On February 16, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and several trade unions called for a nationwide “Gramin Bharat Bandh,” to which a number of political parties and farmers’ organizations in Jharkhand pledged their support.
The CPI and the Jharkhand Rajya Kisan Sabha, a broad organization that addresses issues pertaining to farmers, supported the bandh. Public buses and mining vehicles, according to trade union leaders, will stay off the road. “The trade union leaders also decided that employees at all government offices, factories and other establishments will abstain from work and support the strike,” Ajay Singh, the leader of the CPI, stated as per the input from The BNN
According to JPCC President Rajesh Thakur, the party will back the bandh on Friday. “The leadership of our country has already expressed its support. He stated in Ranka, “Our workers will take to the streets throughout the state.
Congress leaders in Jharkhand also advocated for the legal guarantee in minimum support prices which are being demanded by the farmers. “Thousands of farmers across the country committed suicide for not getting fair prices for their yields. But this government is not worried about them,” the party said in a statement.
JMM leadership on Wednesday said that it would make public its stand on the matter on Thursday. However, its leaders said the party had offered its in-principle support to the farmers’ protests against the three agri laws a few years ago.
Kisan Andolan Eakjut Manch Jharkhand on 14 Feb 2024 protested near Birsa roundabout in Sakchi supporting the ongoing farmer protest in Delhi. Farmers and supporters gathered and demanded the government to allow farmers pass the haryana and punjab border to enter Delhi allowing them to make their voices heard.
Members of farmer protest in Jamshedpur demanded the police to stop brutality and atrocities on poor farmers who provide food for the nation. During the farmers protest in Jamshedpur members including Surjeet Singh, Rohit Deep Singh, Sunny Samad and others were present.
In connection with the broader conspiracy case pertaining to the Delhi riots, student activist and scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Umar Khalid, withdrew his bail request from the Supreme Court on Wednesday, February 14.
“Change in circumstances”
Citing a “change in circumstances,” he filed that “he will try his luck” in a lower court through his attorney Kapil Sibal.
“We would like to withdraw the bail matter. The court was cited by LiveLaw as saying, “There has been a change in circumstances; we will try our luck in the trial court,” by Khalid’s attorney Kapil Sibal.
Khalid’s petition was dismissed as withdrawn by the bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal of the highest court. Khalid’s petition was dismissed as withdrawn by the bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal of the highest court.
S.Q.R. Ilyas, Khalid’s father, mentioned the lengthy adjournments in the bail plea in an interview with The Wire, without going into detail about the “change in circumstances.”
Several hearing without conclusions for Umar Khalid
There have been multiple adjournments since May 2023. We were evaluating that the situation has changed and that this is a drawn-out process. Thus, we made the decision to remand the trial court in the hopes of receiving a prompt ruling. So now we’ll give it a shot there,” he said.
In September 2020, Khalid was taken into custody under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in relation to a case involving the communal violence that broke out in North-East Delhi in February of that same year.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has urged all like-minded farmer organisations to band together and participate in the Gramin Bharat Bandh on February 16 amid violent clashes between the protesting farmers and security forces on the first day of the “Dilli Chalo” march on Tuesday.
Gramin Bandh, which will take place from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Farmers will participate in widespread chakka jams on major roads across the country on Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., in addition to the Bharat Bandh during the day, according to Indian Express. In Punjab, the majority of state and federal highways will be closed for four hours on Friday.
“The Gramin Bharat bandh call had been planned in December,” stated Dr. Darshan Pal, a member of the SKM National Coordination Committee (NCC). “Villages will be closed on this day to all rural and MNREGA work as well as agricultural activities. On that day, there will be no work for farmers, agricultural workers, or rural labourers. We will guarantee access to ambulances for emergencies, deaths, marriages, medical facilities, newspapers, board exam students, and travellers to the airport.”
Demands of the Bharat Bandh
Like the farmer unions behind the “Dilli Chalo” call, Bharat Bandh has been called for similar demands. The unions that are supporting the Gramin Bharat Bandh have called for the return of the labour laws that were amended, pensions for farmers, MSP for crops, and the implementation of the ancient pension plan.
Other demands include the prevention of contractualization of the workforce, no privatisation of PSUs, employment guarantees, etc.
The affect of the Bandh
Transportation, farming, MNREGA rural works, village shops, private offices and institutions in the rural industrial and service sectors will all be closed on February 16 due to the bandh.
He added that there would be zero vegetable trading or crop purchasing. The closure of village stores, grain and vegetable markets, governmental and nongovernmental offices, rural industrial and service sector establishments, and private sector businesses has been recommended. Furthermore, during the strike period, stores and companies in the towns that border the villages will be closed.
Additionally, he made it clear that no essential services—such as the running of ambulances, the distribution of newspapers, marriages, medical establishments, board exam preparation for students, etc. will be interrupted during the strike.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
A mob in Imphal, Manipur, attacked the Fifth Indian Reserve Battalion post in Chingarel Tezpur, resulting in one death and two injuries.
On Tuesday, the incident occurred at almost 11 p.m., Okram Sanaton, a 24-year-old resident of Pangei Okram Leikai in Imphal East, was identified as the victim. He was shot during the attack and died as a result. The other two injured were taken to a hospital so they could receive treatment.
After the incident, it was reported that a large cache of weapons and ammunition had been taken from the location. Police sources said that two heavy-ammunition LMGs, four Carbines, three Knot Riffles, and six AK-47 Riffles were among the stolen weapons.
After a “Tribal Solidarity March” was held in the hill districts to express opposition to the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, more than 180 people have died in Manipur since the ethnic violence broke out on May 3 of last year.
While tribal people, such as the Nagas and Kukis, make up 40% of the population and are primarily concentrated in the hill districts of Manipur, Meiteis make up roughly 53% of the state’s population and are primarily found in the Imphal Valley.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
Farmers’ social media accounts were removed on February 13, the day before their protest was scheduled to begin. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, a non-political organization led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, and Kisan Majdoor Morcha coordinator Sarvan Singh Pandher jointly issued the protest call.
The Haryana police have prohibited farmers from entering the state through multi-layered barricades on the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana from Patiala side and the Khanauri border from Sangrur district in Punjab. This prohibition extends beyond the ban on their social media accounts and the extended internet ban in seven districts of Haryana until February 15.
In addition to preventing them from entering Haryana, the Haryana police injured and confused farmers at the Shambhu border by shooting pellets at them and using drones to shoot tear gas. More than a hundred farmers reportedly suffered injuries.
Facebook and X accounts withheld
Prominent farmer leaders have had their X accounts and Facebook pages withheld, including Sarvan Singh Pandher, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) coordinator; Tejveer Singh Ambala, the BKU spokesperson (Shaheed Bhagat Singh); farmer leader Ramandeep Singh Mann; Surjit Singh Phull from BKU Krantikari; farmer leader Harpal Sangha; and Ashok Danoda from Haryana, among many others.
Additionally, the government outlawed official pages endorsing the movement and providing updates on it, such as Bhavjit Singh’s @Tractor2twitr_P, Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s Bhartiya Kisan Union, and Guramneet Singh Mangat’s Progressive Farmers Front.
One of the major farmer unions, BKU (SBS), was spearheading the farmers’ demonstration from Ambala, Haryana.
Mandeep Punia, an independent journalist, has had both his personal page and the page “Gaon Sawera” removed. Mandeep, a well-known figure who supported the farmers’ protest, was detained in 2020. Mandeep recorded his legs while incarcerated and used those notes to write a report for The Caravan.
It is generally accepted that the procedure for withholding these accounts is opaque. Both Guramneet’s personal and Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s X accounts are still active. However, Dallewal’s Facebook page is prohibited.
“Your account has been withheld in IN [India] in response to a legal demand,” X wrote to the accounts.
Remarkably, Kisan Majdoor Morcha’s official page is still active despite having been started just before the Delhi Chalo protest.
It is important to note that the Union government had previously banned numerous social media accounts during the farmers’ protest in 2020–2021, among them was the official page of Kisan Ekta Morcha, which served as the SKM’s digital branch.
High-profile backers at the time, including independent journalist Sandeep Singh and Punjabi singer Jazzy B of Khalsa Aid, had their accounts withheld and remained under lock and key.
Accounts meant to debunk propaganda targeted
Speaking with The Wire, Bhavjit Singh, the administrator of the @Tractor2Twitr_i page on X (which was hidden in the interim until this report was released), claimed that all of these accounts were hidden on February 12 because farmer leaders were seated at a meeting with union ministers. “We believe that the Punjabi government, in addition to the Union government, was involved in the process of identifying the accounts of farmer union leaders.” This is a risky trend, he said, because official farmer mouthpieces intended to refute misinformation and propaganda are being targeted while accounts spreading propaganda against farmers are receiving support.
The government’s “agenda is to silence all those who dare to speak against or question Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it will affect his image,” according to Bhavjit, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
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The Bhim Army has questioned the government regarding the commotion in Haldwani. According to Bhim Army State President Deepak Sethpur, the Muslim community is being abused by the powerful due to a disturbance in Haldwani.
Muslims and Dalits are the targets of abuse and harassment. He announced that a delegation headed by Manjit Singh Nautiyal, the National President of the Bhim Army, will visit Haldwani on February 17 to pay respects to the victims.
Bhim Army State President Deepak Sethpur inquired about about the commotion in Haldwani during Monday’s Laksar press conference. He claimed that the state government had harmed religious beliefs. Muslims and Dalits are the targets of abuse and harassment.
The government should have taken action by sending out a formal notice following the Lok Sabha elections if their intentions were clearly stated. However, nothing was done about it. He said that the state government is under suspicion and that members of the Muslim community are being picked out and targeted for torture.
He said that a group headed by Manjit Singh Nautiyal, National President of the Bhim Army, will visit Haldwani on February 17 in order to meet with the victims’ families. He also offered his condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured police officers during the turmoil. State Incharge Sonu Lathi, State Vice President Ankush Sherwal, State Secretary Saurabh, District President Sachin Kumar, Speaker of the Laksar Assembly Amit Kumar, District Minister Izharul Ansari, Speaker of the Khanpur Assembly Sanjay Kumar, and others were present during this.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
Grandson of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Vibhakar Shastri joined the BJP today in the presence of deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Brajesh Pathak.
The Congressman Vibhakar Shastri resigned on Wednesday. Shastri has unsuccessfully run for Lok Sabha before. He is the son of Hari Krishna Shastri and the grandson of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
“Hon’ble Congress President Shri Kharge ji!” Shastri wrote in a post on X. Respected Sir, please accept my resignation from the Indian National Congress as a primary member. Best regards. Vibhakar Shastri.
Hon'ble Congress President Shri @kharge ji! Respected Sir, I hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of Indian National Congress (@INCIndia) Regards Vibhakar Shastri
He joined BJP after the tweet where he confirmed him leaving Congress
Speaking later about his choice, he taunted the Congress party by saying he would be able to carry out the former prime minister Jai Jawan’s dream under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“To PM Narendra Modi, Nadda ji, HM Amit Shah ji, CM Yogi Adityanath ji, and Brajesh Pathak, I would like to convey my gratitude for opening the doors of BJP for me. I believe that I would have the chance to carry on my grandfather Lal Bahadur Shastri’s legacy. I’ll carry out my duties according to party leadership directives. The INDIA alliance wants to remove Modi ji, but it has no ideology. Rahul Ji ought to disclose the ideology of the Congress said Shastri
A number of prominent figures have left the Congress in recently, including Ashok Chavan, Milind Deora, Baba Siddiqui, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasad, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Sushmita Dev, RPN Singh, and Jaiveer Shergill.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
In an interview with injured farmer Gurmeet Singh, who was taking part in the “Delhi Chalo” march, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the Modi government’s “dictatorial attitude” towards the country’s farmers.
The phone call took place on Tuesday evening, thanks to Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Raja Warring, who had visited a government hospital in Rajpura town following altercations between farmers and Haryana Police.
Phone conversation with the injured protestor
He said, “Talked on phone to former soldier Gurmeet Singh ji, who was seriously injured in police atrocities during the farmers’ movement. He is a youth as well as a farmer – instead of hailing him, this dictatorial attitude of the Modi government towards the country’s protector and food provider is putting democracy to shame,” Gandhi claimed.
He asked how Singh was doing and offered his support for the nonviolent movement that was fighting for their rights.
Singh’s status as a young farmer was emphasised by Gandhi, who also denounced the Modi government’s treatment of the nation’s guardian and food supplier, saying it belittles democracy. As they attempted to breach barricades on their protest march towards the nation’s capital, farmers engaged in combat with Haryana Police on Tuesday at two state borders. They police used water cannons and tear gas on the protestors.
Support towards the farmer protestors
Gandhi assured the farmer, “We are with you,” and showed solidarity by rejecting the police action as wholly incorrect. Be at ease. He gave Singh a “Shabash” (Well done) and best wishes, praising his devotion to the nation.
Leaders of farmers in Punjab and Haryana claimed 60 injuries from tear gas shells at border crossings on Tuesday, accusing the Centre of launching a “attack” on protestors. In addition, protesters’ stone-throwing caused 24 police personnel to sustain injuries, including a deputy superintendent.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
Jamshedpur: On Wednesday, the police arrested five accused including the main accused Vikas Tiwari in the firing case that took place in Daigutu Krishna Road of Mango police station area of the city. Apart from Vikas, the arrested accused include Prince Singh, Jugsalai resident Sanjar Ahmed alias Arzoo, Sagar Prasad and Ankit Kumar Thakur alias Golu. Vikas Tiwari’s brother Shubham and Atul and two others are absconding. On the trail of the accused, Jamshedpur Police has recovered a country-made pistol, two live bullets, a hockey stick and the car used in the incident.
Let us tell you that a total of 20 criminal cases are registered against Vikas Tiwari. He is convicted in the Chhotu Pandit murder case and is currently out on appeal bail. Here, while taking the accused to the court after arrest, the police vehicle broke down, due to which the police took the accused to the court on foot. The police took the accused on foot on the streets from MGM Hospital to Jamshedpur Court.
