NEW DELHI: India summoned the British high commissioner on Tuesday to register strong opposition to the “unwarranted and tendentious” discussion on the three Central farm laws in UK Parliament. The envoy was told that the discussion was a “gross interference” in the affairs of another country.
Here are the key developments of the day:
1. The ministry of external affairs said foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla advised the envoy that the British MPs should refrain from practising “vote bank politics” by misrepresenting events, especially in relation to another fellow democracy. India’s demarche to the envoy came a day after several British MPs held a discussion in Parliament over issues around the use of force against protesters opposed to agricultural reforms in India and journalists being targeted while covering the protests on the outskirts of Delhi. “Foreign secretary summoned the British high commissioner and conveyed strong opposition to the unwarranted and tendentious discussion on agricultural reforms in India in the British Parliament,” the MEA said in a statement.
“Foreign Secretary made clear that this represented a gross interference in the politics of another democratic country,” it said.
The MEA further said: “He advised that British MPs should refrain from practising vote bank politics by misrepresenting events, especially in relation to another fellow democracy.”
Separately, the Indian High Commission in London condemned the false assertions in a “distinctly one-sided discussion”.
2. In a bid to give a boost to the agitation against the Centre’s new farm laws, Bharatiya Kisan Sabha (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait will on Wednesday address a farmers’ rally at Sikandepur in Ballia, just five kilometres away from the state’s border with Bihar. The incharge of the BKU for the Purvanchal region, Ajit Rai, said the panchayat is being held in Sikanderpur to strengthen the movement against the new agricultural laws in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Rai said Wednesday’s “kisan mahapanchayat” is being supported by the Congress, Left as well as various farmers’ organisations. Meanwhile, superintendent of police Dr Vipin Tada said necessary security arrangements have been made in view of the event.
3. The treasury and opposition benches sparred over the Centre’s new farm laws in the Haryana assembly with the ruling BJP-JJP coalition accusing their rivals of misleading farmers and Congress MLAs describing the government as insensitive. Congress MLAs attacked the Manohar Lal Khattar-led state government, saying it is portraying as if everything is fine, which is not the case. Taking part in the debate on the governor’s address, deputy chief minister and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala defended the laws and said contrary to the opposition claims, the “mandi” system won’t end and they will strengthen it. He said former deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal, his great grandfather, used to say misleading farmers is easy, but making them understand is difficult. However, JJP MLA Ram Kumar Gautam suggested a resolution should be passed by MLAs that the laws be put on hold for three years and two months till the current term of the NDA government at the Centre is over. JJP’s Jogi Ram Sihag, who had earlier backed the protesting farmers, demanded that the Haryana government frame a law on the minimum support price (MSP).
4. Security is “adequate” at Delhi’s Red Fort and it is guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), tourism and culture minister Prahlad Patel said over the issue of protesting farmers storming the monument on January 26. Responding to a query in Rajya Sabha which raised the January 26 incident and asked if security for the site has been outsourced, the minister said while the Red Fort and other monuments like the Taj Mahal are guarded by CISF, there are others where security has been outsourced to private parties. “For security of Red Fort, Delhi, and Taj Mahal, Agra, the Archaeological Survey of India has engaged Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). For the security of other centrally protected monuments, private security agency is engaged, following due process,” he said.
5. Several retired government officials and prominent personalities in Uttar Pradesh extended their support to the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three new agri-marketing laws. In a statement, former IAS officer and secretary to government of India Vijay Shankar Pandey and former IPS officer SN Singh said a meeting of the retired senior officers and prominent people from various fields was held recently to discuss the farmers’ issue. The group called upon the farmers to continue their ongoing stir demanding that the laws be repealed and also press for ensuring minimum support price (MSP) for their produce, the statement said. The group has also decided to support the Uttar Pradesh Kisan Mazdoor Morcha of Sardar VM Singh and all other farmers organisations which have raised issues concerning the plight of the small and marginal peasants and are agitating at the village level for repeal of the three farm laws and passing a legislation on MSP, the statement said.
6. A Delhi court extended protection from arrest till March 15 to Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk, both accused along with young climate change activist Disha Ravi in a case of sharing a “toolkit” on social media related to the farmers’ protest. Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana granted the relief after the counsel appearing from both the accused persons said they needed time to go through the reply filed by the Delhi Police before advancing arguments in the matter. The judge heard the submission and directed the police not to take any coercive action against both the accused till March 15, when the court will further hear the matter. Jacob, Muluk and Ravi were booked for sedition and other charges.
7. Private companies have developed 38 farm markets in four states with a total investment of over Rs 300 crore in the last three years, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in the Lok Sabha and added that the new farm laws aim at boosting investment in agri-infrastructure. As per the 2006 National Commission on Farmers’ Report, the minister said there should be one market to serve 80 square kilometre (sq km), whereas presently one regulated market serves 473 sq km. In order to realize a greater number of markets in the country and to induce competitiveness and efficiency in the marketing ecosystem, there is a felt need for investment in farm marketing. “Farm laws aim at promoting agriculture marketing infrastructure and supply chains for efficiently connecting farm gates to markets for the benefit of farmers by encouraging investments,” Tomar said in his written reply to the Lower House.
8. A parliamentary panel has pulled up the government for “very low level” of enrollment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PMKMY), under which a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 is provided to eligible farmers on attaining the age of 60. The scheme was introduced in September 2019 and aimed to cover about 5 crore beneficiaries up to the 2021-22 fiscal, which has been revised downwards to 3 crores. The PMKMY is a pension scheme for small and marginal farmers having cultivable land up to two hectares. Farmers within the age group of 18-40 years are eligible to get themselves enrolled under the scheme. The scheme aims at providing an assured pension of Rs 3,000 per month once the farmer attains the age of 60 years. “The committee has been informed that only 21,20,310 farmers have subscribed to this scheme till date,” the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture Chaired by BJP MP PC Gaddigoudar said in its 24th report tabled in the Lok Sabha.
(With agency inputs)