Farmers' agitation all set for a new high: 'chakka jam' on Feb 6 |

The farmers have called a countrywide 'chakka jam' on Saturday to protest against the new farm laws. They are worried the existing sarkari sharks-commission agents-farmer clandestine arrangement will come to an end. |
NEW DELHI, Feb 2: The farmers' unions agitating against the recent Central
farm laws will organise a 'chakka jam' (road blockade) across the country on
Saturday with full support from the Opposition parties. During the 'chakka jam'
the protesters will block national and State highways all over the country for
three hours from 12 noon till 3 pm on February 6.
Meanwhile, the farmer-protesters from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh in large numbers are swarming Delhi borders to lay siege to the national
Capital. The security forces are heavily barricading the protest sites on the
borders at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur. At Ghazipur barbed wires have been erected.
There can be no "formal" talks with the Government until "harassment" by the
police is stopped and detained farmers are released, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha
said in a statement on Tuesday.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut met Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh
Tikait on Tuesday and assured of support from his party and the Maharashtra
Government to the farmers' agitation against the newly-enacted laws, it was
reported. The Rajya Sabha MP along with other party leaders met the BKU leader
at the Ghazipur protest site, bordering UP.
"Our slogan is 'Kanoon Wapsi Nahi toh Ghar Wapasi Nahi," Tikait said, adding,
the agitation will not end till the laws are withdrawn.
He tweeted, "There will be a Mahapanchayat in Jind tomorrow, I will go there:
Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union," even as Haryana extended the suspension
of internet services in Kaithal, Panipat, Jind, Rohtak, Charkhi Dadri, Sonipat
and Jhajjar till 5 pm on February 3, news agencies reported.
The union leaders said the Government has blocked internet services in places
around the agitation sites at the Delhi borders. Power and water supplies at
the sites have been disconnected and the mobile toilets have been taken away,
they alleged.
More and more protesters were swarming Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points
around Delhi through Tuesday. The security forces have blocked the entry points
and are using drones to monitor the situation. The protesting farmers had been
converging on Delhi borders since November 26. By Tuesday, the police had heavily
barricaded the Ghazipur border and erected barbed wire to prevent the protesters
from entering Delhi.
The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a front of protesting farmers' unions, alleged
that the Twitter accounts of Kisan Ekta Morcha have been restricted. Swaraj
Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav said it was done at the instance of the Government.
With western UP joining the agitation, farmers are virtually laying siege to
the national Capital from all sides. Protesting farmers from Punjab, Haryana,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were converging on Delhi. This is irrespective of
the fact that Haryana and UP are ruled by the BJP.
The main grievance of the farmers is that the new laws will lead to end of
the procurement system which assures a minimum support price (MSP). They fear
the laws will gradually end the mandi system and leave farmers at the mercy
of the corporates. They are mainly worried that the existing commission agent-farmer
clandestine arrangement will come to an end. The corporates could spell the
end of the decades-long underhand deals of the farmers and their agents as also
the sarkari sharks.
In Haryana, leaving ruling BJP and its ally JJP, all parties like the Congress
led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the INLD led by Abhay Chautala are supporting
the protests. In Congress-ruled Punjab, Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal of Sukhbir
Singh Badal has expressed its resentment with Harsimrat Kaur resigning from
the Central Cabinet at the beginning itself.
The three contentious laws passed by Parliament are the Farmers' Produce Trade
and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and
Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act and the Essential
Commodities (Amendment) Act.
The farmers' lot had been worsening over the decades in India with the harsh
loan recovery system, leading to thousands of suicides.
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