19th April: https://youtu.be/y6yRSHl5wLs?t=289
As Gujarat tries to scuttle protests, farmer groups form new platform to oppose agricultural laws https://scroll.in/article/990113/as-gujarat-tries-to-scuttle-protests-farmer-groups-form-new-platform-to-oppose-agricultural-laws
On March 20, over 100 farmer leaders representing organisations across Gujarat announced the formation of the Kisan Sangharsh Manch or KASAM. They ... announced that their first protest – tiled “Haiyya Holi” – farmers will burn copies of the three black laws and dedicate our protest to Holi Mata -
Karan Desai, general secretary of the Maldhari Vikas Sangathan, said: “In Gujarat, every andolan or discussion is surveilled by the government.”
Palbhai Ambaliya, of Devbhoomi Dwarka district, said he was detained several times by the police when he tried to organise protests in December and January.
The Gujarat Kisan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti planned to bring 3,000 farmers to Gandhinagar on December 11..“But from December 9 itself, the police began making house arrests of farmer leaders,
The most recent police detentions took place on March 12, when the Seva Dal and other organisations began a rally with 80 tractors from Ahmedabad to Dandi on the anniversary of Gandhi’s salt satyagraha of 1930.
...
While the press makes it sound like the farmers are being unreasonable, I am thankful that farmers have recognised that only hollowing out the laws are not enough..as delegated legislation, rules, will soon undo their agreement. The government should agree to a new act which guarantees things like a Mandi in every locality, that all contracts will be respect MSP at the time of contract as well as at the time of delivery. That states are not empowered..but have the predominant power on all these matters... JD
The protesting farmers in Delhi have started a new YouTube channel called Kisan Ekta Morcha. Farmer leaders want to show and challenged PM Modi that we can get 10 million subscribers by 25/12/2020. The agriculture minister says only 100k farmers are protesting. https://youtube.com/channel/UC4mGFTV86AR8VeJmusu1QWQ
Blog recording the deaths of all the farmers or supporters of Famers’ Protest 2020 happening currently at the border of Delhi, https://humancostoffarmersprotest.blogspot.com/2020/12/list-of-deaths-in-farmers-protest-at.html
P. Sainath on January 16, 2021 during a dialogue co-organised by Nation for Farmers (NFF,) Bihar Mahila Samaj (BMS) and Tatpar Foundation, sought restoration of the farmers’ universe and status that collapsed because new economic reforms are not in sync with equality. These three laws aggravate the existing agrarian crisis. Reforms must be farmer friendly, and not corporate friendly.” Farmers have begun directly confronting corporate power. He said their protest is in defense of democracy and for reclaiming the republic. “This is one of a series of struggles. https://youtu.be/IFSvfARCDG0
Farmers ke Support Me Mumbaikar Maidan Mein Aisa Morcha Nahi Dekha Hoga kabhi https://youtu.be/aBrFJVSHlfc
Farmers' Protest: Agriculture Expert Devinder Sharma Answers Frequently Asked Questions - https://thewire.in/article/agriculture/farmers-protest-agriculture-expert-devinder-sharma-answers-frequently-asked-questions
Farmers Protest Kanhaiya Kumar Speech Feb 12 2012
Bihar:
Bihar govt repression continues: 10,000 farmers lathi charged in Patna. Deprived of APMCs years ago, Bihar farmers decry the anti-farmer laws of the Centre and demand the restart of local markets only to suffer lathi-charge by state police. https://sabrangindia.in/article/bihar-govt-repression-continues-10000-farmers-lathi-charged-patna
Somnath Singh from east Champaran, said they run into huge losses every year since there is no unity among farmers and because they lack awareness about the farm laws...“Earlier, we would get a good price for our produce but the situation has deteriorated after the abolishment of the APMC Act. The PACS simple refuse to buy our produce citing moisture; even if they procure them, they take months to pay the dues.”
Agricultural expert Ranjan Sinha... the scrapping of APMC Act did not largely impact the Bihar farmers since a majority of them are marginal and small farmers. “A majority of farmers skipped mandis in the past and are doing it today as well. Why would they go there when they don’t have any surplus produce?” - https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/bihar-scrapped-apmc-act-mandi-system-14-years-ago-here-s-what-it-did-to-farmers-74534
https://www.midagemedia.com/opinion/why-are-the-farmers-agitating/
[09/12, 11:53] John DSouza: https://m.thewire.in/article/rights/farm-laws-legal-rights-constitution
[09/12, 11:54] John DSouza: Does the BJP think that they will always be in power? What is more plausible is that the bureaucracy has been introducing such jurisprudence in increments in different fields. I feel that as a civil liberties group we should start a campaign for public and third party regulatory oversight by an independently elected group on delighted legislation, which also includes interpretation by jailors, prosecutors, agencies of civil liberties provision... My question to the lawyers would be what kind of public oversight systems exist in other countries, and what kind of Model Bill can we draft for and campaign. I know we cannot ask for the earth, but can we have a minimalist draft which we could get support for. Earlier the press was supposed to play this role. Later they said that Civil society organisations like unions and them NGOs all of whom are slowly being marginalised..
I was wondering if we can think of a govt. sponsored amazon-like mandi..
Where farmers can post their proposed produce before sowing, with classification of quality and method, and people including individual consumers can post their requirement and deposit their money with the amazon mandi from which the farmer can take a loan at low rates to finance inputs.
As production season comes they can re-adjust the quantity and prices so further contracts. The mandi can have rules like how much quality to can pick up from each farmer. pick-up and Delivery can be from specialised agencies, who have expertise on evaluating crops, packing and transport.. This will increase employment in the sector, especially during the lean post harvest months... Delivery agents, can be farmers and/or consumer organisations.
This way farmers have the possibilities of pledging only a part of the crops and they can make deals with fellow farmers, to make up for any shortage, if any.
All contracts will be transparent, and minimum support price can be monitored and delivered.
In case of drought or shortfall in crop, the shortfall can be manage through the crop insurance scheme, and exact amounts can be determined.
Further we can use Reputation management systems like that of Stalekar programme for this.. https://www.sacred.capital/ We could also have legitimate cold storages also buying up promises. The system of advance payment, kept with the exchange/mandi and capital from which Farmers can draw low interest loans coupled with a new crop insurance scheme linked with the crop failure can take care of arm twisting by corporate..
In the midst of the Kisan Andolan at the borders of Delhi, workers at Kundli Industrial Area are being targeted by the armed guards of the Kundli Industrial Association and the Haryana Police. On January 12, the Haryana Police barged into the Majdoor Adhikar Sanghatan (MAS) tent erected in solidarity with the protesting farmers and peasants at the Singhu Border and arrested a 24-year-old dalit woman, a worker and trade union activist Nodeep Kaur. The targeting of workers and the brutal sexual violence on Nodeep Kaur in the custody of the police comes alongside persistent efforts to discredit and malign the Kisan Andolan.