Farmers' Protest LIVE Update: This Will Soon Become a National Issue, Says SC as it Proposes Formation of Panel to Resolve Dispute Between Govt & Farmers

Left Parties Take out Rally in Kolkata | Members of farmer wings of several Left parties marched on the streets of Kolkata demanding that the Centre and the West Bengal governments ensure that agriculturists get fair price for their produce. Organisers of the rally - the CPI(M), the CPI and other Left parties - also demanded immediate repeal of the three farm bills passed by the Centre and expressed solidarity with agitating farmers of North India. "We want the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal to ensure that farmers get fair price for paddy, vegetables other crops.Both of them failed to protect the rights of farmers in the state," a leader of the All India Kishan Sabha, the CPI(M)'s peasant wing, said.

With several rounds of talks with the government ending in stalemate, the protesters have found new ways to help each other and those living around the protest site, be it community kitchens, medical…

Farmers' Widows Join Protests | Hundreds of Indian women, including many widows of farmers who were believed to have killed themselves over debt, joined the protest today, Reuters reports. "If these black laws come, more farmers will go deeper into debt," said 40-year-old Harshdeep Kaur, a widow from Punjab state, at one protest site on the outskirts of the capital, New Delhi. "More mothers and sisters will become widows like me."

Puri Appeals to Farmers to Resume Talks with Centre | Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri appealed to protesting farmers to resume talks with the central government to discuss their genuine demands, saying this is not the time to remain adamant. Addressing a virtual 'kisan sammelan', he asserted that the Narendra Modi-led government was taking several steps in the interest of the farming community. "We are ready to hold talks with them to discuss their genuine demands. We are ready to find a solution of this problem, but it is necessary that the farmer brothers join the talks again and put forth their points face to face," he said. 

It's been over two weeks since thousands of farmers arrived at Delhi's Singhu border to demand a repeal of the Centre's agri reforms.

Tikri, Dhansa Borders Closed for Traffic | Tikri, Dhansa Borders are closed for any traffic movement. Jhatikara Borders is open only for two-wheelers and pedestrian movement: Delhi Traffic Police

Centre Being 'Stubborn' in Face of Farmers' Agitation: Delhi Minister | The Centre should give up its "ego" and "stubbornness" and accept the demands of farmers who are protesting against the new farm laws at Delhi's borders despite the biting cold, the city's Development minister Gopal Rai said. Rai, also convener of the Delhi unit of the AAP, said the Arvind Kejriwal-led government and his party stand firmly with the farmers and have been making certain arrangements for them during their protest.

The cabinet has taken the decision to help farmers directly by depositing money of subsidy into their accounts. The subsidy will be given on 60 lakh tonnes of sugar exports at the rate of Rs 6,000 per tonne. It will help 5 crore farmers and 5 lakh workers in various sugar mills. Farmers will get three credits: within 1 week farmers will get Rs 5,361 crore, Rs 18,000 crore of export running to  be credited to their accounts to the extent of their dues, and Rs 3,500 crore, the subsidy decided today: Prakash Javadekar

"The new agriculture laws will bring about a revolutionary change in the lives of farmers," Tomar writes on Twitter.

नए कृषि कानून किसानों के जीवन में क्रांतिकारी परिवर्तन लाने वाले हैं। #KisaanSammelan

— Narendra Singh Tomar (@nstomar) December 16, 2020

When PM Modi implemented demonetisation, the Congress said that his countdown has begun. When he implemented GST, people said that his government won't come back to power. But in the 2019 elections, people made him PM for the second time with more seats than the last elections. After coming to power in 2014, the PM had said that the people of the country have given us this majority to change the country, we will also have to take some hard decisions for this: Agri minister Narendra Singh Tomar at Krishi Sammelan in Gwalior.

When attempts are being made to mislead and agitate the farmers of Punjab in one corner of the nation, you gathered in Rewa, Sagar, Gwalior, Ujjain and other places to support farm laws by Narendra Modi government. I thank all of you: Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar at Kisan Sammelan in Gwalior.

Politics Over Farmers Not in Country's Interest: Gadkari | Attempts are being made to "misguide and confuse" farmers and gain advantage out of their protests, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday and appealed to farmer unions to come forward for a meaningful dialogue with the government to end the stalemate. The senior leader and former BJP President also said that remarks made by international entities on this issue were unjustifiable and uncalled for as India never interfered in internal matters of other countries.

Those Protesting Against Agri Laws are 'Middlemen': MP Minister | Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel claimed those protesting against the Centre's three new farm laws are "middlemen" and not real farmers. Talking to PTI, Patel asserted that the new farm rules will give cultivators the real price for their produce and an opportunity to trade, export, and set up food processing units and warehouses. Till now, middlemen used to buy crops of farmers at very low prices and sell them to end-users at ten times higher rates by grading the purchase as per the quality of crop, Patel said. 

Farmers' Leaders to Take Call on SC Order | Farmer union leaders to meet at 4 pm to take a call on SC order. The Supreme Court Wednesday issued a notice to the Centre and others on a batch of petitions seeking removal of farmers camping at several roads and directed the petitioners to make protesting farmer unions parties to the pleas and posted the matter for hearing on Thursday.

"Your negotiations with protesting farmers have not worked apparently till now," the bench told the Centre. Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the government will not do anything against the interest of farmers. Multiple pleas have been filed in the SC seeking a direction to authorities to immediately remove the farmers, saying commuters are facing hardships due to the road blockades and the gatherings might lead to an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.

The Supreme Court Wednesday issued a notice to the Centre and others on a batch of petitions seeking removal of farmers camping at several roads near Delhi borders in protest against the three new agri laws. A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde, and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian also indicated that the court may form a committee having representatives of the government and the farmer unions across the country to resolve the deadlock over the legislations. In a hearing conducted via video conferencing, the bench directed the petitioners to make protesting farmer unions parties to the pleas and posted the matter for hearing on Thursday.

The Chilla route had remained obstructed since December 1 when the protest started here. One side of the road (Noida to Delhi) had remained closed during a large part of the period until December 12, when protesters agreed to open it for the sake of commuters but stayed put at the border. However, a disagreement cropped up between splinter groups of farmer unions who opposed the move that led to a brief closure of the road on Tuesday as well, according to a BKU (Bhanu) protestor.

Noida to Delhi Route Via Chilla Border Closed | One side of the Delhi-Noida Link Road was closed for commuters by farmers at the Chilla border here amid heavy police deployment, officials said. Barricades have been set up on the road, prohibiting vehicular movement from Noida to Delhi, while the other side (Delhi to Noida) was open, Noida Traffic Police officials said. Also, traffic was diverted from the Dalit Prerna Sthal, another site of the farmers' protests, to the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway in the wake of the situation at the Chilla border, an official said. 

It will Soon Become National Issue: SC | SC tells SG Tushar Mehta that it intends to set up a committee comprising representatives of farmers unions across India, government and other stakeholders to resolve this issue, adding "because this will soon become a national issue and with Government, it won't work out it seems."

SC to Hear the Matter Tomorrow | A Bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian grants permission to implead farmer organisations. The matter will be heard in the Supreme Court tomorrow. Supreme Court issues notice to Centre and States on a batch of pleas seeking a direction to the authorities to immediately remove the farmers who are protesting at several border points of Delhi against three new farm laws. 

Chief Justice asks Solicitor General that the all the pleas are ill conceived, except the freedom of movement being curtailed. SC adds that your negotiation will work if we have some farmers before us.

No Precedent in Law and Order Matter: SC | In the PIL filed to end the farmers' blockade, the petitioners argue that the Shaheen Bagh protests judgment lays the law. After the counsel appearing for petitioner mentions Shaheen Bagh case to remove farmers from Delhi borders, the Chief Justice of India says, there cannot be a precedent in law and order matter.

Shaheen Bagh Protest Judgment Lays the Law: Petitioner | In the PIL filed to end the farmers' blockade, the petitioners argue that the Shaheen Bagh protests judgment lays the law. The chief justice has asked the petitioner on what is their understanding in the matter. The petitions argue that they need answers from Centre, Punjab and Delhi government.

Supreme Court begins hearing pleas seeking direction to authorities to immediately remove the farmers who are protesting at several border points of Delhi against the three new farm laws, according to ANI.

"We want the government to stop defaming farmers' agitation and holding parallel talks with other farmers' organisations," said Darshan Pal, a member of the 'Sankyukt Kisan Morcha', in his letter written in Hindi. In his letter, Pal has also recorded in writing the farmer unions' decision to reject a recent government proposal of amendments in the new laws. "In reference to the proposal (dated December 9) and your (Agarwal) letter, we want to inform the government that farmer organisations held a joint meeting to discuss the proposal on the same day and rejected it," he said.

Stop Holding Parallel Talks with Other Farmer Bodies: Unions | An umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting against the new agri laws wrote to the Centre on Wednesday, asking it to stop holding "parallel talks" with other farmer bodies over the contentious legislation. The letter by 'Sanyukt Kisan Morcha', which represents farmer bodies mostly from Punjab, comes against the backdrop of the government holding talks with several farmers organisations from different states who the Centre claimed have extended their support to the new agriculture laws. In a letter to Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, the Morcha said the Centre should also stop "defaming" the ongoing protests being held at several Delhi border points against the three farm laws.

As the farm laws have become a topic of contest between farmers and the Centre, the Madhya Pradesh government is busy ensuing justice to farmers under the new provisions.

PM Modi said dairy and fisheries sectors in the state grew exponentially without much intervention of the state government as the business is mainly handled by co-operative sector leaders and farmers. "In other parts of the country too, milk producers and the co-operative sector have created a successful supply chain. Similarly, governments do not have any significant control on the trade of fruits and vegetables.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will address a farmers' conference in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior today at 1 pm. 

कृषि एवं किसान कल्याण, ग्रामीण विकास, पंचायती राज व खाद्य प्रसंस्करण उद्योग मंत्री भारत सरकार श्री नरेंद्र सिंह तोमर, किसान सम्मलेन को सम्बोधित करेंगे...
दिनांक 16 दिसंबर 2020 दोपहर 01 बजे, स्थान : फूलबाग मैदान, ग्वालियर...@nstomar @AgriGoI pic.twitter.com/BAKPqDDEZd

— Narendra Singh Tomar Office (@nstomaroffice) December 15, 2020

Chilla Border Blocked by Farmers | Protesting farmers block Noida Link Road towards Delhi at Chilla border. Hardening their stance on the three new agri laws, farmer leaders had said they will "make" the government repeal these legislations and asserted that their fight has reached a stage where they are "determined" to win it no matter what.