Farm law stir: Farmers postpone tractor march by a day to January 7
The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha had called for a meeting at the Singhu border to decide on the future course of action for the protests.
Protesting farmer unions on Tuesday deferred their tractor march from January 6 to January 7 due to a bad weather forecast. Earlier in the day, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha called for a meeting at the Singhu border to decide on the future course of action for the protests against the farm laws as the seventh round of talks remained inconclusive.
The talks between the Centre and the protesting farmers failed to break the impasse on Monday. Both sides stuck to their demands, and will meet again on January 8. During the meeting, the government refused to roll back the reforms. Farmer leaders, however, said that they would not go back until the laws are repealed.
Two Punjab BJP leaders – Surjeet Kumar Jyani and Harjeet Singh Grewal – who have been mediating with the farmers, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening.
Tens of thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping out on roads around the capital, New Delhi, for 40 days, braving bitter cold and continuous rain over the last few days. They insist that the government withdraw the laws and guarantee a minimum support price for their produce.
Here are the top updates of the day:
8.56 pm: BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal claims “Maoists have entered farmers’ agitation”, and are not letting the matter get resolved, reports PTI.
8.52 pm: After meeting PM Narendra Modi, Punjab BJP leader Surjit Kumar Jyani says “farmers should not be adamant, they should leave their demand of repealing the new farm laws”, reports PTI
7.25 pm: BJP leaders from Punjab meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports PTI.
7.24 pm: Protesting farmer unions have deferred their tractor march from January 6 to January 7 due to a bad weather forecast, reports PTI.
3.36 pm: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that she has sought details of all those who have registered themselves on the Centre’s portal for the PM-Kisan programme, reported PTI.
12.24 pm: Protests continue at Tikri border amid heavy security arrangements, reports ANI.
कृषि कानूनों के खिलाफ टिकरी बॉर्डर पर किसानों का विरोध-प्रदर्शन जारी है। किसानों के विरोध प्रदर्शन को देखते हुए बॉर्डर पर सुरक्षा बल तैनात है। pic.twitter.com/gPCpZeiOza
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) January 5, 2021
11.05 am: The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has called for a meeting to decide on future course of action of the farmers protesting against the farm laws as the seventh round of talks remain inconclusive, reports NDTV.
11 am: Women in Haryana’s Jind district are driving tractors, weeks before they lead a huge “kisaan parade” against the farm laws on January 26, reports NDTV.
The Bhartiya Kisan Union, one of the key farmer bodies representing the protestors, is training more than 500 women from villages to lead protest marches. They will take out a rally on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway in Haryana on Wednesday.
9.33 am: Farmer union leaders say they made it very clear to the Narendra Modi government that the talks will have to focus on repealing agricultural laws. However, Sarwan Singh Pandher of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, who attended the meeting, told NDTV that Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar “clearly said that the laws will not be repealed” and asked them to approach the Supreme Court to repeal the legislations.
9.30 am: Two Punjab BJP leaders – Surjeet Kumar Jyani and Harjeet Singh Grewal – who have been in mediation with the protesting farmers, will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening, reports The Indian Express.
9.29 am: Heavy rain and thunderstorm affects farmers’ camping at Delhi’s borders for over a month to protest against the Centre’s farm laws.
Protesters at Singhu border (Delhi- Haryana) affected due to continuous rainfall#FarmLaws pic.twitter.com/lufaPTNNui
— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021
A look at the developments from Monday:
- The seventh round of talks on agriculture laws between farmers and the Centre ended in a deadlock, with the two sides deciding to meet again at 2 pm on January 8. While the farmers stuck to their demand of repealing the laws, the Centre remained firm against it and suggested the formation of a panel to take the matter forward.
- The Congress put pressure on the Narendra Modi-led government, with a number of its leaders and spokespersons tweeting ahead of the seventh round of talks on agriculture laws between the Centre and farmer unions.
- Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Yudhvir Singh said the Union ministers wanted to discuss the farm law point-wise, but they rejected it.