Farmers' protest: India police fire tear gas at protesting farmers on Delhi march
By Arvind Chhabra in Haryana & Meryl Sebastian in KochPolice in India have fired teargas on protesting farmers who have resumed their march on capital Delhi after four rounds of talks with the federal government failed to end the deadlock.
The farmers, who are demanding assured prices for their crops, say they are prepared with months of supplies.
Delhi's borders have been fortified with several layers of barricades and barbed wires to stop their entry.
But protesters have warned they would use heavy machinery to push through.
On Wednesday, visuals from the Shambhu border between the neighbouring Punjab and Haryana states showed thousands of farmers preparing to push past barriers using bulldozers and earthmovers.
Police fired teargas at the protesters as they attempted to move towards the border, BBC Punjabi reported. Farmers seemed better prepared than last week as they used masks, gloves and safety suits to protect themselves from the shelling.
Many among the protesters flew kites to interfere with the police's operation of drones, which have been used to drop tear gas shells on them.
Farm leaders also made frequent announcements for unity, appealing to the security forces to not attack their "brethren".
Agriculture Minister Arjun Munde has invited farmers for a fifth round of talks. "It is important for us to maintain peace," he wrote on X (Formerly Twitter). Farmers are yet to respond to this invite.
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS
Image caption,
The farmers are attempting to reach Delhi, but are being blocked by security
Located at a distance of about 200kms (125 miles) from the capital, farmers have been stationed at Shambhu border since last week when they first attempted to march into the city. Authorities had clashed with the protesters, firing tear gas and plastic bullets in a bid to halt them. The march was put on hold after ministers invited farm leaders for talks.
Authorities fear a repeat of 2020, when thousands of farmers hunkered down at Delhi's borders for months - braving extreme temperatures and Covid - against controversial agriculture reforms. Dozens died in the year-long protest which ended only after the government agreed to repeal the laws.
The latest round of protests also come months before the general elections in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third term in power. Farmers form an influential voting bloc in India and analysts say the government will be keen not to anger or alienate them.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
The farmers have brought bulldozers to remove the physical barriers placed in their way
Farmers' leaders say their march is peaceful and have urged the government to let them enter the capital.
"We tried our best from our side. We attended the meetings and discussed every issue, now the decision lies with the government. We will remain peaceful but we should be allowed to remove these barriers and march towards Delhi," farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told reporters.
The government has so far held four rounds of meetings with farmers' unions. Protesters say the government did not keep promises made during the 2020-21 protest, and also have demands including pensions and a debt waiver.
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS
Image caption,
They are also prepared for the effects of tear gas, with many donning goggles and masks to protect themselves
On Monday, farmers' leaders rejected a proposal to buy some crops at assured prices on a five-year contract, saying the offer was "not in their interest".
The government had proposed buying pulses, maize and cotton at guaranteed floor prices - also known as Minimum Support Price or MSP - through cooperatives for five years.
But the farmers say that they will stand by their demand of a "legal guarantee for MSP on all 23 crops".
Meanwhile, police in Haryana have asked their counterparts in Punjab to stop women, children and journalists at least 1km away from the borders for their safety. They have also asked the Punjab police to seize bulldozers and other heavy machinery from the protesting sites.
In Delhi, security has been tightened and large gatherings have been banned for a month.
Two Sessions: China says it's open for business - do we buy it? As China's annual parliamentary sitting came to a close after a hectic week of meetings, a glaring void loomed on Monday's final agenda. The National People's Congress is usually capped off by the premier's press conference. But this year, and for the rest of the term, the tradition was mysteriously nixed. Officials said there was no need for it given there were other opportunities for journalists to ask questions. But many observers saw it as another sign of consolidation and control, in what became a running theme for the congress, even as top officials preached openness. The cancellation of the press conference - for the first time in 30 years - effectively diminishes Premier Li Qiang's profile. Though the event was scripted, it was a rare chance for foreign journalists to ask questions and gave the country's second-in-command some room to flex his muscles. In years past, it even yielded so...
Israel Gaza: China condemns US veto of call for immediate ceasefire at UN China has sharply criticised the US for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Beijing said the move sent the "wrong message" and effectively gave a "green light to the continued slaughter". The White House said the Algerian-proposed resolution would "jeopardise" talks to end the war. The US has proposed its own temporary ceasefire resolution, which also warned Israel not to invade the city of Rafah. There has been widespread condemnation of the US decision to block Algeria's resolution as fighting continued in Gaza. It was backed by 13 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council - with the UK abstaining. In response to the veto, China's UN ambassador Zhang Jun said the claim the motion would interfere with ongoing diplomatic negotiations was "totally untenable". "Given the situation on the ground, the conti...
US vetoes call for immediate Gaza ceasefire at UN By Nada Tawfik and James FitzGerald The US has vetoed a resolution at the UN demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after proposing its own draft urging a temporary ceasefire. Washington said the Algerian-proposed resolution would "jeopardise" talks to end the war. In its own resolution the US warned Israel not to invade the city of Rafah. The US has previously avoided the word "ceasefire" during UN votes on the war, but President Joe Biden has recently made similar comments. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washington's ambassador to the UN, said it was not the right time to call for an immediate ceasefire while negotiations between Hamas and Israel were continuing. Thirteen countries on the on the 15-member body backed Algeria resolution, while the UK abstained. More than a million displaced Palestinians, who represent about half of Gaza's population, are crammed into Rafah after being forced to seek shel...
Comments
Post a Comment