In its scathing critique, the AIKS has said that the Draft Seeds Bill 2025 is poised to increase the cost of cultivation by allowing corporates to indulge in unchecked pricing of seeds; besides the all-India farmers organisation said that bringing in this law is a move to corporatise India’s seed sector and concede seed sovereignty

Elaborating further, SKM leaders said the draft Seed Bill surrendered the seed sovereignty of India and it was aimed at predatory pricing by the corporate monopolies. They have asked that the Centre should withdraw the Bill. The SKM also warned against “conceding on harmful clauses” in the summit to be held in Lima, Peru from November 24 to 29 on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).

Federalism, Federal rights

The campaign pitch to be launched will be all-encompassing. The leaders said the SKM would launch a national campaign with the slogan of “Strong States for Strong India” to safeguard the federal rights of States demanding increase of State share in the divisive pool (including cess and surcharge) from the current 31% to 60%. The SKM would also demand that the Goods and Services Tax Act must be amended to reinstate taxation power of States. “Financial autonomy of the States is necessary to realise minimum support price and minimum wage through augmenting public investment to modernise agriculture, build agro-industries and share the surplus out of processing, value addition and trade on all crops, thus to end agrarian crisis, peasant suicides and distress migration,” the SKM said.

The leaders said November 26, 2025 marked the fifth year of the beginning of the farmers’ struggle on the Delhi borders. “Sacrificing the lives of 736 martyrs, the protracted struggle of 380 days forced the BJP-led NDA union government to repeal the three pro-corporate and anti-people farm laws. Though five years have passed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi just formed a committee, but yet to implement the written assurances on MSP at the rate of C2+50% (as per M.S. Swaminathan Committee report), debt relief and privatisation of electricity given to SKM on December 9, 2021,” they said. The SKM would organise meetings, rallies and conventions to support its demands on November 26.

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in its condemnation of the proposed law has termed it “anti-farmer and part of the larger political project of the RSS-BJP to dispossess the small farmers and surrender India’s seed sovereignty to a handful of multinational and domestic monopolies.”

AIKS has also pointed out in a statement issued by office bearers Ashok Dhawale and Vijoo Krishnan that the RSS-BJP-led NDA government is pushing this extremely pro-corporate bill at a time when the agrarian crisis is deepening in India. Several scientific studies have established that the increasing corporate control on agriculture would intensify the agrarian crisis and farm suicides. The draft Bill has the necessary ingredients to accelerate the squeezing and looting of Indian farmers. For instance, this law would create a conducive atmosphere for monopolies to indulge in an unchecked pricing of seeds.

Besides, expanding its criticism further the AIKS ha stated that any new legislation regarding seeds — such as the draft Seeds Bill 2025 — must actively complement, not conflict with, the progressive legal safeguards already established under the PPVFR (Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Right) Act 2001, and India’s international commitments under the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) and the ITPGRFA (International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture). These national and international commitments collectively uphold national sovereignty over genetic resources and protect indigenous varieties. They thus recognize farmers as breeders, conservers and rightful custodians of biodiversity with guaranteed rights to save, use, exchange and sell seeds.

In contrast, the draft Seeds Bill 2025 introduces a heavily centralised (and corporatized) regulatory system that risks weakening farmer-centred protection and diluting India’s legal architecture for biodiversity conservation and farmers’ rights. The draft appears to favour market control and stringent formalization of seed systems, potentially marginalizing indigenous varieties, public institutions and national/international seed networks. To be precise, the new draft of the Seeds Bill 2025 deviates India’s regulatory architecture on seeds substantially away from the provisions of the PPVFR Act 2001 and actively shifts the balance in the seed sector in favour of big corporate players.

The weeks and months ahead are likely to see campaigns and agitations against this draft law build up nationally.

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AIKS, Karshaka Sangham and rubber farmers take on tyre cartel; file Intervention Application (IA) in Supreme Court

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Dallewal, president, of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) has been observing fast unto death for 28 days to press the government to ensure minimum support price (MSP) as per the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations and one-time debt relief from government banks and private moneylenders. There were reports of widespread protests on Monday in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu to Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

Farmers organisations are also enraged over arrests and registration of alleged fake FIRs in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh where they have been demanding development of 10% residential plots given in lieu of land procured for residential societies and industries. The protesting farmers also burnt a copy of the draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing which they alleged was “the return of the repealed farm laws through backdoor.”

Kuldeep Singh, who was part of the protesting farmers in Jogindernagar, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, told NewsClick  over the phone that they submitted a memorandum to President of India Droupadi Murmu through Block Development Officer, Mandi, and burnt the draft of the proposed agriculture marketing policy.

“We fought a year-long struggle at the borders of Delhi and it was the martyrdom of 750 farmers that pushed the Narendra Modi government to repeal the three black farm laws. Now, this policy seeks to transfer our produce to private traders without fair pricing. The policy document does not even mention the word MSP. Similarly, it has recommended contract farming.”

The SKM said the protests were being held to remind the Centre of its promise to devise methods to ensure MSP in a legal framework. While some farmer organisations pressed for complete procurement of produce through state agencies, others wanted punitive charges for buying the produce below MSP.

The Centre, through its Secretary (Farmers Welfare) Sanjay Agarwal had assured the SKM leadership that it would form a committee, including representatives from the Centre and state governments, agricultural scientists and farmer leaders of different unions with the mandate to devise methods to implement MSP.

Agarwal’s letter dated December 9, 2021 also noted that the Union government in principle had agreed to withdraw criminal cases by its agencies for participation in the historic famers’ struggle and it would appeal to the state governments too to withdraw the cases. The Centre had also assured farmers that it would hold discussions on the provisions impacting farmers in the Electricity Amendment Act.

However, the government’s invitation to SKM to the committee on Zero Budget Farming was turned down by the Morcha leaders, who alleged that the committee had majority members who had backed the ‘black’ farm laws.

Why MSP is Crucial?

The farmers bodies have maintained that the Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), the Central body responsible for announcing MSP for procuring crops from farmers, had been employing a wrong methodology for calculating the input costs of seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, diesel and harvesting. While CACP has used A2 + FL formula, the farmers have been demanding C2+ 50% for just returns on the produce. A2 covers major costs such as fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and diesel among others and FL implies unpaid family labour. C2 refers to comprehensive costs that also cover rents and forgone interest on land apart from traditional costs.

On Dallewal’s fast and deteriorating health, SKM leaders said in case of any untoward development, the entire responsibility would fall on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

In a statement, SKM core team member Darshan Pal said, “Instead of discussing the acute distress faced by farmers and agricultural labourers, the NDA-3 government is further unleashing an onslaught on agriculture, industry and services through the New National Agriculture Market Policy and Digital Agriculture Mission, National Cooperation Policy, imposing four labour codes and One Nation One Election that erodes the federal rights of the State Governments to facilitate the corporate agenda of ‘one nation one market for corporate profiteering’.

Memorandum to President

The memorandum submitted to the President of India by SKM leaders read, “It is highly unfortunate that the Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi is not ready to hold discussions with farmer organisations on struggles. Instead, consistent efforts are there to brutally suppress the struggles of farmers at Shambu and Khanuri borders of Punjab and Noida-Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh by using tear gas shelling, rubber bullets, water cannons and putting hundreds of farmers in jail for holding peaceful demonstrations and Dharna.”

It further noted that In the Gautam Buddha Nagar, the FIR No.0538 dated December 4, 2024, revealed that the Police Commissionerate had implicated 112 farmers on false charges under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Nyay Samhita for attempt to murder of a police sub-inspector…. “The farmers are in jail for the last 21 days,” it added.

The memorandum also held that the “new National Agriculture Market Policy is part of the strategy of the corporate agenda to permit backdoor resurrection of the three farm laws. The conscious efforts in the last two years to thwart procurement in APMC markets in Punjab and Haryana, dismantle FCI by promoting cash transfer on food subsidy, reduction of food subsidy by Rs. 60,470 Cr. and fertiliser subsidy by Rs. 62,445 Cr. in the last three consecutive years are corporate attacks on the existing system of limited MSP and Food security of the country.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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The protest was called in response to alleged excesses inflicted on farmers who tried to march towards Delhi to press for their demands on Minimum Support Price and one time debt relief. At least 21 trains were cancelled and several trains were short terminated in Ambala and Ferozpur division. The protesters squatted on major railway stations including Moga, Faridkot, Gurdaspur, Batala, Jalandhar, Sangrur, Tarn Taran and Muktsar.

Harmeet Bains, leader, Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Union said, “We have stopped trains from 12 PM to 3 PM at more than 100 locations in the state. After the Supreme Court directed the Haryana administration to allow farmers their march on foot, we were met with sheer high handedness, tear gas and water cannons. The centre is in sleep mode from 2014 itself. The farmers are too citizens of this country. We provide grains to feed the people. If peasantry is destroyed, the country will face serious repercussions.”

Addressing a press conference at Shambhu border, Jaswinder Singh Longowal, leader, Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Azad said that the participation of common people in rail roko protest surpassed their expectations.

“Even the unions out of our organisation’s ambit extended their support. It must be remembered that the fast unto death of veteran leader Jagjeet Singh Dallewal entered 23rd day and no centre representative reached out to us over our demands,”he said.

He said,”today’s protest amply demonstrates that the people of the state are frustrated with this government. Both forums, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political), have decided that the movement will be intensified in Punjab. A complete bandh will be observed in the state on December 30 and we will request people to ensure massive participation. I request farmers bodies, shopkeepers, workers to understand that winning this struggle is the need of the hour. I ask you to form village committees to campaign in rural areas. We cannot forget the sacrifices made by our leaders. We cannot forget the humiliation meted out to us by the centre.”

Meanwhile, the health of Dallewal, President, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur), further deteriorated on 23rd day of his fast with doctors expressing possibility of multiple organ failure. The Supreme Court too showed concern over deteriorating health of Dallewal and directed Punjab government to make necessary arrangements in case hospitalisation is required.

The bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Wednesday said,”As regard to medical aid to Mr.Jagjit Singh Dallewal, learned Advocate General fairly submits that even as per the doctors, he is immediately required to be hospitalised. That being the medical condition, we direct the State Authorities to take all necessary steps and ensure that the medical aid of hospitalisation, as per the doctors advise, is provided to Mr.Jagjit Singh Dallewal, without any delay.”

After the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision of repealing the farm laws, Centre, through its Secretary (Farmers Welfare) Sanjay Agarwal had assured the leadership of Samyukta Kisan Morcha that it will form a committee including representatives from centre and state governments, Agriculture Scientists and farmers leaders of different unions with the mandate to devise methods to implement minimum support price.

The letter dated December 9, 2021 also noted that the Union government in principle agrees to withdraw criminal cases by its agencies for participation in the historic struggle and it will appeal to the state governments too to withdraw the cases. The Centre will also hold discussion on provisions impacting farmers in Electricity Amendment Act.

However, the government’s invitation to SKM to the committee on Zero Budget Farming was turned down by the morcha leaders as they alleged the committee had majority of members who had backed the farm laws.

Why MSP is crucial ?

The farmers bodies have maintained that the Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), the central body responsible for announcing minimum support price for procuring crops from farmers, has been employing wrong methodology for calculating the input costs of seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, diesel and harvesting. While CACP has used A2 + FL formula, the farmers has been asking for C2+ 50 percent for just returns on the produce. A2 covers majors costs such as fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and diesel among other costs and FL implies unpaid family labour. C2 refers to comprehensive costs which also covers rents and forgone interest on land apart from traditional costs.

Tejvir Singh, leader, Bharatiya Kisan Union Shaheed Bhagat Singh said that the Centre has introduced a draft of National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing instead of initiating any dialogue. He said,”I have no hesitation in saying that the centre has reintroduced repealed farm laws through back door. If we look at the policy framework, there is no single word on Minimum Support Price in the whole document to which our 10 months struggle is dedicated. We are witnessing an assault on our federal structure too where states have no role in determining their priorities whereas the seventh schedule of Constitution maintains agriculture s a state subject. We also wish to highlight that the some important khap panchayats have extended their support and announce it formally on 19.12.2024 at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh.

Surjeet Singh Phul, Chairman, Bharatiya Kisan Union Krantikari, said that the forums also declined to meet the panel formed by Supreme Court citing its limited mandate. “We categorically stated that the panel has no powers to take decisions and it appears to be a delaying tactic. We will only meet the representatives of centre which needs to deliver its promises now.”

Meanwhile Samyukta Kisan Morcha has given a call to observe nationwide protests on December 23 over repression of farmers in Greater Noida. Simultaneously, it demanded resumption of dialogue with farmers organisations and withdrawal of National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing.

Talking to NewsClick over the phone, Hannan Mollah of SKM said that “Sarvan Singh Pandher had expressed his desire for a joint struggle. The constituents of SKM were apprehensive because he was never part of our umbrella organisation. His people’s action brought bad name to the movement when they created a ruckus at the Red Fort and brought national flag down. However, we have called him to meet us at Patiala. ”

The SKM had also written to Prime Minister to accept the genuine, long pending demands of farmers on MSP, loan waiver, stopping privatization of electricity, implementation of LARR Act 2013 and immediately withdraw the new Agriculture Market Policy dated 25th November 2024 proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare that denies MSP, permits corporate control on agriculture production and marketing through digitalization, contract farming, market access to procurement, trespass on the federal rights of the States.

It said,” The recent introduction of the Digital Agriculture Mission, National Cooperation Policy and now the New Agri Market Policy are part of the strategy of the corporate agenda to permit backdoor resurrection of the three farm laws. The conscious efforts in the last two years to thwart procurement in APMC markets in Punjab and Haryana, dismantle FCI by promoting cash transfer on food subsidy, reduction of food subsidy by Rs. 60,470 Cr. and fertiliser subsidy by Rs. 62,445 Cr. in the last three consecutive years are decisive corporate attacks on the existing system of MSP and Food security.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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SKM leaders said that its constituent organisations would conduct door-to-door campaigns and appeal to people to not to vote for the saffron party as it failed to deliver on its promise of minimum support price (MSP) as per the suggestion of Swaminathan Commission recommendations of paying 1.5 times the comprehensive cost.

Constituted in 2004, the National Commission on Farmers, headed by leading agriculture scientist late M S Swaminathan, had recommended that farmers must get 1.5 times of the total cost incurred on inputs in agriculture.

Farmers’ groups have maintained that the Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), the central body responsible for announcing the MSP for acquiring foodgrains from farmers, has been employing a wrong methodology for calculating the input costs of seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, diesel and harvesting. While the CACP has used the A2 + FL formula, the farmers have been asking for C2+ 50% for fair returns on the produce. A2 covers major costs, such as fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and diesel among other costs and FL implies unpaid family labour. C2 refers to comprehensive costs, which also cover rents and forgone interest on land, apart from traditional costs.

Mahapanchayat in Hisar

The SKM’s Haryana unit said it would organise a massive meeting of workers, farmers and employees (permanent and contractual) in Hisar on September 7, to launch the campaign in the state.

Inderjit Singh, one of the key functionaries of SKM, told NewsClick over the phone that although the decision to hold such a campaign was in the agenda of SKM’s national executive meeting on July 10 in New Delhi, it was formally cleared on August 20 in Bhiwani where all constituent organisations gave their consent.

“We are very clear that we will expose the government’s corporate-communal nexus; their anti-farmer and anti-worker character and punish by defeating them,” said Singh, who is also a leader of the All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS).

The septuagenarian leader went on to add that the joint programme had been convened with active participation of Central Trade Unions. “We snatched five seats (from BJP) in Lok Sabha elections (in Haryana). We will repeat the Assembly elections too,” he added.

‘Haryana CM Misguided us’

Suresh Koth, leader, Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Union, told NewsClick over the phone that farmers were agitated because the promises made during the farmers’ movement were not fulfilled. “Consecutive CMs kept misguiding us over MSP. The police cases registered during the agitation have still not been withdrawn,” he added.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision of repealing the farm laws, the Centre, through its Secretary (Farmers Welfare) Sanjay Agarwal, had assured the SKM leadership that it would form a committee, including representatives from the Centre and state governments, agriculture scientists and farmer leaders from different unions with the mandate to devise methods to implement MSP.

Agarwal’s letter dated December 9, 2021 also noted that the Union government in principle agreed to withdraw criminal cases by its agencies for participation in the historic struggle and it would appeal to the state governments to withdraw the cases, too. The Centre will also hold a discussion on the provisions impacting farmers in the Electricity Amendment Act, the letter added.

In a statement, SKM said, “The massive setback suffered by BJP across India in the just concluded 18th Lok Sabha elections — NDA lost in 159 rural constituencies — was mainly due to the anger among farmers, workers, youth and marginalised sections including Minorities, Dalits and Adivasis against the pro-corporate policies imposed by the Modi Government. Another drubbing to BJP in these Assembly elections will amount to a litmus test for farmers to make certain their victory in the struggle across India against the corporatisation of agriculture and in defence of their livelihoods.”

On Haryana, the statement said, “The Haryana Chief Minister had attempted to misguide the farmers by falsely claiming MSP for 24 crops consciously hiding the fact that the procurement rate is not based on C2+50% but the current rate of A2+FL+50%.

“The C2+50% rate of paddy, one of the major crops of Haryana is Rs.3012/qntl while the current rate is Rs. 2300/qntl means less by Rs.712/qntl. Paddy farmers alone in Haryana had a loss of Rs.3851.90 crore in the year 2023-24.”

The SKM said similarly, the workers’ movement was also consistently in struggle demanding minimum wages of Rs.26,000/ month, rolling back of four pro-corporate labour codes and regularisation of jobs in schemes, including Anganwadi, Asha and Mid-Day Meals.

The BJP-led state government in Haryana and the Modi government that rules over the Union territory of Jammu Kashmir through the Lieutenant Governor, had brutally ignored these huge mass sections of the working population, it said.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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In a statement issued today, one of the constituents of the SKM, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has stated that it has come to their notice that the Finance Minister will be holding an in-person Pre-Budget consultations with different stakeholders to solicit ideas and suggestions for the Union Budget, 2024-25 and in the process a meeting with Farmer Associations & Agriculture Economists is scheduled on 21 June, 2024.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has been submitting Memoranda on agrarian issues with proposals for resolving the acute agrarian crisis. The All India Kisan Sabha, the largest organisation of the peasantry has always been called to place our proposals before the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices for determining Minimum Support Prices for Rabi and Kharif season. However, in this instance the BJP-led NDA Government and the Finance Minister has not invited the SKM leadership or AIKS representatives for the meeting.

However, it is clear from this approach that the Government is continuing to deliberately keep out the real representatives of farmers and indulging in a farcical exercise.

Further, the statement says that the AIKS condemns this approach and demands that the Government talk with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha leadership. It is high time they shed their arrogance, learn lessons from the decisive rebuff in 159 constituencies in the recently concluded elections and call for talks with an open mind. In the absence of such a move, the Government must be ready to face a mass mobilisation of farmers across the country very soon.

Ends

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More about the deceased farmers:

Farmer Balkar Singh, aged 76, belonged to the Ajnala block of Amritsar. As per a report of the Times of India, Balkar breathed his last breath on Monday at the Rajpura railway station while waiting for the Shan-e-Punjab Express. As per the report, he was going home due to his ill health. It has been reported that Balkar Singh had expressed his wish to go home for a few days as he was feeling unwell. In the TOI report, Rajpura government railway police (GRP) assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Sukhwant Singh has provided that Balkar Singh was moved to hospital after alert.

Responding to Balkar’s death, Sarvan Singh Pandher of the Kisan-Mazdur Mukti Morcha (KMM) said that “Balkar was part of the Shambhu since it was pitched, and he died waiting to get home to his three sons and a daughter.”

Another elder farmer name Bishan Singh, aged 75, of Khandoor village in Pakhowal block of Ludhiana district, died on the same day as Balkar Singh after suffering from cardiac arrest. As claimed by the farmers leaders Bishan was associated with Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) farmer union and had stayed at Shambhu border since the beginning of farmers’ “Delhi Chalo” protest.

According to a separate TOI report, other farmers provided had that the deceased was facing breathing problems for the past few days after facing tear gas shells and smoke. He was moved to Rajpura’s govt hospital and declared dead after breathing issues.

Karamjit Singh Pakhowal block general secretary of BKU Ekta Sidhupur stated that “Bishan Singh faced breathing problems in the wee hours of Monday following which he was rushed to government hospital in Rajpura where doctors declared him dead.”

Pakhowal also provided details about the deceased and his family, and stated “He was unmarried. Bishan was the owner of only one acre of agricultural land and was in debt. He is survived by five brothers and their family members. The brother of the deceased has reached the hospital’s mortuary and a decision over his cremation will be taken soon.”

Rajpura senior medical officer Dr Bidhi Chand referred to both the aforementioned deaths and said that “Both Bishan Singh and Balkar Singh were brought dead to the hospital. The causes of their death will be cleared once we do the autopsy by Tuesday. For now, the bodies are in mortuary.”

The third deceased farmer was identified as Tehal Singh, who died at his residence in Mansa district. As per the report of TOI, Tehal Singh belonged to Bhathlan village in Mansa district, and died on early hours of Monday morning. As per the report, only hours prior to his death, the deceased farmer had returned from the Khanauri border protest.

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Four-hour long ‘Rail roko’ protest held by farmers on tracks across Punjab, participation from farmer unions associated with SKM

The post Farmers Protest: Three more protesting farmers die due to breathing problems; total death toll rises to 10 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As per a report of Hindustan Times, Sarwan Singh Pandher, farmer leader from the KMM, had announced that the protesting farmers will stage sit-ins on railway tracks across Punjab, including Ferozepur, Amritsar, Rupnagar, and Gurdaspur districts. These protests took place between noon and 4 pm and saw the participation from the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda-Dhaner), and the Krantikari Kisan Union, affiliated with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha. As per the HT report, 9 trains cancelled in Ambala division due to ‘rail roko’ agitation. It had been reported that other train services in Haryana were also impacted.

In addition to this, another death of a protesting farmer was reported yesterday. As provided by a separate report of Hindustan Times, the deceased farmer, who has been identified as Baldev Singh, had been admitted to the Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala after he had complained of breathlessness on the afternoon of March 10. The 65-year-old man, who had been participating in the ongoing farmers’ agitation at Khanouri, died while undergoing treatment.

As per the report, doctors at the government hospital provided that the exact cause of the elderly farmer’s death could only be ascertained after a post-mortem is conducted. The farmer had been protesting at the Khanouri border for over a past few weeks. Baldev Singh belonged to Kangthala village in Patiala and was associated with Krantikari Kisan Union. Notably, this is the death that has been reported since the protest began on February 13.

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Day 23 of Farmers March: Mass withholding of social media ahead of march to Delhi, third time since the beginning of the protest

Farmers march to be intensified from March 6, various means of transport to be opted by farmers to reach Delhi, ‘Rail Roko’ agitation to continue from March 10

The post Four-hour long ‘Rail roko’ protest held by farmers on tracks across Punjab, participation from farmer unions associated with SKM appeared first on SabrangIndia.

One of the martyrs is 79-year old Gian Singh, who died of a heart attack on February 16, 2024 while protesting at the Shambhu border; the second martyr is 21-year old Shubhkaran Singh, who was shot dead by the trigger-happy police of the BJP controlled Haryana government on February 21 at the Khanauri border. Both these borders separate Punjab from Haryana.

These killings were preceded by the shocking act on February 13 of throwing tear gas shells on farmers from drones at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, firing pellets and rubber bullets, unleashing lathi charges, making arbitrary arrests, and erecting huge iron spikes, barbed wire, and concrete barricades on the highways, just to prevent the farmers from marching to Delhi.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the Central Trade Unions (CTU), and several left and secular political parties have strongly denounced the BJP-RSS government for its savage repression. The SKM and CTU also condemned the February 13 repression on farmers during the nationwide rural Bharat Bandh and industrial strike on February 16, a protest that was announced to focus on their pressing demands.

The SKM and CTU also denounced the cold-blooded murder by the Haryana police of the young farmer Shubhkaran Singh through nationwide protests on February 23. In this connection, the SKM also demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, and Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij.

Cynical immorality

As if this violent state repression was not shocking enough, the brazen decision of the BJP –taken on March 3 –to award a ticket from Lakhimpur-Kheri, to Ajay Mishra Teni, the sitting member of parliament (MP) for contesting the coming Parliament elections is more than telling. Teni and his son were accused of the brutal massacre, (by running down) of four farmers and one journalist on October 3, 2021. Ajay Mishra Teni remains the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, more than two and a half years after he and his son have been accused of crushing and killing four farmers and a journalist under their cars and severely injured many other. This incident took place when on October 3, 2021, when the SKM-led nationwide farmers’ struggle against the three black Farm Laws was still ongoing.

While such an incident and the following non-accountability would be unheard of in a functioning, civilised democracy, in the India under this dispensation, Ajay Mishra Teni remains in Parliament rather than in jail. It may be recalled that the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, incidentally a Tory, was forced to resign from his high post because he was hosting drunken parties at his official residence 10 Downing Street in London when the nation was reeling under the Covid pandemic. In stark contrast, by “rewarding” Ajay Mishra Teni a ticket to Parliament—a man accused of the brute running down of four farmers and a journalist– Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and the entire BJP-RSS top brass have not only displayed their utterly cynical immorality, but they have also insulted the entire farmer community of India and rubbed salt into their wounds.

SKM-CTU struggle calls get enthusiastic response 

The SKM National Coordination Committee and the General Body which met at Chandigarh on February 22 took a number of important decisions. It briefly reviewed the massive success of the January 26 Nationwide Tractor Parades and the February 16 Rural Bharat Bandh and Industrial Strike.

Both these SKM-CTU actions, the Chalo Delhi call by other organisations (we are at the moment refraining from commenting on these organisations for the sake of forging farmers’ unity) and the repression by the government, served two vital purposes. One, they brought home to the entire country that the struggle of farmers and workers for their rights was far from over and would be intensified. Two, all these struggles succeeded in partly neutralising the impact of the January 22 Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration spectacle.

The most important decision of the Chandigarh SKM meeting was to organise a massive Mahapanchayat at the Ramlila Maidan on March 14. The CTU declared that it would also mobilise for this Mahapanchayat in solidarity. Hectic preparations are now underway to ensure that the March 14 programme is a great success, especially to ensure mass mobilisation from the North Indian states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. There will be representative mobilisation from the other states too. It will have to be seen what the response of the authoritarian Modi regime will be, but the SKM has decided to go ahead with the Mahapanchayat, come what may.

The other major decisions taken in the February 22 SKM Chandigarh meeting were: Nationwide Black Day protests denouncing the police murder of Shubhkaran Singh; and demonstrations all over the country on February 26, the day that the Ministerial Summit of the WTO began at Abu Dhabi, to warn against any likely surrender by India to WTO diktats to dilute the demands for a remunerative MSP and a strong and universal PDS. Tens of thousands of farmers participated in both these protest actions throughout the country.

The SKM Chandigarh General Body decided to form a six-member committee to hold consultations with all former SKM members to launch a united action plan for achieving farmers’ demands and develop issue-based unity and to unite all Kisan organisations which were part of the SKM. The members include Hannan Mollah, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Balbeer Singh Rajewal, Yudhvir Singh, Darshan Pal and Raminder Patiala.

The main demands of the SKM-CTU joint struggle, adopted in the National Convention of Workers and Farmers at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi on August 24, 2023 are as follows:

• Minimum Support Price (MSP) @C2+50% for all crops with guaranteed procurement, Reduction by half of all input costs with restoration of fertilizer subsidy;
• Complete loan waiver to small and middle farm households and agricultural workers to ensure their freedom from indebtedness;
• Radical strengthening and expansion of the Public Distribution System (PDS);
• Comprehensive pro-farmer crop insurance scheme to combat natural calamities;
• No hike in electricity tariff, no to prepaid metres, 300 units free electricity to all rural households and shops;
• Minimum wage of Rs 26,000 per month for workers;
• Repeal of the four Labour Codes;
• No privatisation of PSUs including Railway, Defence, Electricity, Coal, Oil, Steel, Telecom, Posts, Transport, Airports, Port & Docks;
• Banks, Insurance, Education and Health, Employment must be made into a Fundamental Right;
• No Contractualisation of jobs, Scrapping of Fixed Term Employment, Strengthen MGNREGS with 200 days’ work per person per year and Rs 600 as daily wage;
• Restoration Old Pension Scheme, Pension and social security to all in formal and informal economy;
• Welfare Boards for all categories of unorganised workers on the lines of Construction Workers Welfare Board;
• Implementation of the LARR Act 2013 (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013);
• Implementation of the Forest Rights Act, dismissal of Ajay Mishra Teni and registration of murder case against him, among others.

The SKM also reiterated that it will carry forward the struggle against communalism, casteism and authoritarianism to save basic principles of democracy, secularism, federalism, and socialism enshrined in the Constitution of India.

Hypocrisy of the Modi Government Exposed 

On February 10, the Modi Government announced that India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, would be conferred on Choudhary Charan Singh and Dr M S Swaminathan. The AIKS exposed the Modi regime through the following press release: 

“The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) is of the clear opinion that the BJP Central Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi deciding to confer the Bharat Ratna Award on Choudhary Charan Singh and Dr M S Swaminathan on the eve of the 2024 general elections is the height of hypocrisy. By this step, the Modi regime is trying to hide its extreme anti-farmer, anti-agriculture, and pro-corporate policies of the last ten years. But farmers will see through its game, and it will never succeed in hoodwinking the rural populace.

“Firstly, it must be underlined that during the tenure of the Modi regime more than 750 farmers from different parts of the country were martyred during the year-long iconic and victorious nationwide farmers’ struggle against the three hated Farm Laws in 2020-21. Many families of these farmer martyrs have still got no compensation whatsoever, despite written assurances by the central government. The Modi regime is also the only government in independent India which has the ignominy of one of its own Union Ministers of State Ajay Mishra Teni being directly responsible for the crushing to death of four farmers and one journalist under cars directed by him at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, which is the native state of Choudhary Charan Singh, a renowned anti-feudal farmer leader himself. What is worse, this Minister, instead of being in jail for murder, still retains his post in the Modi Cabinet.

“As per the information of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which is directly under the Union Home Ministry, over one lakh farmers and agricultural workers have been forced to commit suicide due to indebtedness in the last ten years of the Modi-led BJP government alone. The main reason for this terrible human tragedy is the outright refusal of this government to implement the most seminal recommendation of the National Commission on Farmers (NCF), headed by Dr M S Swaminathan, of giving a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) at one and a half times the comprehensive cost of production (C2 + 50%).

“The BJP Election Manifesto of 2014 had said that “it will enhance the profitability in agriculture, by ensuring a minimum of 50% net profit, cheaper agriculture inputs and credit”. The same assurance was given by Modi in over 400 election speeches during the campaign. But what did the government actually do after coming to power? On February 15, 2015 it filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court that it was not possible to increase the MSP for food grains and other farm produce to input cost plus 50% as it would “distort the market”. Ever since then, it has consistently refused to honour any of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations.

“The other assurance that was given by Modi in his 2014 election speeches was that of a loan waiver to the peasantry. But not a single rupee of peasants’ loans has been waived in the last ten years by the Modi-led central government. The Modi regime, while stubbornly refusing a peasant loan waiver, has written off loans worth over Rs 15 lakh crores that had been taken by a handful of its crony corporates.

“Modi’s talk of doubling farmers’ incomes in six years has also been exposed for the ‘jumla’ that it was in the first place. In fact, as the latest Union Budget has proved, there have been huge cuts in outlay on agriculture and allied sectors, including on food subsidy, fertiliser subsidy, irrigation, and also for MNREGA. It has also been recently revealed that the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ministry of the Modi regime shamelessly returned an amount of over Rs 1 lakh-crore that was earmarked for agriculture in the last five budgets.

“The entire thrust of the Modi government in the last ten years has been to fatten its crony corporates at the expense of the peasants and workers, and the entire country itself. This was seen in its attempt to steamroller the three Farm Laws, and earlier the reactionary amendments to the LARR 2013. Both these attempts were defeated by united farmers’ struggles.

“Choudhary Charan Singh and Dr M S Swaminathan in their entire life, thought, and work, were diametrically opposed to this entire trajectory of rural development that the Modi regime has been pushing at the behest of its corporate masters, both domestic and foreign. This trajectory has already led to the ruin of Indian agriculture, and the Indian peasantry.

“The peasantry of India will surely see through this new hypocrisy of the Modi government, and will show its anger by defeating this regime in the coming elections. Its determination will soon be seen in the great success of the Rural Bharat Bandh and Industrial Strike called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on February 16, 2024.”

(The author is National President, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS))

Views and opinions expressed in this article is solely that of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views or position of SabrangIndia and this site.

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The post SKM calls for massive Mahapanchayat at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on March 14, denounces BJP Regime’s repression on farmers, and MP ticket to Ajay Mishra Teni appeared first on SabrangIndia.

This is reminiscent of the farmers’ protest of the year 2020, while the country was grappling with corona virus, farmers of India were protesting against the controversial farm laws that had been introduced by the Modi government, demanded for its repeal. Their protest of one year, which also saw the union and the state government employing repressive and violent tactics and resulting in the loss of many protestors, , had reaped results with the union government taking back the three laws in November of 2021. The farmers, who had welcomed the decision with opens arms on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, had even then said that their fight is far from over as their union government is yet to address their demands.

It is essential to highlight here that on the evening of February 8, a three-membered team of Union ministers, namely Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai, had held a detailed discussion with the leaders of farmer organisations. As per the Week, the said meeting had also saw the attendance of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. As stated by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, representing the farmers union, “We had a meeting with the Government today. The meeting was held in a positive atmosphere, Punjab Govt took the initiative. We presented all our demands in detail, with facts…The government listened to us & said that they will examine all our facts seriously.”

It was also provided by the leader that while the union ministers have assured them that they would hold a second round of the meeting soon, their proposed ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 13 still stands.

“Our programme for 13th February will continue as it is”, Dallewal had asserted.

The second meeting with the same three union ministers is to be held today, on February 12, at 5 pm in Chandigarh as provided by Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarvan Singh Pandher.

The march, the demands

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha- Non-Political and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had recently announced ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by more than 200 farmers’ unions, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, on February 13 to demand from the union government to accept their long-standing demand of enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for their produce. A gathering of lakhs of participants in the protest is being anticipated. It is crucial to point out that that a law on MSP by the union government was one of the conditions that the farmers had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation in 2021. Even after more than two years, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government is yet to deliver their promises.

To provide a brief of the importance of MSP, a minimum support price is the rate at which the government buys farm produce and is based on a calculation of at least one and a half times the cost of production incurred by farmers.

Besides a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), the farmers are also demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations which provided for safeguarding the interest of small farmers and addressing the issue of increasing risk overtaking agriculture as a profession. In addition to this, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence also form a part of the demands made. As provided by Mandeep Punia, a local journalist from Punjab and Haryana, they farmers have also raised a demand for 200 days’ daily wage and Rs 700 per daily wage for MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers.

 The preparation by governments to impede, supress protest

Haryana: To join the march in Delhi, farmers have planned to come from the Ambala-Shambhu border, Khanauri-Jind and the Dabwali border. As per multiple media reports, ahead of farmers proposed ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, 50 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed by the Haryana Police with the aim of “maintaining law and order” in the state. As per a report on India Today, the authorities asserted the reason behind using paramilitary force is to ensure that nobody will be allowed to disturb peace and harmony. Notably, these central paramilitary forces comprise of Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force.

As per the statement given by a senior Haryana Police officer to the PTI, request for deploying 65 companies as paramilitary force had been made but only 50 were given. The officer stated that “Where these forces need to be deployed, we have done that.”

The India Today report also provides that the police have asked the farmers to not participate in the march without attaining the required permission and have also warned of strict action if they damage public property. Threats of compensation of any loss to government property caused to be compensated by attaching the property and seizing bank accounts of the protesters have also been issued by the police officials. Furthermore, they have also cautioned the farmers from giving their vehicles on rent or to any farmer, threatening to impound such vehicles and cancel its registration.

A video of police officials going around villages in the state and making such threats also surfaced on social media. In the video, posted by a local reporter named Mandeep Punia, police can be heard using a loud speaker and stating that any villager is found to be participating in the protest will have strict action taken against them, have their vehicles seized and their passports cancelled.

The video can be viewed here:

हरियाणा के गाँव गाँव जाकर पुलिस किसानों को आंदोलन में शामिल न होने की धमकी देते हुए इस भाषा का इस्तेमाल कर रही. pic.twitter.com/jLvJs95KUc

— Mandeep Punia (@mandeeppunia1) February 11, 2024

It is critical to emphasise here that to stop the farmers from protesting, as provided by the India Today report, the police have stocked up concrete blocks, barbed wire, sandbags, barricades and other items at the Shambhu border in Ambala to stop the protesters from marching towards the national capital. As per officials, directions have been issued by police official to petrol pump dealers in Ambala for not giving fuel to those who are sporting farmer’s union flags on their vehicles. Additionally, the police officials have stated that water cannon vehicles and drone have also been deployed at the Shambhu border. The Ambala district magistrate has imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the district. These repressive tactics by the state come as the farmer unions in Ambala make preparations for the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.

As per a report in the Livemint, the BJP-led state government of Haryana has also made other elaborate arrangements besides security, and have sealed the state’s border joining Punjab with barbed wires and concrete blocks to hamper the proposed ‘Dilli Chalo’ march by the agitated farmers. According to the statement of a senior police official in Jind district, from the India Today report, arrangements to seal entry point from Punjab include barbed wires, containers, barricades and concrete blocks, etc. In furtherance to this, the Haryana government has also suspended internet services in seven districts of the State from February 11 till February 13 and has ordered for bulk SMS services to be suspended. As per India Today, till the writing of this report, services have been suspended in districts including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa.

Visual from Shambhu border can be viewed here:

Shambu Border sealed by the Haryana Police with big stones and barricades, security being enhanced in Ambala in view of farmers’ call for a march to Delhi scheduled for 13th February. #ShambuBorder #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/ikCqmZHQzg

— Gagandeep Singh (@Gagan4344) February 10, 2024

As per the report of Times of India, the Haryana police had laid a five layered barricading at the Nation Highway with concrete blocks, jersey barriers, spikes, barbed wires and iron barricades. The same can be viewed through the video:

BIG BREAKING:

BJP Govt goes on backfoot ahead of the Farmers’ Protest 2.0

BJP Govt sealed the Haryana-Punjab border today using barricades & iron nails ahead of Farmers’ march towards Delhi on Feb 13th.

BJP Govt also banned mobile internet in several districts near the… pic.twitter.com/Wjxi82KwoM

— Ankit Mayank (@mr_mayank) February 10, 2024

Notably, as per the TOI report, a mock drill had also been conducted by the Haryana police at Shambhu Border wherein the police had fired tear gas shells at some youth who had gathered on Punjab side.

Delhi: On February 11, an order imposing Section 144 of the CrPC was issued by the Delhi Police through which large gatherings were prohibiting at all borders between the national capital and Uttar Pradesh, as per Hindustan Times. The same prohibitory orders have also been imposed in areas under the jurisdiction of the North-East Delhi district. Under the said order, vehicles carrying protestors from entering Delhi have also been banned. It is essential to note that the orders imposed in Delhi will be active from February 11, Sunday, and will remain in place till March 11, 2024.

“Information has been received that some farmer organisations have given a call to their supporters to gather/march to Delhi on 13th February for their demands of the law on MSP and others. They are likely to sit at the border of Delhi till their demands are met. In order to avoid any untoward incident and to maintain Law & Order, a precautionary Order of section 144 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, is required to be issued to save the lives and property in the area“, Delhi Police told ANI.

The social media post can be viewed here:

Information has been received that some farmer organisations have given a call to their supporters to gather/march to Delhi on 13th February for their demands of the law on MSP and others. They are likely to sit at the border of Delhi till their demands are met. In order to avoid… pic.twitter.com/1KXTYDiGDl

— ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2024

Make-shift jails for those detained:

As per a report of the NDTV, the Haryana government has converted two large stadiums, namely the Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Indoor Stadium in Sirsa, and Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Dabwali, into makeshift jails ahead of the planned march with the objective of them serving as temporary jails to keep detained farmers. As provided in the said report, sources have stated that in case of any untoward situation during the march, farmers who are detained or arrested in large numbers will be kept in the temporary jails.

Media not allowed to cover protest:

As per the report of TOI, even media coverage has not been allowed by the Ambala police, as media persons from the Haryana side were prohibited from reaching the Shambhu border to see the situation and cover the matter. The media persons were stopped at Devi Nagar toll plaza. Furthermore, some media-persons who tried to do coverage from the Patiala, Punjab side, were also stooped and asked to leave the spot by the Haryana police officials.

Refusing to bow down, farmers gear up for protests

Videos of farmers proceeding towards Delhi, in the face of the coercive state employed tactics, have been surfacing on social media. In one such video, police can be seen standing beside the barricades that have been put on the road to restrain farmers from joining the march. As the barricades stand, a tractor going around those barricades with the police unable to stop the protestors from exercising their fundamental right to protest can be seen. Many more protestors can then be seen coming after the tractor, removing the barricades itself and carrying on with their journey to join the march in Delhi.

The video can be viewed here:

Farmers are unstoppable!

No barricades, No barrier could stop them, Lakhs of farmers moving towards Delhi.#FarmersProtest2024 #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/Y81N7VwG7V

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) February 12, 2024

Opposition, leaders raise questions on laying of spikes, cement barricades

Aam Aadmi Party leader and Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann has urged the Centre to listen to farmers’ demands instead of setting up “borders between India and Punjab”. Expressing his anguish, Mann said “They [Haryana government] are installing fencing on the Punjab border. I request the central government to engage in talks with farmers. Please avoid creating an India-Punjab ‘border’.”

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) also slammed the state government’s attempts of blocking of roads. “Why is the government scared? Huge barricading is being done. Is this democracy?” SKM leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal rather stated in a message that “If the situation turns bad, it will be the responsibility of the Khattar government.”

Indian National Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi took to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) and wrote that putting such hurdles in the path of farmers is state government’s injustice to their cause. In her post, she said “laying spikes and thorns in the path of farmers is it Amrit Kaal or injustice time? Due to this insensitive and anti-farmer attitude, 750 farmers lost their lives. What kind of characteristic is it of the government to work against the farmers and then not even allowing them to raise their voice? Priyanka said that the central government neither made the MSP law for the farmers nor doubled the income of the farmers. In such a situation, if the farmers do not come to the government, where will they go? He asked the Prime Minister, why is the country’s farmers being treated like this? The promise made to the farmers was not fulfilled.”

The post can be viewed here:

किसानों के रास्ते में कील-काँटे बिछाना अमृतकाल है या अन्यायकाल?

इसी असंवेदनशील एवं किसान विरोधी रवैये ने 750 किसानों की जान ली थी। किसानों के खिलाफ काम करना, फिर उनको आवाज भी न उठाने देना – कैसी सरकार का लक्षण है?

किसानों से किया वादा पूरा नहीं किया- न MSP का कानून बनाया, न… pic.twitter.com/xdTUVQr3yz

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) February 11, 2024

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The post Farmers’ Protest: Physical repression, prohibitory orders, Delhi entry blocked – Déjà Vu? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Farmers are coming back to Delhi to agitate for law on MSP. This will disrupt BJP’s dreams of an imminent third term.

pic.twitter.com/1GxhNrNRLO

— rkhuria2 (@rkhuria2) February 8, 2024

At present, there four protests are going on in the Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. The Jai Jawan Jai Kisan organisation heads the protest against the Ansal builders, All India Kisan Sabha against Greater Noida Authority and Bharatiya Kisan Parishad at National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) headquarters in Sector 24 and Noida Authority in Sector 6.

All these organisations have together called a Mahapanchayat on Wednesday at the Greater Noida Authority office, where a decision was taken to march to Parliament on Thursday, demanding the resolution of their issues in a time-bound manner.

The farmers have two major demands. First, as compensation for their land acquired by the authorities for different developmental projects, they demand 10 per cent of residential plots for their families on the developed land.

The farmers also argue that most of their land was acquired making them landless. They ask how their families and future generations would survive even as the government boasts of development by taking their land.

Presently, the Noida Authority grants the farmers 5 per cent of the total acquired land, which they have termed insufficient. The Greater Noida Authority gives them 6 per cent of the developed plot while the Yamuna Authority gives them 7 per cent as land acquisition compensation.

In addition, farmers have demanded additional monetary compensation — amounts based on market rates when the land was acquired for different projects. The farmers allege that their land was acquired many years ago at a cheap rate and they are suffering even now as a consequence.

The farmers have also been demanding jobs and medical facilities for their families for the last several months. The Authority officials said they are in talks with farmer leaders and an amicable solution would be reached soon.

Massive Repression by UP Police

Meanwhile a press release  of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) stated that despite the fact that several leaders were put under house arrest, the protest was successful

 Farmers and landless from various villages under the leadership of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Gautam Buddha (GB) Nagar district committee, Bharatiya Kisan Parishad and other organisations began the rally on the Yamuna Expressway but were soon barricaded by the UP Police.

The repressive measures of the UP governmenthad started the night before when AIKS GB Nagar district president Comrade Rupesh Verma and convenor Comrade Veer Singh Nagar were arrested and taken to Dadri police station. District president of the AIKS, Jagbir Namberdar has been put under house arrest, along with other leaders. In a disproportionate manner, the UP police also stopped the people from Sadhopur village who were en masse joining the Parliament March and put them in an open jail in a public park. These incidents show the anti-democratic attitude of the UP government towards the rural population of Greater Noida states AIKS

Despite the repression, farmers were able to reach the Yamuna Expressway and are currently blocking the expressway at the police barricading. Their immediate demand is that the UP police must release the leadership as well as release the jailed farmers of Sadhopur village, which include women and elderly as well.

The farmers and landless of the region have been holding sit-in protessat the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) and Noida Industrial Development Authority (NIDA) headquarters since 2023 demanding fair compensation according to the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act 2013, return of 10% developed land, lease-back of acquired abadi land, permanent employment for affected families, 40 square metre plots for landless families, and other demands. After a 120-day protest by AIKS at GNIDA office last year, the CEO had accepted a number of these demands. But despite more than four months passing since, the UP government failed to implement any of the accepted demands. This has enraged the farmers who not only restarted their indefinite dharna at the GNIDA office but also gave a call banning entry of any political leader, MLA or MP associated with the BJP from entering the villages in Greater Noida.

The AIKS, through ots secretary, Vijoo Krishnan has demanded that all the arrested and detained be released from police custody immediately and that the UP government hold discussion with the leadership of the farmers.

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The post Farmers in Noida, Greater Noida are protesting, which are the farmer unions are leading them appeared first on SabrangIndia.