Farmer leaders have postponed the 'Delhi Chalo' march for two days following the death of a 21-year-old protester and injuries to 12 police personnel during clashes at Khanauri, a protest site at the Punjab-Haryana interstate border.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann promised strict action against those responsible, while Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned the purpose of the struggle for independence. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of endangering farmers' lives through his arrogance.
On the other hand, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur referred to as 'brothers' and 'annadaatas', said that the government is prepared to engage in discussions with the protesting farmers. He emphasized that the Modi administration has implemented multiple measures to enhance farmers' income.
Farmers' Protest | Top Points
Farmer leader Avik Saha, after a meeting between the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) National Coordination Committee and the General Body in Chandigarh today, announced: "Starting from tomorrow, we are launching all-India mega programmes."
The first programme is Black Day or Aakrosh Diwas on February 23.
On February 26, all over the country, there will be ‘tractor pradarshan’ (demonstration) where farm leaders will ask the government to quit WTO.
On March 14, All India Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat will be organised at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. Lakhs of people are expected to join.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which led the farmers' protests against the now-repeated agricultural laws in 2020–21 and abstained from participating in the 'Delhi Chalo' march to the capital, has now joined the agitation, which is set to resume on Friday.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday told PTI, “These are long fights. Not by one ‘morcha’, we will need to surround Delhi (Delhi ‘gherao’) from all four directions, as we did earlier. All farmers should stay together.”
The government has decided to raise the minimum price that sugar mills must pay to sugarcane farmers by Rs 25 to Rs 340 per quintal for the 2024-25 season beginning in October. This decision was made during the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and precedes the upcoming general elections. PM Modi on X posted about this decision, wrote,"Our government is committed to fulfill every resolution related to the welfare of our farmer brothers and sisters across the country. In this context, a historic increase in the price of sugarcane purchase has been approved. This step will benefit crores of our sugarcane producing farmers." The Centre is ready for talks with protesting farmers who are our "brothers" and "annadaatas", Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday, asserting that the Modi government has taken various steps to ensure higher income for farmers. At a cabinet briefing, Thakur said the government is committed to doubling of farmers' income and has taken several steps toward this end.
He said the government has doubled the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and increased the procurement by more than two times. According to him, the Modi government has spent Rs 18.39 lakh crore in the last 10 years on procurement of wheat, paddy, oilseeds, and pulses as against Rs 5.5 lakh crore by the UPA regime.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday ordered formation of a committee to look into the issues of Gautam Buddh Nagar farmers protesting against the local Noida and Greater Noida authorities, officials said.The late night announcement comes ahead of local farmers' groups' threat of foot march to Delhi to press for their demands, after a failed attempt to go to Delhi on February 8. The farmers groups are demanding increased compensation and developed plots in lieu of their land acquired by the local authorities and NTPC in the past.The committee, to be headed by the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Council, will discuss the issues concerning the farmers protesting against the local authorities and then submit its report to the government, District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said.
Farmer leaders on Wednesday put the 'Delhi Chalo' march on hold for two days after a protester was killed and about 12 police personnel were injured in clashes at Khanauri, one of the two protest sites on the Punjab-Haryana border.
To protest the death of a farmer at the Datta Singhwala-Khanauri border, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) members plan to block major roads across Haryana for two hours on Thursday. Union head Gurnam Singh Charuni urged protesters to avoid clashes with authorities. Effigy-burning plans were scrapped due to heightened tensions.
Subhkaran Singh, the first casualty in the ongoing farmer protests, succumbed to a head injury, reportedly caused by a bullet as per officials, who did not specify whether it was a rubber or conventional bullet. Singh's family and farmer organizations claimed that he was shot, and have refused to claim his body until the government takes action. Singh, a small-scale landowner responsible for supporting his family, including his mentally unwell father, has sparked further tension in an already volatile situation.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has held the government responsible for the situation and called a meeting on Thursday.
The SKM strongly protests the brutal police repression and murder of farmer Subhkaran Singh of Baloke village, Bhatinda district, in police firing in the Haryana-Punjab border," it said in a statement.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said he was saddened by the death of a young farmer on the Punjab-Haryana border and asserted that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for it. "After postmortem, a case will be registered. Those officials responsible for his death will have to face stringent action," said Mann in a video message this evening. Opposition leaders have condemned the BJP-led central government for its handling of the protests.
The Haryana government on Wednesday extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts till February 23 in the wake of the ongoing farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' agitation. The government said in an order that mobile internet services would be banned in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts.
In Muzaffarnagar, a farmer attempted self-immolation, but was rescued by fellow protesters and taken to a nearby hospital. City Magistrate Vikash Kashyap reported that the farmer, Brijpal, sustained minor facial burns and received prompt medical attention. It was revealed that Brijpal was distressed over a loan-related issue, which officials assured would be resolved. District president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, Yogesh Sharma, stated that Brijpal's suicide attempt stemmed from frustration over unresolved problems and fear of receiving a notice from Punjab National Bank despite not having taken a loan from them.
Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Naresh Tikait, addressing farmers in Muzaffarnagar, asked them to participate in a tractor march on February 26 and 27 to condemn atrocities on their counterparts from Haryana and Punjab. Naresh Tikait later gave a memorandum of the farmers' demands to the district magistrate, to be sent to the President of India.
BKU National Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait in Meerut said that if the government does not allow farmers to go to Delhi, the farmers also will not let them enter their villages during elections. "Putting nails on the road is not justified. If they put nails on our way, we will also do the same in our villages. We also have to barricade our villages. If they are not allowing us to reach Delhi, we will not let them enter our villages," Tikait told reporters when asked about obstacles, such as iron nails, being laid on roads to prevent farmers from reaching Delhi.
