Farmers' legal crusader Joginder Toor dies in Toronto at 88
The High Court Bar Association expressed deep sorrow over his passing. Association president Sartej Singh Narula said that Toor had been residing in Toronto with his family in the recent months.
Swaraj India leader Rajeev Godara paid tribute to Toor's contributions, noting his representation of farmers in legal cases related to MSP and crop insurance. Toor also authored a book analysing the three contentious farm laws, which were repealed in 2021 following a year-long nationwide protest. The book aimed to educate and empower the agitating farmers with legal insights.
'Toor's legacy as a defender of farmers' rights and a steadfast advocate for justice will be remembered with deep respect and admiration,' Godara added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Indian Express
Will increase farm suicide and distress: Cotton growers protest removal of import duty on cotton
Cotton growers across the state have protested against the decision of the central government to lift the 11 per cent import duty on cotton till September. Farm leaders said that this move would accelerate farm suicide and farm distress. On Tuesday, the central government declared the removal of the 11 per cent import duty on cotton. This move has been welcomed by the Textile Trade, saying imports would help in reducing the stress on the industry due to higher prices of domestic produce. Laximkant Kauthakar, Vidarbha president of Shetkari Sanghatana said this move would result in distress for cotton growers in Marathwada and Vidarbha, 'Even before the present crop has hit the market, prices are below the government declared Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 7,710/quintal (medium staple). Once the new crop comes in it would dip further. With imports now threatening to flood the market, we can't imagine how the prices would react,' he said. Kauthankar who himself is a cotton farmer from Akola, Maharashtra said this move might push more farmers to die by suicide. Atul Ganatra, president of the Cotton Association of India (CAI)- the apex body of cotton value change in the country- however said this move will not affect the domestic prices. 'The domestic produce would arrive post October so the imports would help the price stressed textile industry,' he said. Meanwhile, Manikrao Kadam, a farm leader from Marathwada area of Maharashtra said the government has buckled under pressure from the US government. 'All talks about protecting the farmer have been in vain,' he said. Similarly, Vijay Jawandhiya, a farm leader from Vidarbha went on to add that this move might help the textile industry but farmers would not be helped. 'There would be continuous decline in prices with strong government intervention necessary to help the farmers. Procurement under MSP has to be buckled up,' he said. Former MP Raju Shetti was also critical of the move. 'The government has buckled under US pressure,' he said.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
Ex-Kashmir bar prez charged under UAPA
Representational Image JAMMU: A special NIA court has formally framed charges under UAPA against Mian Abdul Qayoom, former president of the Kashmir wing of High Court Bar Association, in connection with the murder of advocate Babar Qadri. "The charges pertain to terrorist act and conspiracy to commit terrorist act," a spokesperson said. "Babar Qadri, a promising young lawyer known for his vocal criticism of the misuse of the Kashmir Bar Association platform, was murdered on Sept 24, 2020, at his residence in Zahidpora, Hawal, Srinagar," the spokesperson said. Qayoom was arrested on June 25, 2024, as the principal conspirator behind Qadri's killing, allegedly by terrorists of The Resistance Front, a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the spokesperson said.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
Kerala urges Centre to release pending funds before Onam
Thiruvananthapuram: Food and civil supplies minister G R Anil urged Centre to release Kerala 's pending share of procurement price for paddy before Onam . He warned that the state was facing a heavy financial burden as it was forced to fully fund paddy payments to farmers. He said that since 2017-18, the state has not received the central allocation. A total of Rs 2,601 crore is due to Kerala, including Rs 1,259 crore from earlier years and Rs 1,342 crore for the 2024-25 procurement year under the minimum support price (MSP) scheme, he added. "The practice until recently was to submit claims to Centre every three months, with provisions for advance payments. From the 2025-26 procurement year, however, Centre withdrew the advance system and directed states to file claims monthly. Kerala has already submitted claims worth Rs 159 crore for April and May 2025," said Anil. Paddy procurement in the state takes place under Centre's decentralised grain procurement scheme, where MSP is fixed and funded by the Union govt. Kerala additionally pays an incentive bonus to farmers, making paddy prices in the state the highest in the country. For the first crop of 2024-25, 1.45 lakh metric tonnes of paddy were procured from 57,529 farmers, and Rs 412.4 crore was fully disbursed. For the second crop, completed in July, 4.35 lakh metric tonnes were procured from 1,49,615 farmers. Of the Rs 1,232 crore payable, Rs 873 crore has already been disbursed. "Overall, of the Rs 1,645 crore payable for the year, Rs 1,285 crore has been released. The remaining Rs 359.36 crore will be fully disbursed before Onam," Anil assured. The minister said state govt had to divert funds earmarked for the incentive bonus towards meeting procurement price obligations. He added that Rs 577.5 crore allocated in the 2024-25 budget and Rs 606 crore set aside for 2025-26 have already been used for this purpose. Incidentally, paddy farmers in Palakkad observed Chingam 1 as a 'Betrayal Day' and protested in front of the Krishibhavans on Sunday. In Palakkad town, they organised a symbolic 'kettuthali' (mangalsutra) protest, sporting it as a symbol of their financial crisis. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
