In her interview, Dr. Madhura Swaminathan could be further heard saying that “Today, the farmers of Punjab are marching to Delhi. There are jails being prepared, there are barricades and all kinds of things in place to prevent them. These are farmers, they are not criminals. I request all of you, the leading scientists of India, we must talk to our Annadatas (food providers). We cannot treat them as criminals. We have to find solutions, please, this is my request that if we have to continue to honour MS Swaminathan, we have to take the farmers with us in whatever strategy we are planning for the future.”

“Don’t treat farmers like they are criminals”.
Economist and Daughter of Prof. MS Swaminathan, Dr. Madhura Swaminathan @MadhuraFAS‘s emotional appeal during the celebration of the Bharat Ratna awarded to her father.

“The Farmers of Punjab today are marching to Delhi, There are… pic.twitter.com/gcdz1O87wt

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) February 13, 2024

Hopefully, the ones who conferred this prestigious award to Professor MS Swaminathan will also hear the pleadings of his daughter and take back the repressive and unjust tactics being employed against the unarmed farmers exercising their right to protest.  

The struggle to march to Delhi by farmers continues

Since yesterday, visuals of tear gas, water cannons and rubber pellets being fired at the protesting farmers have been surfacing from the Shambu border of Haryana. Even today, videos show the Haryana police relentlessly targeting the protesting farmers, fully determined to prevent the farmers from being able to reach the national capital. A report by the Hindu stated that the Haryana Police became the first police force in India to use drones to launch tear gas devices with the Haryana Police dropping tear gas shells from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) on protesting farmers at Shambhu Barrier on the Punjab-Haryana boundary. As per the report, a police official has stated that the State government used drones made by Drone Imaging and Information Service of Haryana Limited (DRIISHYA), a public limited company incorporated in 2021. Interestingly, according to a Haryana government press release of April 4, 2023, the said drones had been designed for “surveying infrastructure projects, monitoring of agriculture and horticulture crops, and surveillance of sensitive areas for security purposes.” As per the report of the Hindu, the company is located at Karnal. 

Visuals of farmers flying kites at the border in attempts to tackle the drones have surfaced on social media. Ironically, the festival of Basant Panchami also falls today, on February 14. This festival is supposed to be joyfully celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus to mark the beginning of spring. The ones celebrating the festival wear yellow-coloured clothes to emulate the bright yellow mustard flowers in the fields. This year, the farmers had to spend it facing the state’s unjust display of power.

On February 14, a press note was also sent by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) to media personnel and others through which they have condemned the violent repression unleashed on farmers marching to Delhi at Shanbhu Border and other places. In the press note, the AIKS had stated “The use of drones to throw teargas, the concrete barricades, rubber bullets, huge iron spikes on the roads and the indiscriminate arrests of farmers and leaders exposes the barbaric face of the BJP Government led by Narendra Modi. The use of drones to drop tear gas on farmers shows the extreme vengeance that this BJP Government holds for the farmers of our country. AIKS warns the BJP Government to desist from such attacks on democratic right to protest. AIKS will join in unity with all democratic forces as well as the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions to resist such repressive measures. AIKS demands release of all arrested leaders and end repression.”

Along with this, the AIKS had called for the farmers to re-double their efforts in the upcoming protest of February 16 where the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which had super headed the previous one year long farmers protest against the three controversial farm laws, have collaborated with ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) to hold a rural and industrial strike.

The press note states “AIKS calls upon all its units to redouble efforts to rally farmers and workers as well as all democratic sections on 16th February across the country by also prominently taking a campaign on the repression unleashed along with other issues of the struggle. The incessant protests by farmers and workers are a result of repeated betrayals by Narendra Modi and the BJP Government. The move by the BJP Government to unleash violence on farmers is a sign of desperation. It is a clear sign that their divisive efforts of communal polarisation are being rebuffed by the farmers, workers and masses of our country. Its efforts to divert attention from people’s problems and livelihood issues, unemployment, poverty, hunger through communal polarisation and hate campaign is clearly failing. It is their sense of fear of the people’s unity that they are reacting in such a manner.”

‘X’ (formerly Twitter) accounts of those posting on the farmers protest withheld

As per multiple media reports, over a dozen social media accounts of farmer leaders and those posting updates on the farmer protests have been withheld by ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). As per a report of The Wire, X and Facebook accounts that were allegedly functioning as the official pages of farmers’ organisations and unions ahead of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest have been withheld in India – ostensibly upon government request.

It is pertinent to highlight here that the blocking of the social media accounts of farmers began even before their protest did. As per the report of the Wire, accounts of farmers were withheld on February 12. This ban on social media accounts is in addition to the prohibition on internet services as well as bulk SMS services being in place in seven districts of Haryana since February 11. 

Till now, X accounts and Facebook pages of prominent farmer leaders like Sarvan Singh Pandher, the coordinator of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), Tejveer Singh Ambala, the spokesperson of BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), farmer leader Ramandeep Singh Mann, Surjit Singh Phull from BKU Krantikari, farmer leader Harpal Sangha, Ashok Danoda from Haryana and many others have been withheld. As per multiple media reports including the Wire, official pages which supported the movement and posted updates on it, like @Tractor2twitr_P run by Bhavjit Singh, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) and Progressive Farmers Front, run by Guramneet Singh Mangat have also been banned. Notably, BKU (SBS) is one of the main farmer unions which was leading the farmers’ protest from Ambala, Haryana.

‘Gaon Sawera’, a page run by independent journalist Mandeep Punia has been withheld, as has been Mandeep’s personal page. Mandeep is a prominent name supporting the farmers’ protest and had been arrested in 2020.  Garvit Garg, another journalist from Gaon Savera is not providing frequent updates from the farmers protest.

Twitter accounts of @gaonsavera and @mandeeppunia1 have been blocked in India. Please keep an eye on this space for ground updates from Kisan Andolan.

— Garvit Garg (@garvitgarg15) February 14, 2024

मनदीप पुनिया और गाँव सवेरा, दोनों के ही ट्विटर अकाउंट को बंद कर दिया गया है। अब किसान आंदोलन की ग्राउंड रिपोर्ट्स आप तक इस अकाउंट के ज़रिए पहुँचायी जायेंगी। #farmerprotest2024 @mandeeppunia1 @GaonSavera #gaonsavera pic.twitter.com/r8hyvRIxPB

— Garvit Garg (@garvitgarg15) February 14, 2024

It is important to highlight here that this is not the first time that the government of India has abused their powers and opaquely withholding social media accounts as even during earlier farmers’ protest of 2020, the Union government had banned many social media accounts including the official page of Kisan Ekta Morcha.

Related:

Section 144 order set aside in Calcutta High Court, no such relief by Punjab and Haryana High Court in farmer’s protest

Farmers Protest: Braving tear gas, blockades, state obstructions, farmers journey towards Delhi to demand law on MSP

Farmers’ Protest: Physical repression, prohibitory orders, Delhi entry blocked – Déjà Vu?

Farmer leaders detained in Madhya Pradesh, made to sit at police stations, saw police raids at night- attempts to stop farmers from joining protest intensify

The post Protesting farmers spend Basant Panchami facing government’s water cannons and tear gases’ government withholds social media accounts of farm leaders, journalists appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A day after a right-wing Hindutva group threatened protesters, an altercation at Singhu border resulted in lathi-charge and tear-gas shelling by Delhi police to fend off stone-pelters claiming to be local residents.

According to protester and part of the “kitab langar” (book langar) group Lovepreet, the stone-pelters have been visiting the protest site since January 28, demanding that farmers leave Singhu border for allegedly disrespecting the national flag on Republic Day.

“These people have been approaching the barricade for the last two days. Yesterday, they hardly came for an hour but the media hyped the incident. They are just RSS-BJP people who are trying to create chaos,” Lovepreet told SabrangIndia.

However, on Friday, the miscreants succeeded in disrupting the peace in the area by hurling stones at the police and nearby farmers. Police resorted to lathi-charge of both groups once the stone-pelters succeeded in breaking through the barricades.

According to The Hindu, the Alipur SHO was injured during the altercation by a protester carrying a sword. He was later arrested. The internet was shut-down in the area and continues to be suspended as of Friday night. Protesters also claimed infrequent electricity throughout the day.

Similarly, Lovepreet also said people in the vicinity were injured although the exact number of wounded people is unknown.

Finally, the situation was brought under control by the police and volunteers of farmers’ Unions. More security forces have been stationed in the region in light of consecutive incidents. Despite the short duration of the attack, it received wide coverage from media houses.

Some news channels such as NDTV questioned how people managed to enter the area when Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain and City Jal Board Chairman Raghav Chadha were not allowed to supply 12 water tankers to protesting farmers.

https://www.facebook.com/raghavchadhaca/videos/2833844540167441/

However, there is no concern of food or water within the protest area because farmers claim that real local residents provide basic amenities to the protesters.

“You can come here and talk to the locals. No one is telling us to go back. These people come from outside and tell us to go back. However, leaders have told us to maintain peace,” said Lovepreet.

Farmer leaders are yet to officially comment on recent incidents at Singhu border. Instead, people at protest sites have been told repeatedly to maintain peace in keeping with the spirit of the freedom struggle.

Meanwhile, morale is healing slowly among protesters especially after a “sadbhavna” march from the protest point and along the KMP highway where people waved the tricolour flag and marched as a mark of social harmony. Farmers prepare for a hunger strike on January 30.

Related:

The anti-CAA and the ongoing farmers’ protests in India: Similar protests, different outcomes
Armed forces retract as protests soar at Ghazipur; Delhi police mulls UAPA
Kisan Ganatantra Parade: A picture of peace
Farmers protest sites remain on high alert on Delhi borders
All eyes on Ghazipur farmers protest site
Opposition parties to boycott President’s address to Parliament on Friday

The post Singhu Border: Stone-pelting, lathi-charge, tear gas shelling, but protesters remain calm appeared first on SabrangIndia.