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‘Do Not Muzzle Our Voice,’ Appeal Protesting Farmers

By LokMarg 14th December 2024

The ‘Jathha’ of 101 farmers marching to Delhi from the Shambhu border point of Haryana were stopped from entering the national capital by the police on Saturday afternoon.

As farmers resumed their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march on the 307th day of their ongoing protest, they were confronted by police who had set up barricades to prevent their entry into the capital.

The police action led to tension at the protest site, as farmers attempted to move forward, but the authorities maintained their position, citing security concerns and the need to control the movement of protesters into Delhi.

Farmers blocked by the police requested security forces to allow them to continue their protests in a peaceful manner.

A farmer leader at the site spoke to police through the barricades and said, “SP Sahab, we want to march to Delhi peacefully, we request you to not block our protest, please give us the road. We should be allowed to move ahead. Our voice should not be suppressed by these iron and stone barriers.”

“Hamari awaz ko an kuchla jaye (Don’t suppress our voices),” requested the farmers.

“50 per cent of the people in our country are involved in agriculture, their voices cannot be suppressed. Our farmer Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanouri border. His deteriorating health is in front of everyone, even the Prime Minister,” said the farmers’ leader.

“You can check us for everything, we only have flags and clothes to wear. We only want to talk to the government about our issues,” said the farmers’ leader.

Ambala Superintendent of Police in response to the appeal said, “If you want to go to Delhi, you should take proper permission and once you get the permission, we will allow you to go. There was a hearing in the Supreme Court yesterday. Instructions have been given to hold a meeting.The next date of the meeting is December 18. We appeal to you to sit here peacefully and follow the rules.”

Police officials were heavily deployed at the border after the farmers’ announcement of a fresh attempt to ‘Delhi March.’

Earlier in the day, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the protest against contentious agricultural laws has reached its 307th day today awaiting talks with the Centre and emphasized nationwide support for the movement from the people of the country.

In a pointed critique of the government’s approach to the farmers’ protest, Pandher accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of remaining silent on the issue.

The leader also alleged that government agencies are working to undermine the protest, using tactics to discredit the movement and suggesting that even collective efforts from Punjab and Haryana would fail to make an impact.

Adding further, he said, “I urge everyone to support the protest because I believe no matter how powerful the government is, it can never be bigger than the people of the country. The country is not determined by any party but by the people of the country. We aim to demonstrate how a collective effort by ordinary citizens can be influential enough to bring about changes in laws and governance.”

The Haryana government has ordered a temporary suspension of mobile internet, SMS, and dongle services in the Ambala district from December 14-17 to prevent spread of misinformation and potential law-and-order disruptions following the “Delhi Kooch” call by farmers’ organizations amid the ongoing protests.

Effective from December 14, 6:00 AM, until December 17, 11:59 PM, the restrictions apply to specific villages, including Dangdehri, Lohgarh, and Saddopur.

Essential services like individual SMS, banking communications, voice calls, and broadband remain unaffected to minimize public inconvenience while ensuring peace and order.

The farmers’ agitation has witnessed widespread participation from states like Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The protest sites near Delhi’s borders have become epicentres of resistance, with thousands of farmers camped in makeshift arrangements despite harsh weather conditions.

As the protest continues to gain momentum, the farmers are intensifying demonstrations to pressure the government into addressing their demands. (ANI)

Shah Asks Farmers To Make India Self-Reliant In Pulses Production

By LokMarg 4th January 2024

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has appealed to the farmers to focus on the production of pulses to make India self-reliant in this sector before December 2027.

Taking another step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India), Shah launched the ‘e-samridhi portal’ for registration, purchase and payment of ‘tur dal’ producing farmers here today.

“Produce pulses and make the country self-reliant in this sector. It is necessary to make India self-reliant in pulse production. I assure you that before December 2027, India will become self-reliant in the production of pulses,” Shah said at the event.

“Beginning by you is going to bring drastic changes in the field of agriculture”, Shah assured the farmers.

“It’s a guarantee from Modi that if you register with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF), we will purchase your pulses. It is the responsibility of the Modi government to purchase your pulses on MSP (Minimum Support Price),” Shah said, adding that the current ‘tur dal’ MSP rate is Rs 7,000 compared to Rs 4,350 in 2014-15, a 65 per cent increase.

Addressing the national symposium organized on self-reliance in pulses, Shah said the farmer-centric initiative aims to empower ‘tur dal’ producers with better prices through procurement, streamlined processes and direct bank transfers by NAFED and NCCF to boost domestic pulses production and reducing import dependence.

“Under this, the buffer stock of pulses will be purchased from the farmers registered on the portals of NAFED and NCCF as per the guidelines of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India and MSP or market price, whichever is higher, will be paid to the farmers,” Shah said.

“The process of registration, purchase and payment on the portal will be available on a single medium. Portal registration of farmers can be done directly or through the Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) and Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO). The payment to the farmers will be made by NAFED directly into their mapped bank account and no agency will be involved in between. The entire process is farmer-centric in which farmers themselves can track the activities from registration to payment,” said the Home Minister.

This initiative complements the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” campaign, Shah added, pointing “the multilingual electronic portal https://esamridhi.in will connect farmers, NAFED and concerned government departments, streamlining processes for better accessibility.”

The launch of the ‘tur dal’ procurement portal symbolizes the government’s comprehensive vision of a new green revolution that will include pulses and oilseeds along with traditional crops like wheat and rice, the Minister said, adding “this will be beneficial for Indian agriculture and the bright future of millions of farmers towards self-reliance in all food categories.”

The portal will streamline the entire process for ‘tur dal’ growers in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka and Jharkhand, simplifying the registration, procurement and payment processes.

The portal aims to reduce dependence on imports by purchasing 80 per cent of the buffer stock directly from farmers. This will not only secure food production but will also ensure the future food security of the nation. (ANI)

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Reached To Stop Farm Fires, Govt Official Made To Burn Stubble: Punjab

By LokMarg 5th November 2023

A group of farmers in Punjab’s Bathinda district courted controversy after they allegedly forced a government official, who was part of a team to prevent farm fires, to burn the stubble lying in a field on Friday.

The incident came to light after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann posted a purported video of the entire incident on his X handle.

Condemning the incident, Mann said that an FIR has started being registered in the matter.

Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gulneet Singh Khurana said that the incident took place under the Nahian Wala police station limits in Mehma Sarja village.

“(A team of officials) had gone to Mehma Sarja village to convince the farmers not to burn the stubble. During this, the farmers there called their union and forced our civil administration’s officer, Harpreet Singh, to burn that stubble (lying on the field),” the police officer said.

SSP Khurana said that an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been lodged in the matter.

“We have registered an FIR in this matter. A total of 7 persons have been named in the FIR and action is being taken against other persons. The farm was owned by Ram Singh. Besides, the other members of the union present at the spot are being identified and raids are being conducted in the matter,” he added.

Stubble burning is widely prevalent in parts of the agricultural states of Punjab and Haryana.

It is a process of setting on fire the straw stubble left after the harvesting of grains like paddy, wheat, etc. The process of burning farm residue is one of the major causes of air pollution in parts of north India, deteriorating the air quality around this time of the year. Combined with vehicular emissions, it adversely affects the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital. (ANI)

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Rail-Roko Protest: 18 Trains Of Firozpur Division Hit

By LokMarg 28th September 2023

As many as 18 trains of the Firozpur division, have been affected as members of various farmers’ bodies squatted on train tracks here on Thursday as part of the three-day ‘Rail-Roko’ agitation.

Several farmer bodies led by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee are on a three-day ‘rail blockade’, which began today, with several demands including a financial package for losses caused by recent floods, a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) and debt waiver.

A railway official of the Firozpur (FZR) division said that the services of as many as 18 trains have been hit till now on the first day of the rail blockade agitation. “Of those, 12 trains, which set off from and arrive here have been cancelled and the remaining, long route trains, have been diverted,” he said.

Dilbag Singh, one of the protestors, said that the call for the three-day-long agitation was given a month earlier and that the government should provide an immediate solution to their demands.

“This (Rail Roko protest) which is going on, was called a month earlier. We want the government to hold talks and provide solutions to our demands,” he said.

The agitating farmers are also demanding action against Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra, the main accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident of 2021, which killed four farmers.

Earlier in the day, Sarwan Singh Pandher of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, who was present at the Amritsar protest said, “If anyone tries to be unfair with the farmers of Punjab, then farmers from Haryana will also join Punjab farmers. Farmers are united throughout the country.”

Pandher further said that at “Devi Dasspura thousands of farmers have gathered in their tractors and bikes to hold an agitation demanding compensation over losses considering the floods in north India which have affected the crops.”

“The agitation has been called by 18 unions in North India. Home Minister Amit Shah came to Amritsar and he promised to bring MSP guarantee law but the committee has not been formed yet. The cases that had been registered during the Delhi agitation have not been withdrawn,” Pandher said.

“The farmers who lost their lives, and their families have not got the compensation and jobs which was assured. The victims have not got justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. We have demanded 50,000 crore as compensation for the floods. The drugs that are being supplied through drones are not being checked at the borders. The protest is against the central government,” he added.

Police official Balvir S Ghuman said that massive security has been deployed to deal with the situation. (ANI)

K’taka’s Farmers Continue To Protest Over Cauvery Water

By LokMarg 31st August 2023

The farmers associations in Karnataka will on Thursday stage a fresh protest near Krishna Raja Sagar(KRS) reservoir in Mandya district against the release of 5,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of Cauvery water to the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. The Farmers will also stage a protest in front of the Mandya district collector’s office today.

Complying with the direction of Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), Karnataka on Wednesday started releasing water from its reservoirs to Tamil Nadu.

CWMA on Tuesday had directed Karnataka to ensure 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery water at Billigundulu on the Tamil Nadu- Karnataka boundary every day up to September 12.

CWMA’s direction came after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committe (CWRC) recommended Karnataka release 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Though Karnataka made a protest at CWRC’s recommendation CWMA upheld it.

After the Karnataka government started complying with CWMA’s direction farmers started protesting saying that the Cauvery basin was facing severe drought and water storage in the reservoirs was barely enough to meet the drinking water needs of the region.

Farmers in Mandya on Wednesday staged a protest late at night against the CWMA’s decision.

Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Tamil Nadu government’s plea seeking direction to Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of water daily starting from August 14 to the end of the month- from the reservoirs in Karnataka on Friday.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is expected to leave for Delhi on Thursday to discuss the Cauvery case with Karnataka’s legal team.

“I’m going to Delhi to to meet our legal team. The hearing (on TN’s plea on Cauvery water) will be coming on Friday. All ready our department officials argued very well after Tamil Nadu demanded 24-25 TMC. we said we can give 3 thousand cusecs,” DK Shivakumar had said on Wednesday.

Earlier Tamil Nadu Water resources minister Durai Murugan said that the CWMA was not acting in a proper manner.

“In relation to this issue, we will emphasize the need of the Tamil Nadu government side in the court. There is a definition of how to distribute Cauvery water when there is a lot of water, but there is no definition of how to distribute the water when there is a shortage of water” he said (ANI)

Cabinet Approves Rs 315 Per Quintal Remunerative Price For Sugarcane Farmers

By LokMarg 28th June 2023

The union cabinet has approved the fair and remunerative price for sugarcane farmers at Rs 315 per quintal, which is the highest ever, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said here on Wednesday.

He said sugar procurement has increased to Rs 1,13,000 crore and total procurement in the 2014-23 period stands at Rs 7,86,066 crore.
Addressing a press conference, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister said, “PM Modi has always been in support of farmers, that’s why the ministry was named ‘Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’. The cabinet has approved the highest-ever fair and remunerative price of Rs 315/quintal for sugarcane farmers for the sugar season 2023-24.”.

“The decision will benefit 5 crore sugarcane farmers and their dependents, as well as 5 lakh workers employed in the sugar mills and related ancillary activities,” he added.

Making a comparison with the previous governments, the Union Minister said that under the BJP government, timely payments have been made to the sugarcane farmers.

“In 2013-14, the rate used to Rs 210/ quintal and the total procurement was around Rs 97,104 crore. While it has increased to Rs 1,13,000 crore under the BJP government. Under the UPA rule, the total procurement was Rs 2,71,204 crore. While in 2014-23, the procurement of Rs 7,86,066 crore has already been done. At that time, the sugarcane farmers had to block roads and protest for getting their payments. But, in the last few years, all the payments have been timely done and the backlogs have been cleared as well,” he said.

He further added that the scheme of mixing ethanol with crude oil has also turned out beneficial in multiple ways.

“Prime Minister Modi has stressed on mixing of ethanol with crude oil; petrol and diesel. For this purpose, Rs 20,500 crore has been allocated. This shows that now they have more cash, earlier they were overladen with stocks and farmers didn’t receive payments. It has strengthened our Atmanirbharta, led to reduction in the use of foreign exchange and also propelled the growth of ethanol sector,” Thakur further added. (ANI)

Exports From Uttar Pradesh Rose 400 Times In 4 Years: CM

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off containers filled with GI-tagged (Geographical Indication tag) Banarasi Langda mangoes, green chillies and other vegetables from the Integrated Pack House for export on Monday.

Adityanath said the farmers of Uttar Pradesh contribute 20 per cent of foodgrains produced in the entire country.
“India is rich in fertile land as compared to other countries. In the last three to four years, exports from Uttar Pradesh have increased 400 times. UP alone exports products worth more than Rs 19,000 crore rupees and the target is to double the figure. The income of farmers has more than doubled in the last nine years. Uttar Pradesh will play an important role in making the country’s economy USD 5 trillion,” the CM said.

“India is achieving new heights of development and prosperity under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister worked on connecting farmers with various schemes and doubling their income as soon as he came into power in 2014,” he added.

“In these 9 years, work was done on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Per Drop More Crop Campaign, MSP etc. From the year 2018, every farmer is getting the benefit of MSP one and a half times more than the cost. Besides, Rs 6,000 is being transferred to farmers’ bank accounts under Prime Minister’s Kisan Samman Nidhi,” he said.

Farmers are getting a good domestic market and pack houses have started to take their produce to international markets, he pointed out.

Now, along with the facility of container and cargo through the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the state government is also taking the program forward, he said.

He informed that the arrangement has been made in collaboration with APEDA to send the agricultural products of the farmers to foreign countries through pack houses. Farmers of Varanasi are benefiting from the cargo facility from the year 2020. Agricultural products of the country have got global recognition, he added.

He further informed that from 2020, fresh vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products are being sent to Delhi and now this facility has also started from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport of Varanasi.

“Now agricultural products will also be sent to foreign countries by ships. It is a matter of great pleasure that due to the efforts of APEDA and the Uttar Pradesh government, today our agricultural products are gaining a place in the global market too. According to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh will play an important role in making the country’s economy USD 5 trillion,” the CM said.

The CM flagged off Banarasi Langda mangoes for Dubai from the Karkhiyaon Agro Park pack house. The three containers carried Banarasi Langda mangoes, green chillies and other vegetables from Ghazipur and other adjoining districts. (ANI)

After Success Of Trials With J-K’s Help, Sikkim To Launch Saffron Cultivation

By LokMarg 28th September 2022

After the success of trials undertaken with the assistance of the Jammu and Kashmir administration, Sikkim is all set to start saffron cultivation this year and farmers are gearing up for it.
Sikkim University, Sikkim Government Horticulture Department, and the Agriculture Department of Jammu and Kashmir have joined hands to monitor saffron cultivation in the state.

The trial phase was undertaken under the supervision of Sikkim University, which has given enthusiastic results. Sikkim government has done a trial of saffron cultivation in various pockets of Sikkim like Yaksum and nearby areas in West Sikkim and Pangthang, Simik, Khamdong, Padamchen and surrounding areas in East Sikkim have been identified for further cultivation.

A high-level delegation from Sikkim also visited Jammu and Kashmir for an agreement and tie-up last July and then onwards all department officials are in touch to ensure production.

The Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Department and the Horticulture Department of Sikkim have ensured a basic training program for farmers to know about yield and farming.

Officials said Kashmir’s Pampore and Sikkim’s Yangyang have the same weather and geographical conditions, which ensured good success rate during trials.

The Sikkim government cultivated saffron on around one and a half acres of farming land in different locations to see results, which have fantastic results, Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad told ANI.

“Mission started in 2020 with a small piece of land under the monitoring of Sikkim University. After successful results, cultivation attempt made in a different part of State, which was also very successful,” said the Governor.

Governor Prasad also said that the success rate of saffron cultivation is around 80 percent, which is good.

“Sikkim has very supportive weather for saffron cultivation and it has all required,” he said.

He further said that they held several meetings with Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and other officials in Raj Bhawan for discussion and expansion of saffron cultivation.

The Sikkim government is looking at it as a major move to boost growth and benefit farmers. Both Jammu and Kashmir have a specialty in saffron cultivation. (ANI)