Farmers' Protest LIVE Updates: Govt Intends to Weaken Movement But Many More Farmers Coming to Delhi to Join, Says BKU's Manjeet Singh

According to the union leaders, a new ‘Delhi Chalo' (March to Delhi) call is being given to all farmers in north India for December 14, while those in the south will be asked to protest at district headquarters. They said all toll plazas across the country will be made toll-free on December 12.

The Opposition, which has been supporting the farmers' stir and had backed Tuesday's 'Bharat bandh', approached President Ram Nath Kovind. A five-member delegation that included Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury met the president seeking repeal of the farm laws against which thousands of farmers have been protesting on the borders of the national capital for the last 13 days. The Shiromani Akali Dal alleged that the Centre packaged "old wine in a new bottle" and said the farmers have rightly rejected the proposal.

People Joining the Protest to Protect Democracy: Akhilesh | Samajwadi Party leader and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav attacked the government for its arbitrary decision. In a tweet the SP leader said that the farmers' protest is a movement to restore the democratic value of the country. He added that the people is the country are joining the agitation to 'protect the democracy' in India.

‘किसान आंदोलन’ भारत के इस लोकतांत्रिक मूल्य की पुनर्स्थापना का भी आंदोलन है कि सरकार के सभी फैसलों में आम जनता की भागीदारी होनी चाहिए; सरकार की मनमानी नहीं.

इसीलिए भारत में लोकतंत्र को बचाने के लिए देश का हर नागरिक भी आज ‘किसान आंदोलन’ के साथ भावात्मक रूप से जुड़ता जा रहा है. pic.twitter.com/tLc2SPIwP2

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) December 10, 2020

Caught between the Covid-19 pandemic and the agitation for their rights, farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm laws said the fear of contracting the disease is "not enough" to detract them from their fight. Thousands of farmers camping at the Tikri borders are largely seen without the basic preventive measure against Covid-19 - protective masks.

Delhi: Farmers protest against Centre's farm laws enters 15th day at Tikri border with Haryana pic.twitter.com/NUibJyZua4

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2020

New Delhi: Caught between the COVID-19 pandemic and the agitation for their rights, farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm laws said the fear of contracting the disease is "not enough" to…

What Happened During Farmers-govt Meet? | "In all five meetings with the farmer unions, the government held marathon discussions on the same points (that figured in the proposal). Finally, we asked them (government) to answer in 'yes or no' whether they want to repeal the three new laws and guarantee MSP or not?" farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka said . Union Home Minister Amit Shah also said the same thing. The farmer leaders told him they do not want to talk on those points anymore, he claimed. "When we asked Amit Shah why you did not consult farmers before enacting the three laws, he acknowledged that some mistakes had been made. Shah also told the farmer leaders that the government is ready to make more amendments to the three laws if there is a need for it," Kakka claimed. 

ROUNDUP | Farmer leaders on Wednesday rejected the government's proposal to amend three controversial farm laws, and announced that they would intensify their agitation by blocking the Jaipur-Delhi and the Delhi-Agra expressways by Saturday, and escalating it to a nationwide protest on December 14. Farmers have been demonstrating since late last month over reforms enacted in September that loosened rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm produce that had protected farmers from an unfettered free market for decades.

The draft proposal has been sent to 13 farm union leaders including Joginder Singh Urgrahan of BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), one of the biggest among nearly 40 agitating unions. "Farmer unions have received the draft proposal from the government," Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait told PTI. He is one of the many union leaders participating in the ongoing negotiations with the government.

Govt Offers Written MSP Assurance, Amendments on 7 Issues | The government in a draft proposal said that an amendment can be made wherein state governments can register the traders operating outside mandis. States can also impose tax and cess as they used in APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) mandis on them. On concerns that farmers may be duped as anyone having just a PAN card is allowed to trade outside APMC mandis, the government said to rule out such apprehensions, the state governments can be given the power to register such traders and make rules keeping in mind the local situation of farmers.

'We Take Decisions Unanimously': Farmer Leader | "We take decisions unanimously. It is about consensus and not majority," farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka said on Wednesday, explaining why the unions "completely" rejected the government proposal to amend the new agri laws. He also said that there were no differences among farmer unions as was being reported by a section of the media. At the meeting of farmers' representatives on Wednesday afternoon, everybody agreed that the three new laws be scrapped and a specific law be enacted on the Minimum Support Price (MSP), he said. Read more

"Come home only after we win this fight.

In the draft proposal sent to 13 agitating farmer unions, the government also said it was ready to provide all necessary clarifications on their concerns but did not mention anything about repealing the laws. Home minister Amit Shah in Tuesday night's meeting with 13 union leaders had said the government would send a draft proposal on key issues raised by the farmers regarding the three farm laws, even though the meeting had failed to break the ice with farm union leaders who are insisting for repealing these laws. The picture shows Karnataka farmers participating in a protest rally to press for repeal of the Centre's agri-laws in Bengaluru.

China and Pakistan behind Protests: Minister | Union minister Raosaheb Danve claimed that China and Pakistan were behind the ongoing protests by farmers, who are seeking repeal of three new farm laws. He also alleged that Muslims were earlier misled over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens, but as those efforts did not succeed, now farmers were being told that they will face losses due to the new laws.

According to the union leaders, a new ‘Delhi Chalo' (March to Delhi) call is being given to all farmers in north India for December 14, while those in the south will be asked to protest at district headquarters. They said all toll plazas across the country will be made toll-free on December 12.

Farmers to Block Major Highways by Saturday | Farmer leaders on Wednesday announced that they would intensify their agitation by blocking the Jaipur-Delhi and the Delhi-Agra expressways by Saturday, and escalating it to a nationwide protest on December 14. The sixth round of talks between the government and farm union leaders scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled.

On apprehensions about the scrapping of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime and shifting of trade to private players, the government said it is ready to give a written assurance that the existing MSP will continue. Addressing a press conference, farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka said there was nothing new in the government's proposal, and that it was "completely rejected" by the 'Sanyukta Kisan Committee' in its meeting on Wednesday. 

After Union Home Minister Amit Shah's meeting with farmer leaders last night, the government sent the proposal offering to make necessary amendments on at least seven issues, including one to allay fears about the weakening of the mandi system. The government said an amendment can be made wherein state governments can register the traders operating outside mandis. States can also impose tax and cess as they used in APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) mandis on them.

Opposition Meets President | The Opposition, which has been supporting the farmers' stir and had backed Tuesday's 'Bharat bandh', approached President Ram Nath Kovind. A five-member delegation that included Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury met the president seeking repeal of the farm laws against which thousands of farmers have been protesting on the borders of the national capital for the last 13 days. The Shiromani Akali Dal alleged that the Centre packaged "old wine in a new bottle" and said the farmers have rightly rejected the proposal.

Farmers Reject Govt Offer, Protest on 14 | Farmer leaders on Wednesday rejected a government offer of amendments in the new farm laws and a "written assurance" on continuing the MSP system, saying there was nothing new in it, and vowed to intensify their agitation by blocking key highways linking Delhi and a nationwide protest on December 14. The sixth round of talks between the Centre and the agitating farmer unions slated for Wednesday was cancelled, but the two sides maintained they were open to dialogue.