers have blocked road in Dantan, District Midnapur, West Bengal
11:35 AM
Delhi Police has been deployed in Chilla near the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border point in anticipation of protesters.
11.30 AM
PM Modi addresses the nation and says that BJP always tried to change labour and farmer laws for the benefit of the workers and farmers. He said that NDA govt has “made full efforts to connect farmers with banks.” He said, over Rs. 1 lakh stores were transferred to voer 10 crore farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.: PM Modi during live addressal
11:30 AM
Worker – Farmers – Sarkar face off
Even as the opposition boycotted the Parliament, three contentious labour codes were passed by the Lok Sabha. But how do they affect the workers ?
Bharat Bandh: protesting farmers have blocked Delhi-Amritsar, Karnataka-Tamil-Nadu Highways
10:25 A.M.
Bihar Protests Heat Up: Even as the Election Commission of India chooses today, the day of the ALL INDIA protest to announce Bihar Elections, districts in the state respond to #Bharat Bandh Call. Rashtriya Janata Dal workers protest in Bihar’s Darbhanga against farm bills, while riding buffaloes. Opposition parties including RJD, Congress, TMC are opposing the farm bills.
10:20 A.M.
Yo-Yo test for the Prime Minister ?
In an Indian version of the eat-cake-if-hungry tale of Marie Antoinette, the Prime Minister yesterday hosted a video session on health and fitness and interacted with, among others, the cricketer Virat Kohli at the same time as trains were being stopped by angry farmers in Punjab. Here’s the bizarre Doordarshan link to the video where the PM asked Mr. Kohli about the Yo-Yo test. Do read the comments please.
10:17 A.M.
Bihar Effect: Highways Jammed, protests spread: Opposition parties INC, RJD, Akali Dal, AAP and TMC apart from the Left Parties at the Forefront
(बिहार में भारत बंद का असर, हाइवे पर जाम, कई जगह आगजनी)किसानों को कांग्रेस, RJD, समाजवादी पार्टी, अकाली दल, AAP, TMC समेत कई पार्टियों का समर्थन है. बिहार में किसानों का प्रदर्शन सुबह से ही शुरू हो गया)
10:15 A.M.
Protests seem to be spilling over to the next day as well. Bangla Sanskriti Manch, a large grassroots socio-political organisation based in West Bengal have called for a peaceful rally and effigy burning program tomorrow, September 26th, Saturday at 3 o clock. Venue: Murarai to Dangipur, Birbhum, West Bengal.
10:10 A.M.
An organisation “Doctors for Farmers” says “we always stood with our Anndata. We organised free health camp in 2018 when farmers protested in Ramleela Maidan & we will continue to provide free medical services whenever needed. #IStandWithIndiaFarmers & oppose #FarmBills #BharatBandh”
Our organisation “Doctors for Farmers” always stood with our Anndata. We organised free health camp in 2018 when farmers protested in Ramleela Maidan & we will continue to provide free medical services whenever needed. #IStandWithIndiaFarmers & oppose #FarmBills#BharatBandhpic.twitter.com/jNEwCODIsh
Rest of India needs to understand the huge crisis afoot in the agrarian sector, leading to a number of farmer suicides for over a decade. The situation, post 2014, has only gotten worse. The Govt has admitted that 10,281 persons involved in farming sector, such as famers, cultivators, agricultural labourers died by suicide last year (2019), making up for 7.4 percent of the total deaths in India. Out of 5,957 farmers or cultivator deaths, 5,563 deaths were of men and 394 deaths were of women. Moreover, out of the 4,324 agricultural labourer deaths 3,749 deaths were of men and 575 deaths were of women. https://sabrangindia.in/article/over-42000-workers-informal-sector-allegedly-die-suicide
9:55 A.M.
Dozens of Members of the Karnataka State Farmers’ Association are holding protests near Bommanahalli on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu highway against #FarmBills passed in Parliament. Police personnel deployed in the area to ensure law & order is maintained & COVID safety norms are followed during protest.
9:50 A.M.
Rajasthan: Dainik Bhaskar has put out an advisory against travelling in Sriganganagar because of the Bandh. No private or government buses are expected to ply. There are chakka jams in Suratgarh bypass, Hanumangarh road, Sadulshahar among other places. Farmers, workers are expected to block road and rail traffic. Over 1000 policemen are deployed in Sriganganagar alone.
9:45 A.M.
What the three Farmer-Related Bills do is snatch away the autonomy of states by scrapping the Mandis and APMCs, not guarantee MSPs, nor ensure procurement. This severely affects the sovereignty of the small farmer and India’s bio-diversity Read Vandana Shiva’s exclusive Blog here
9.40 A.M.
Some reports say farmers have blocked the Amritsar Delhi National Highway in Jalandhar
9.37 A.M.
Farmers, under the aegis of Bharatiya Kisan Union and Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI), block Amritsar-Delhi National Highway near Phillaur in Jalandhar, in protest against#FarmBillspassed in the Parliament. https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1309338625767661570
So naturally, central trade unions, farmers organisations and political parties have united to oppose the government on the streets. Actually more than 150 organisations are expected to observe a complete Bharat Bandh today. But is the Modi Sarkar, high on power, listening ? NCB bulao bhai….
9:15 A.M.
While we are at it, why don’t we tell you how the labour codes passed on September 22, 2020 affect millions of Indian workers. Pssst…a number of new provisions have sneaked in bypassing a joint parliamentary committee and larger public scrutiny. Abki baar, sneaky sarkar ! https://sabrangindia.in/article/labour-codes-issues-spelling-out-abcs
9.10 A.M.
Ambala, Punjab : Delhi-Chandigarh Bus Services Stopped as Farmers Begin protests
9:05 AM
Two Haryana BJP leaders term farm bills ‘anti-farmer’
Haryana BJP leaders Parminder Singh Dhull and Rampal Majra on Thursday dubbed the Centre’s Farm Bills “anti-farmer”, claiming that the apprehensions about the minimum support price were not unfounded. These bills are anti-farmers, anti-people. These reforms will deal a blow to the dreams of Sir Chhotu Ram, considered the messiah of farmers, who wanted to see the peasants prosperous and happy,” Dhull said.
9:00 AM
An intemperate suspension of 8 MPs led to the opposition’s boycott of Parliament, though that hasn’t stopped the government from pushing more contentious bills through, and the Sarkar itself has gone on a publicity overdrive to explain its stance. Here’s a take down of the MSP increase hoax. https://sabrangindia.in/article/msp-farmers-exposing-lies-modi-government
Instead of calculating MSP at C2+50 % as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, a lower level of A2+FL costs is being used, to the detriment, per quintal –for wheat, pulses,mustard seed, safflower seed etc —for farmers. No wonder the Centre wants to take away the Rights of State Govts to protect their Farmers’ Livelihoods!
8:45 AM
For context, here’s a recap of why we are here. On September 20, the government got three Bills passed in the Rajya Sabha by a very dubious voice vote.
The Three Bills are – The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 which excludes food from the Essential Commodities Act; Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020 which dismantles regulatory market framework that prevents traders and Agribusness from exploiting farmers; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 which opens the door for global agribusiness and food processing corporations to lock farmers into new corporate slavery) Why did a ‘sarkar’ as powerful as this choose a heavily curtailed session in the middle of a worldwide pandemic to ram contentious farm bills through ? Is it because it lacks a majority in the Rajya Sabha ? Why is it so jittery about its own bills ? This Teesta Setalvad interview with Vijoo Krishnan may hold some answers. https://sabrangindia.in/video/farm-bills-promote-corporate-hoarding-and-black-marketing-vijoo-krishnan
Rail Roko in Punjab begins: Farmers squatted on the tracks in Punjab yesterday, Thursday, September 24, beginning a three-day “rail roko” agitation against the Farm Bills as the Railways were compelled to suspend several trains to avoid any untoward incident.Twenty trains have been partially cancelled and five short terminated till September 26 as protesters blocked rail tracks at various places, including Amritsar, Ferozepur, Sangrur, Barnala, Mansa and Nabha.
Among the trains that have been suspended are the Golden Temple Mail (Amritsar-Mumbai Central), Jan Shatabdi Express (Haridwar-Amritsar), New Delhi-Jammu Tawi, Karambhoomi (Amritsar-New Jalpaiguri), Sachkhand Express (Nanded-Amritsar) and Shaheed Express (Amritsar-Jaynagar), officials said. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and later different farmers’ outfits have extended their support to the countrywide protest. Activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) squatted on rail tracks in Barnala and Sangrur on Thursday morning.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas was adopted in September 2018 by the UN Human Rights Council. India became a member of the Human Rights Council, a month later, in October 2018. When the Declaration was put for voting in the UN General Assembly in December 2018, India voted in favour thus ratifying it.
However, in the light of the three farm bills passed by the Parliament, it appears that India has acted in contravention to this Declaration whereby it had affirmed some important and pertinent farmers rights.
The Declaration (UNDRPOWRA) recognises the contributions of peasants to development and to conserving and improving biodiversity, and raises concerns that farmers suffer disproportionately from poverty, hunger and malnutrition. It also raises alarm over the increasing number of farmers forcibly evicted or displaced every year and the increase in farmers suicides across the world. The Declaration also recognises that several factors make it difficult for peasants to make their voices heard, to defend their human rights.
India is, at present, in the midst of an agrarian crisis within which the controversial passage of laws perceived to be anti-farmer have caused anger and protest.
The Indian Parliament, in one of its most controversial sessions of late (Monsoon Session, 2020), has passed three bills that affect farmers and their rights, without giving the Opposition an opportunity to debate and discuss on the same.
Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, are three bills that are set to become laws as they have been passed by both houses of the Parliament where the ruling party, BJP, has a sizeable majority. Despite the massive uproar of the opposition, sustained attempts at dialogue and debate were turned away, democratic attempts to send the controversial laws to a Select Committee of Parliament, were denied. Flouting all rules and norms, the bills were pushed through. These actions have led to widespread farmers protests across the country while bringing in focus the question, do farmers have rights?
Farmers Rights Protected in the UNHRC Resolution
Article 2(3) of the Declaration (UNDRPOWRA) speaks about an inclusive process of decision making by engaging in a dialogues with farmers and their representative institutions to ensure informed participation and to ensure that the interests of farmers are better served. The Article 2(3) states as follows:
3. Without disregarding specific legislation on indigenous peoples, before adopting and implementing legislation and policies, international agreements and other decision-making processes that may affect the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with peasants and other people working in rural areas through their own representative institutions, engaging with and seeking the support of peasants and other people working in rural areas who could be affected by decisions before those decisions are made, and responding to their contributions, taking into consideration existing power imbalances between different parties and ensuring active, free, effective, meaningful and informed participation of individuals and groups in associated decision-making processes.
Article 2(5) of the Declaration speaks about ensuring that private enterprises and corporates act in a manner that does not impede upon the interest of farmers and rather strengthen their rights. It reads as follows:
5. States shall take all necessary measures to ensure that non-State actors that they are in a position to regulate, such as private individuals and organizations, and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, respect and strengthen the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas.
Article 3 stresses upon ensuring that farmers enjoy all human rights including fundamental freedoms recognised in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all other international human rights instruments, free from any kind of discrimination in the exercise of their rights.
Article 3(2) speaks about farmers’ right to development as well as their right to determine strategies on how to achieve their right to development. It reads as follows:
2. Peasants and other people working in rural areas have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies to exercise their right to development.
Article 6 seeks to protect farmers from arbitrary arrest or detention, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 8 stresses upon farmers’ right to assert their rights and express them through peaceful means.
Article 10 outlines the farmers’ right to actively participate in formulating policies and laws that may affect their lives, land and livelihoods. Article 10 (2) reads as follows:
2. States shall promote the participation, directly and/or through their representative organizations, of peasants and other people working in rural areas in decision-making processes that may affect their lives, land and livelihoods; this includes respecting the establishment and growth of strong and independent organizations of peasants and other people working in rural areas and promoting their participation in the preparation and implementation of food safety, labour and environmental standards that may affect them.
Article 12 (1) elaborates on the farmers’ right to effective and non-discriminatory access to justice and reads as follows:
1. Peasants and other people working in rural areas have the right to effective and non-discriminatory access to justice, including access to fair procedures for the resolution of disputes and to effective remedies for all infringements of their human rights. Such decisions shall give due consideration to their customs, traditions, rules and legal systems in conformity with relevant obligations under international human rights law.
Article 16 (2) of the Declaration states that the States are obliged to take measures to favour peasants for selling their products in markets. It reads as follows:
2. States shall take appropriate measures to favour the access of peasants and other people working in rural areas to the means of transportation, and processing, drying and storage facilities necessary for selling their products on local, national and regional markets at prices that guarantee them a decent income and livelihood.
3. States shall take appropriate measures to strengthen and support local, national and regional markets in ways that facilitate, and ensure that peasants and other people working in rural areas have full and equitable access and participation in these markets to sell their products at prices that allow them and their families to attain an adequate standard of living.
Apart from the above-mentioned provisions, the Declaration also specifies rights of farmers against displacement, their right to seeds, right to further traditional knowledge, right to standards of physical and mental health, right to adequate housing, right to social security, right to protect and conserve the environment and so on.
These are now among the enumerated Rights that have become the International Standards for the Protection of Farmers Rights, to which India is not a signatory. Notably, all the rights mentioned enumerated by UNDRPOWRA in detail, are the ones that stand to be violated with the passage of three bills that have been hastily passed by the Parliament. The passage of these Bills through Parliament were not preceded by any democratic dialogue with Farmers or Farmer Organisations, violating their right to be heard and be involved in the making of a policy that affects their sustenance and livelihood.
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Area may be read here.
Jammu and Kashmir residents were shocked as news came in of an attack on advocate and activist Babar Qadri at his Hawal residence on Thursday evening. Advocate Qadri was shot at, from close range, allegedly by militants. The attackers, who could not be identified, fled the spot after opening fire on Qadri.
According to news reports advocate Qadri, a father of two young children, was rushed to the SKIMS hospital, however he was declared ‘dead on arrival’. Qadri, was a known face from the region and was often seen on television debates, and his sudden death has impacted the lawyer community, almost as much as it has his friends and family.
Qadri was active on social media, and just three days ago, he had tweeted a screenshot and urged the police in Jammu to register an FIR against a Facebook user for spreading a malafide and incorrect campaign against him. He wrote: “I urge the state Police administration to register FIR against this Shah Nazir who has spread wrong campaign that I work for agencies. This untrue statement can lead to threat to my life.”
I urge the state Police administration to register FIR against this Shah Nazir who has spread wrong campaign that I work for agencies. This un true statement can lead to threat to my life.@ZPHQJammupic.twitter.com/utkurYpRzk
Qadri’s last tweet, ironically illustrated the vulnerability of activists, lawyers and journalists in the Union Territory. Journalist posted a warm tribute to Qadri, “Having known him since he was a student of Law at Kashmir University, it was an association of about 15 years. Of course, many of our discussions ended in disagreements but there was a level of respect. As a person he was very warm and affectionate, always. He didn’t deserve to die. He didn’t deserve to be shot dead! Shocked and deeply saddened by your death”
I knew him since he was a student of Law at KU. Many of our discussions ended in disagreements but there was a level of respect. He was warm &affectionate, always. He didn’t deserve to die. He didn’t deserve to be shot dead! Shocked and deeply saddened by your death #babarqadripic.twitter.com/OoHgf7bEB2
Another Day, Another family left devastated. Yesterday BDC Chairman was shot dead & today Advocate Babar Qadri who stood with pains & miseries of people of Kashmir has been gunned down. Revocation of Article 370 has only brought Bloodshed & Sufferings.
The advocate is the second political or social activist to be shot dead by militants in 24 hours. As reported earlier, Bhupinder Singh, a member of the block development council in Khag area of Budgam district, was shot dead allegedly by militants at his ancestral village Dalwash on Wednesday night.
The Jammu & Kashmir Reading Room (KRR), a collective of lawyers, doctors, academicians, researchers, activists and journalists – based across the world, had recently raised its voice against the harassment of journalists and lawyers in the Union Territory (UT). The KRR had released a report on the subject on August 5, 2020, a year after J&K’s bifurcation, and withdrawal of its special status enshrined under Article 370. The UT of Jammu and Kashmir, had over the year witnessed the targeting of scores of journalists, lawyers, activists, politicians have been regularly summoned for questioning at police stations, some have been booked under anti terror laws, some allege they may be under surveillance and yet others continue to be jailed or under house arrest, even now. Many, especially political leaders and activists were also targeted by alleged militants.
The information blackout, that was near complete in the early days of the Kashmir lockdown, also had an impact on the working journalists and lawyers, making their job an uphill task. Inadequate The KRR had also recorded that journalists and lawyers had been on the receiving end of extra-judicial actions, “ranging from assassinations, death threats, to intimidation.”
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