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Farm Laws: Farmers Hit Streets in the Thousands Across 20 States to Observe ‘Save Agriculture, Save Constitution Day’

Ravi Kaushal

26 Jun 2021: In a spectacular show of strength, farmers’ organisations on Saturday protested in front of the houses of governors and observed ‘Save Agriculture, Save Constitution Day’ in more than 20 states and union territories against the central Farm Laws and for a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP). The leaders maintained that the protest enjoyed the support of all sections of society with people protesting at the district and tehsil levels as well. The farmers, who have been protesting at Delhi’s borders, maintain that the farm laws will compromise the food security of the country by bringing contract farming into effect. Similarly, a significant population of farmers maintain that they will lose their income security as one of the bills proposes the formation of private grain mandis.

Thousands of farmers from different organisations began their march from Gurudwara Nada Sahib in Panchkula and were stopped at the border of Chandigarh where a representative from the governor’s house received their memorandum. A few kilometres away about forty thousand farmers from Punjab began their protest from Gurudwara Amb Sahib in Mohali; they were later stopped by the police as they were about to enter Chandigarh.

In the memorandum, addressed to the president, the farmers’ said: “What we witnessed in the past seven months and experienced first-hand reminds us of the Emergency 46 years ago. Today, it is not just the farmers’ movement that is facing repression, but the movements of workers, youth, students, women, those from minority communities, Dalits as well as Adivasis. As during the Emergency back then, many true patriots have been put into prisons. Draconian laws like UAPA are being misused against those who are resisting the authoritarian regime. Media is shrouded in fear and favouritism. Judiciary’s freedom is under attack. Human rights are being violated routinely. Without declaring an Emergency, democracy is being throttled every day.”

The farmers said they were turned down by every office they expected justice from, including the President. The memorandum went on to add that the three farm laws were “unconstitutional, because the Union Government has no authority to legislate in the domain of (agricultural) Markets. These legislations are also undemocratic. Before creating such laws, no consultations and dialogues were held with farmers. Without being asked for and without proper reason, these were brought in covertly in the form of ordinances. The Bills, after being tabled in the Parliament, were not sent to committees for further study and debates. While pushing these Bills in the Parliament, voting by division was not allowed in Rajya Sabha. We had hoped that as the first guardian of our Constitution created by Babasaheb and others, you would refuse to give your assent to such unconstitutional, undemocratic and anti-farmer laws. However, you did not refuse.”

In Delhi too, the farmers protested in front of the office of the Lieutenant Governor at Civil Lines, where they were briefly detained and taken to Wazirabad Police Training Centre. Later however, a brief virtual meeting was arranged with the LG and the memorandum was handed over to his representative. Earlier in the day, the coordinator of Delhi For Farmers was kept confined in her home even though the Delhi Police informed DFF coordinator Poonam Kaushik last night that they will allow DFF to hold a dharna at Civil Lines Metro Station.

In Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, Karnataka’s Bangalore, Telangana’s Hyderabad, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal, police picked up protesting farmers from where they had assembled and theywere not allowed to go to the Raj Bhawans. Protestors were detained at other places in Karnataka too. “What was the need to stop the protestors when the administration knew about the plans announced by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha many days ago? It was only a matter of handing over a memorandum to the Governor; not allowing even this much is a reflection of the undeclared emergency and authoritarian times we are going through,” said Balbeer Singh Rajewal,a senior farmers leader from Punjab.

In UP’s Lucknow, a delegation of farmer leaders presented the memorandum to a designated official of the Raj Bhavan there. In Maharashtra, farmer representatives met with the Governor and handed over the memorandum. Similarly, in Himachal Pradesh, a delegation of farmer leaders met with Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and gave him a copy of the memorandum.

In Tamil Nadu, places like Tiruchi and Erode saw large gatherings of protestors; it was similar in Karnataka. In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh too protests were held in various places.

In Kolkata, as many as 21 farmers organisations under the banner of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) observed the ‘Save Agriculture , Save Democracy Day’ in front of the East Gate of Kolkata’s Raj Bhawan.

Expressing their solidarity, the central trade unions too protested in different industrial areas across the country. The central trade unions in close coordination with Samyukta Kisan Morcha had began their struggles on November 26 last year against the four labour codes and three farm laws.

(Courtesy: Newsclick.)

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Punjab, Haryana Farmers Submit Memorandum to Guvs, Mark 7 Months of Protest

26 Jun 2021: Thousands of farmers from Haryana and Punjab entered Chandigarh on Saturday to commemorate the “Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao” (Save Agriculture, Save Democracy) day which marked the completion of seven months of the farmers’ protest and the 46th anniversary of Emergency in India.

The protesting farmers marched to the Governors’ residence in Chandigarh, following the call of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farm unions, to present a memorandum seeking the repeal of three farm laws.

On their way to Chandigarh, the farmers from Haryana and Punjab were confronted with barriers and heavy police deployment at Panchkula and Mohali respectively. Few instances of confrontation between the police and the farmers were also witnessed during the march. Water cannons, trucks, and dumpers have been deployed at the Chandigarh borders. However, the farm unions have maintained that they would protest peacefully.

Farmer leaders including Balbir Singh Rajewal, Rudlu Singh Mansa, Prem Singh Bhangu and many others joined the march from Punjab. Alongside, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Yogendra Yadav and youth leader Ravi Azad, among others joined the protest from Haryana. Both young and old farmers took part in the demonstration, with the youth taking the lead.

The memorandums, which were supposed to be submitted to the President through the governors, were collected by the District Collectors.

The anniversary of India’s Emergency, according to Punjab Kisan Union Leader Rudlu Singh Mansa, serves as a reminder of the country’s current “undeclared emergency”.

“Except for the fact that it is undeclared, there is no difference between today’s Emergency and the Emergency declared during Indira Gandhi’s tenure. But that would not stop us from fighting for our rights. We will keep protesting till our demands are heard,” Mansa said.

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Editorial addition: Farmers marched to the Raj Bhavan in UP too. Abdul Alim Jafri writes in Newsclick:

26 Jun 2021, Lucknow: Farmers took out protest marches to the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow on Saturday, June 26, and raised anti-government slogans observing Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas (Save Agriculture, Save Democracy Day) to mark the completion of seven months of their stir against the three contentious farm laws and 46th year of the imposition of Emergency in India in 1975.

Joining the call given by the Samyukt Kisan Morch (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 protesting farmer unions, over 500 farmers associated with about 21 farmers’ organisations including Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, Uttar Pradesh Kisan Sabha, Kisan Maha Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikkait fraction), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Asali), All India Kisan Federation and Mazdoor Kisan Manch from across the state observed the anniversary of Emergency as a period of “undeclared emergency” now, by submitting a memorandum at the Raj Bhavan, seeking withdrawal of the new farm laws and a guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The farmers were stopped near Bapu Bhawan by police personnel who barricaded the protesters as they were moving towards Raj Bhavan, near the OCR building. The farmers sat on the road and started protesting against the administration. However, a delegation of farmers submitted a memorandum to the senior officer, addressed to the President of India, meant to be sent through the Governor.

A large number of farmers from adjoining districts including Sitapur, Barabanki, Hardoi, Unnao and Raebareli were supposed to join the march in Lucknow but heavy deployment prevented them from joining the stir.

BKU vice-president Rajesh Singh Chauhan told Newsclick, “What we have witnessed in the past seven months reminds us of the Emergency imposed 46 years ago. Today, not only the farmers’ movement, the labour movement, student, youth and women’s movement, minority society and the movements of dalit and tribal society are also being suppressed, draconian laws like UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and NSA (National Security Act) are being misused to keep the opponents shut. Democracy is being throttled every day without emergency being declared,” he said, adding that a group of farmers from eastern Uttar Pradesh will join their counterparts at Ghazipur border.

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‘Time to Reclaim Ghazipur Border’: Thousands of Farmers Begin Tractor March from West UP

Abdul Alim Jafri

24 Jun 2021, Lucknow: With sugarcane harvesting almost over in western Uttar Pradesh, thousands of farmers from Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Meerut on Thursday began their tractor march, which is expected to reach Ghazipur border next day on June 25. The farmers are marching to ensure that the momentum of the ongoing agitation against the Centre’s farm laws stays intact.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait fraction), a prominent outfit at the forefront of the ongoing farmers’ agitation, have announced that batches of farmers with tractors from several parts of the state will start moving towards Ghazipur border in the coming days so that the number of protesters at the agitation site keeps growing.

“Around 3,000 tractors, a thousand each from Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur, along with ten thousand farmers are expected to join the tractor march to Ghazipur border. They will stay at Shivay toll plaza at night in Meerut on Delhi-Doon National Highway where farmers have been protesting for the last 30 days. In the early morning, we will move towards the border with the caravan,” Naresh Tikait, president of BKU, who is leading the ‘tractor march’, told Newsclick. He added that several groups of farmers from adjoining districts are all set to leave for the border on July 2. “Preparations are in full swing, and we would ensure that the momentum of agitation at the protest site on Delhi borders does not drop for the number of protesters,” he further added.

Accusing the government of not paying heed towards protesting farmers’ concerns, the BKU leader said that the government has left no other choice than intensifying the protest being held at the Ghazipur border. He said that the ‘tractor march’ would be historic and make the government realise the power of farmers. “The central government should remove this misconception from its mind that the farmer will go back. We would not accept anything less than repealing of the farm laws. Also, the government should ensure procurement of all crops in all the states at Minimum Support Price (MSP) as is our legal right,” he added.

Farmer leaders have taken the decision to further escalate the protest against the three farm laws at a ‘mahapanchayat’ held in Sisauli town of Muzaffarnagar district — the hometown of Tikait brothers — on June 21 to reclaim the Ghazipur border. The meeting headed by Naresh Tikait and BKU district president Dheeraj Latiyan was attended by hundreds of farmers from different districts of western UP. At this meeting, they gave a call for the ‘tractor march’.

According to BKU’s Muzaffarnagar district president, Latian, door-to-door meetings in the region are being held to mobilise farmers to join the march for the past one week. There is anger among farmers over non-payment of sugarcane, skyrocketing diesel prices and harassment by the police, he claimed. Several rounds of meetings at BKU’s district headquarter were also organised with farmers across all the west UP districts to discuss new strategies for speeding up the ongoing agitation at the border. “After holding discussions with farmers, which will continue till June 7, we will be sending a contingent of people from every district to Ghazipur border,” Latiyan had earlier told Newsclick.

Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers from Bulandshahar had started a similar five-day ‘Kisan Kranti Padayatra’ (foot march) towards the Ghazipur border on June 12 and reached on June 8. It was led by former BKU district president Guddu Pradhan.

(Courtesy: Newsclick.)