Ahead of Tuesday's protest call, a midnight crackdown on Punjab farmers' leaders; Jagjit Singh Dallewal under house arrest
The Punjab Police launched coordinated action against several farmer leaders in the early hours of Monday ahead of Tuesday's protest call given by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) outside the Shambhu police station.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a key face of the ongoing farmers' agitation, was among the prominent leaders placed under house arrest at around 4 am at his house in the Dallewal village in the Faridkot district.
'This is a midnight assault on democracy. Even now, I can barely walk, and yet they have confined me to my home. All we had announced was a one-day peaceful protest outside the Shambhu police station. People must now rise and speak out, or they will silence all our voices,' said Dallewal, visibly weak after a recent prolonged hunger strike.
The police action was not limited to Dallewal. Multiple leaders across Punjab were either detained or placed under house arrest in a sweeping move that has drawn sharp criticism from various farmer organisations.
While leaders like Baldev Singh Sirsa were also confined to their homes, others like Sukhjeet Singh Hardo Jhande, Kulwinder Singh Panjola, Hardev Singh Chitti, Gurpreet Singh Cheena, Shera Athwal, and Harvinder Singh Masaania were taken into custody and lodged at different police stations, including Batala, Ropar, Dorangla, and Sekhwan, said KMM leader Sukhdev Singh Bhojraj.
The arrests are being seen as a pre-emptive measure by the authorities fearing a large-scale gathering at Shambhu, where KMM and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) staged a 36-day dharna from February 13, 2024, to March 19, 2025, demanding, a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) among other things. That protest was forcibly cleared on March 19 when several top leaders were returning from talks with the Centre and the Punjab Government, and were arrested en route from Mohali.
Dallewal alleged, 'During the March 19 crackdown at Shambhu and Khanauri borders, the police misbehaved with farmer leaders and displaced tractors, trolleys, and personal belongings. Some items were later recovered from the houses of influential people connected to the ruling government, including a police employee. We demanded action, but nothing was done. Instead, they're now arresting us for demanding justice.'
In a fresh escalation, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) Sunday night gave a call for a rail roko protest at the Devidaspura Railway Station on the main Amritsar- Delhi line beginning May 7.
The protest is against alleged forced land acquisition for the Bharatmala highway project in Amritsar without adequate compensation. KMSC coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher warned that the protest may spread to more stations from May 8 onwards, including Basti Tenkan Wali at Ferozepur, if the issue remains unresolved.
Farmer leaders have urged all like-minded organisations and the public to unite against what they termed the Punjab Government's 'diktat to silence dissent.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
5 hours ago
- India Today
Is toxic weedicide only reason MP govt is refusing to procure moong at MSP?
A major political row involving farmers has erupted in Madhya Pradesh, with the state government refusing to buy moong at MSP (Minimum Support Price) this MSP for moong this year is Rs 8,682 per quintal, around Rs 1,500-Rs 2,000 per quintal higher than market prices. For the past few years, the state's farmers, especially those along the Narmada in the central region, have been sowing moong as a short summer crop between the major rabi and kharif summer moong, sown over 1.2 million-1.4 million hectares, is known to have added to farm incomes in the districts of Narmadapuram, Raisen, Sehore, Vidisha, Jabalpur, Katni, Harda and state government had been procuring the summer moong crop for the past four years. But last week, agriculture production commissioner Ashok Barnwal announced moong won't be purchased as, in his words, it is mostly contaminated with harmful weedicides. What is the role of weedicides in moong cultivation, and is that the real reason why the government decided not to buy it?The summer moong crop is sown in late March-early April as soon as the wheat crop has been harvested. Irrigation is provided through tubewells, or through dams, for which the water resources department especially releases water to support the has a two-and-a-half-month cycle, but farmers are in a hurry to harvest the crop as any delay will cost them dearly in the following kharif season, sowing for which begins in is an open secret that farmers spray moong crop with broad leaf weedicides after seed formation and ripening in the pod, which quickly readies it for harvesting using combines. This saves farmers around 10-15 days at a critical juncture when sowing for the next crop is to be why has the state government woken up to the practice of spraying weedicides, such as Paraquat, now when this has been in practice for years? There is ample material on the health hazards from consuming something treated with Paraquat, widely considered highly toxic. However, the state government has not carried out any lab tests to ascertain the presence of poisonous substances in the moong crop. Also, not all farmers use weedicides for Paraquat is not a banned weedicide in India. If weedicides are making moong hazardous, their sale outside the MSP ecosystem should also be curtailed, say do the reasons lie elsewhere? Sources in the government said that while chief minister Mohan Yadav is against the use of weedicides on crops, the government also has a financial issue to deal with. Last year, 580,000 tonnes of moong were procured at the MSP of Rs 8,558 per quintal. Of this, the Union government footed the bill for around 330,000 tonnes, as per a limit it had fixed; the balance was left with the MP government to sell in the open is not part of the public distribution system. The sale in open market caused a loss of around Rs 1,000 crore last year. It is this amount that the state government may be wanting to save. Besides the state government, the Union government also lost a little more than Rs 1,000 crore in post-procurement sale in the open is huge politics over pricing of farm produce in Madhya Pradesh as agriculture is the main economic activity. The BJP, during the 2023 election, had promised wheat procurement at Rs 2,700 per quintal but is yet to honour it. Its government has also not delivered on the promised paddy procurement the Opposition Congress has been vocal about the moong procurement issue, the state government seems to be in no mood to oblige. Now, with former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the Union agriculture minister, farmers have their eyes fixated on him in the hope of an to India Today MagazineMust Watch
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Strengthening Himachal's rural economy topmost priority: CM
Shimla, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Wednesday said his government is strengthening the rural economy to realise the dream of making Himachal Pradesh a self-reliant and prosperous state. He highlighted that more than 80 per cent of the state's population is dependent on agriculture and horticulture. Therefore, empowering the agrarian community is the topmost priority of the government. He said Himachal has become the first state in the country to provide a minimum support price on organic products obtained from natural farming. "My government twice enhanced the MSP on procurement of maize, firstly to ₹30 and thereafter to ₹40 per kg and that of wheat from ₹40 to ₹60 per kg. Besides, to increase the production of raw turmeric, my government is providing an MSP of ₹90 per kg," said the chief minister. "The state government has introduced maize flour produced through natural farming under the brand name Him-Bhog Him-Makki. This product highlights the state's commitment to sustainable agriculture and empowering farmers. "More than 4,000 quintals of maize have been procured from as many as 1,590 farmer families practising natural farming across 10 districts of the state, excluding Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur", he said. Sukhu said the state government has made Him-Bhog flour available through Public Distribution System depots across the state. It is also available on the government-authorised portal HIM-ERA. This initiative aims to make organic maize flour accessible to both urban and rural populations, he said, adding that ₹1.20 crore was directly transferred to farmers' bank accounts for the procurement of around 400 metric tonnes of maize. "From this financial year, the state government has decided to provide MSP for raw turmeric, which will be processed and marketed under the brand name 'Himachal Haldi'. The state government has set a target to connect 9.61 lakh farmers with natural farming in a phased manner," Sukhu said.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Jagan warns of agitation if NDA government in Andhra Pradesh fails to support tobacco farmers
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has warned of launching an agitation if the NDA government fails to support tobacco farmers in Andhra Pradesh. Addressing the media after interacting with the farmers at the Tobacco Board office at Podili in Prakasam district on Wednesday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy demanded that the government involve the Markfed (Marketing Federation) in the auction process to ensure a fair price to the farmers. 'Govt. fails to ensure MSP' 'The tobacco prices have drastically fallen, and with no help coming from the State government, two farmers, one in Paruchuru and the other in Kondapi, have committed suicide,' the former Chief Minister said. 'The government, which has given permission to increase the extent of cultivation by 20%, has miserably failed to provide minimum support price (MSP). In one year, the tobacco farmers have been pushed into uncertainty. Earlier, they were getting all subsidies, inputs and marketing facilities on time. The difference is tangible,' Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said. 'When the YSRCP was in power, tobacco was sold at ₹360 per kg. Now, the price has fallen to ₹240 per kg for the graded variety. As the NDA government has given its nod to increase the crop extent, it is supposed to procure 220 million tonnes. But, it has so far procured 40 million tonnes,' he said. As the farmers were in distress, the government should bring in the Markfed to ensure a per-kg price of at least ₹280, he said, and warned of an agitation if the government failed to rise to the occasion. 'Farmers are not getting the MSP for any crop in the State. Paddy has been procured at ₹300 lesser than the MSP. Farmers in West Godavari have said the price of cocoa has dropped from ₹1,050 per kg to ₹380 per kg. Similarly, palm oil price has fallen from ₹23,365 per tonne to ₹18,660 per tonne,' he said. Farmer suicides 'This shows the apathy of the government towards agriculture. During the YSRCP term, annual financial assistance was provided to the farmer families in the sowing season under the Rythu Bharosa scheme. Presently, the Central government has come up with such a scheme, but the State government's share has not been announced till date,' Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said. 'Owing to the closure of the RBK centres, the farmers are unable to get quality seed, and e-cropping and marketing services. During the TDP's previous term, there were over 600 farmer suicides, and relief did not reach their families. It was only after the YSRCP government assumed office that they received compensation,' he said. 'Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has promised MSP to the chilli farmers, which they are yet to receive. He has never kept his promise to the farmers of millets, horticulture, cotton and turmeric. None of them has received the MSP in the last one year,' the YSRCP president alleged.
