Farmers' protest highlights: Farmers burn copies of the farm laws on Lohri at Delhi borders

Protesting farmer unions asserted they will not appear before the Supreme Court-appointed panel, alleging it was "pro-government", and said they won't settle for anything less than the repeal of the three contentious farm laws. The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the controversial farm laws till further orders and set up the four-member committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and the farmer unions protesting at Delhi's borders over the legislations. Meanwhile, the farmers protesting at Delhi borders burned copies of Centre's new agriculture laws at all demonstration sites on the festival of Lohri on Wednesday, as a mark of protest against the legislations.

Farmers' agitation: BCI urges people to respect judiciary

Amidst ongoing protest by farmers against the three controversial farm laws, Bar Council of India (BCI) on Wednesday urged them to respect the judiciary and suspend the agitation following the Supreme Court order, saying it is the last hope for the country.

In an 'extra-ordinary' interim order, the top court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of new farm laws till further orders and constituted a four-member committee to listen to the grievances of protesting farmers and make recommendations to resolve the impasse.

Protesting farmers burn copies of recent agricultural reforms bill while celebrating Lohri festival, as they continue to protest along a blocked highway against the central government, at the Gazipur Delhi-Uttar Pradesh state border, in Ghaziabad. | AFP

Farmers protesting at Tikri border burn the copies of three farm laws on occasion of Lohri

AMU students coordination committee to set up health camp, mini library at farmers' protest site

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students Coordination Committee has announced that they would set up a health camp and a mini library at a farmers' protest site in the Delhi border as a mark of solidarity with the protesters.

Read more

Modi directly responsible for death of many farmers during protest: Siddaramaiah demands withdrawal of three farm laws

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday demanded that the Centre's new farm laws be withdrawn, a day after the Supreme Court stayed their implementation. In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of turning a blind eye to the plight of farmers in the country.

Read more

WATCH | Farmers protesting at Singhu Border burn copies of the farm laws | ANI

Farmers burn copies of Centre's new farm laws on the festival of Lohri.

No information on pre-legislative consultation on farm laws, says Agriculture Ministry in RTI reply

RTI queries seeking details of pre-legislative consultations on the three contentious farm laws have drawn a blank with the information officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare indicating that they do not have any information about such an exercise.

Read more

Badges, stickers at Singhu border: Farmers' stir give many vendors chance to revive income

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Rakesh Arora used to be a vendor at the India Gate, but his business did not pick up after lockdown. Now, the farmers' stir at the Singhu border has given him a chance to improve livelihood, selling badges and stickers.

Read more

Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala to meet PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday

Facing heat over the ongoing six-week-long farmers' agitation, Haryana's Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day to possibly discuss issues related to the protest.

Chautala is the leader of Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) which is an alliance partner in the BJP-led government in Haryana. A section of JJP MLAs is believed to have been facing pressure from the agitating farmers. -PTI

On Lohri, protesting farmers in Delhi to burn copies of new agri laws

Farmers protesting at Delhi borders said they will burn copies of Centre's new agriculture laws at all demonstration sites on the festival of Lohri on Wednesday, as a mark of protest against the legislations.

Lohri is mostly celebrated in north India, marking the beginning of the spring season. Bonfires are a special characteristic of the festival.

Farmers' leader Manjeet Singh Rai said they will celebrate Lohri by burning the copies of farm laws at all protest sites in the evening.

Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, will hold a meeting later in the day to discuss the next course of action. -PTI

Women cultivate a new voice in Indian farm protests

India's rural landscape is notoriously male-dominated, but thousands of women have become a pillar of the farmer protests blocking roads into New Delhi that have become a huge challenge to the government.

Women of all occupations and ages -- from those who tend cattle or toil in the fields, to city professionals and grandmothers in wheelchairs -- are braving the freezing winter temperatures in a bid to make the government withdraw market reforms.

"I am fighting for my children and my grandchildren," said Parminder Kaur, 40, who chants slogans at rallies during the day, then in the evening helps make chapati flatbread and curry to feed the tens of thousands of protesters. - AFP

‘Khalistanis’ have infiltrated farmers protest, Centre tells SC

The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Centre to file an affidavit on its claim that some banned organisations including ‘Khalistanis’ have infiltrated the ongoing farmers protest against the new farm laws.

Read more

Farmers reject Supreme Court panel; stick to repeal of farm laws

Agitating farmers on Tuesday rejected the Supreme Court-appointed committee to break their deadlock over the farm laws with the Centre and stuck to their demand for complete rollback of the reforms.

Read more

Good morning readers, welcome to DH's live coverage of the farmers' protests

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at various border points of Delhi for over a month and a hafl now, despite the cold weather and heavy rains, to demand the repeal of the three farm laws.