10:50 (IST)
Farmers start day-long ‘relay’ hunger strike
Intensifying their agitation against the Centre”s new agri laws, farmers began their day-long ”relay” hunger strike on a chilly Monday morning at all sites of protest on Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Protesting farmers will participate in the hunger strike in batches and the first has 11 members, according to farmer leaders.
Thousands of agriculturists, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting against the laws for the last over four weeks at various border points of Delhi and demanding that the legislations be repealed.
Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav had on Sunday said, “Farmers will begin a day-long relay hunger strike on Monday at all sites of protest against the new agri laws. It will be started by a team of 11 members at protests sites here, including the Singhu border.”
He also urged “everyone at all protest sites across the nation to participate in the same”.
PTI
10:35 (IST)
‘Shutting down union’s FB page won’t hide BJP govt’s anti-farmer face’: Jaiveer Shergill
On Sunday, the Facebook page of a farmers’ union was briefly shut down over alleged violation of ‘community standards.’ The page was subsequently restored. Reacting to this, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill wrote on Twitter:
Shutting down facebook page of Kisan Unions will not hide Kisan-Virodhi face of BJP Govt
Farmers protest & demands r standing on 4 strong pillars of self-respect,love for the soil,right to life & dignity of labour which cant b broken or shaken by any manipulation #FarmersProtest
— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) December 21, 2020
09:50 (IST)
Protesters set up ‘Neki ki Deewar’ at Ghazipur border
Protesters at Delhi’s Ghazipur border have refashioned a wall as a ‘Neki ki Deewar’, where people can donate essential items that the farmers need. “The idea is to ensure all our farmer brothers and sisters are well equipped to be a part of the protest and keep themselves warm in Delhi’s harsh weather,” News18 quoted Survinder Kisan, one of the protesters at Ghazipur border, as saying.
09:02 (IST)
Will quit politics if MSP is abolished, says Khattar
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar assured protesters that minimum support prices for agricultural produce will remain. News18 quoted him as saying that if anyone tries to abolish it, he will ‘leave politics.’
08:39 (IST)
Part of Chilla border route open for traffic, says Delhi Police
Traffic Alert,
Chilla Border one carriageway from Delhi to Noida is open for traffic however other carriageway from Noida to Delhi is closed.COVID PRECAUTIONS :-
WEAR MASK, MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING, KEEP HAND HYGIENE.— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) December 21, 2020
08:34 (IST)
Govt invites farmers’ unions for next round of talks
The government on Sunday asked protesting farmer unions to specify their concerns over its earlier proposal of amendments in the new agri laws and choose a convenient date for the next round of talks so that the ongoing agitation could end at the earliest.
In a letter to 40 union leaders, Union Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal said the Centre is making all efforts with “an open heart” to find an appropriate solution to resolve all the concerns raised by farmers.
Previous five rounds of talks between the government and the unions have failed to break the deadlock with the farmers insisting on repeal of the three laws and camping at various border points of Delhi for over three weeks now.
PTI
08:05 (IST)
Farmers from 20 districts to converge at Nashik
An article in The Hindu has quoted All India Kisan Sabha’s national president Ashok Dhawale as saying that ‘thousands of farmers’ from 20 districts of Maharashtra will converge at Nashik on 21 December and then proceed towards Delhi.
08:00 (IST)
Farmers from Maharashtra to organise ‘vehicle march’ to Delhi
Farmers from Maharashtra will organise a vehicle march from Nashik to Delhi on Monday, in an agitation which is expected to crank up further pressure on the Central government.
The Centre, already caught in a bind over the protests, faces the prospect of farmers from Maharashtra joining their counterparts from northern states in Delhi in an agitation that continues to gather steam.
Farmers’ Protest LIVE updates: Farmers on Monday began a day-long ‘relay hunger strike’ at all sites of protest on Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh
The government has asked protesting farmer unions to specify their concerns over its earlier proposal of amendments in the new agri laws
Farmers from Maharashtra will organise a vehicle march from Nashik to Delhi on Monday, in an agitation which is expected to crank up further pressure on the Central government.
The Centre, penning a letter to farmers unions on Sunday, invited them for the next round of talks at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan and asked them to choose a date as per their convenience, according to several media reports.
As per The Economic Times , the letter from the agriculture ministry to farmer leader Darshan Pal and all other farmer leaders who were part of earlier talks, stated, “Please inform us of your remaining concerns and inform us of a date convenient to you for a meeting at Vigyan Bhawan so that a solution can be arrived at and the present agitation ends soon.”
He said the Centre is making all efforts to find appropriate solution to resolve all the issues raised by the farmers with an open mind. Previous five rounds of formal talks between the government and 40 farmer unions have failed to break the deadlock with the farmers insisting on repeal of the Centre’s three laws.
The farmers’ protest against the Centre’s three agriculture-related laws entered its 25th day on Sunday with Home Minister Amit Shah stating that Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar would likely meet farmer unions agitating at the borders of the National Capital in a day or two and cultivators upping the ante by declaring that they will observe a day-long hunger strike on Monday at all protest sites.
Farmers further vowed to halt toll collections on Haryana highways from 25 to 27 December.
Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav, addressing a press conference at the Delhi-Haryana Singhu border, said the protest “will be started by a team of 11 members at protests sites here, including the Singhu border” and added that “we appeal to everyone at all protest sites across the nation to participate in the same”.
Yadav claimed that protesters are being threatened by the Haryana government. “This is against the direction of the Supreme Court. I urge them to stop harassing farmers,” Yadav said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday had said that the farmers’ agitation should be allowed to continue “without impediment” and this court will not “interfere” with it as the right to protest is a fundamental right. It had also put a sole caveat that there should not be any breach of peace either by farmers or police.
While announcing the next move by protesting farmers after their hunger strike, farmer leader Jagjeet Singh Dalewala said farmers will halt toll collection on highways in Haryana from 25 to 27 December.
‘Beat thalis during Mann ki Baat’
Leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said they would reach out to the NDA constituents to urge them to compel the BJP to withdraw the three legislations and also asked people to clang utensils on 27 December during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat” radio address as a mark of protest, reported The Hindu.
Farmer leader and senior BKU member Rakesh Tikait, who was also part of the press conference, said that farmers protesting the new agri laws will celebrate Kisan Diwas on 23 December and “we request people to not cook lunch for a day”.
Earlier in the day, cultivators in Punjab and Haryana observed ‘Shradhanjali Diwas’ on Sunday to pay homage to their brethren who died during the ongoing agitation and lit candles in their memory. Farmers’ bodies have claimed that over 30 farmers participating in the stir have died so far due to different reasons including heart attack and in road accidents.
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) also wrote to various traders’ unions requesting their support to the ongoing farmers’ agitation.
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Punjab farmer, who retur