Protesting farmer unions have announced a nationwide 'chakka jam' protest on February 6

Farmer unions Monday announced a countrywide 'chakka jam' on February 6 when they would block national and state highways for three hours between 12 pm and 3 pm in protest against the Internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities,and to push for their demands on the repeal of three farm laws passed by Centre in September.

This is the first major event being organised by the protesting farmers after the tractor rally on Republic Day turned violent.

"There'll be a three-hour-long 'chakka jaam' on 6th Feb. It won't take place in Delhi but everywhere outside Delhi. The people that will be stuck in it will be given food and water. We will tell them what is the government doing with us",Rakesh Tikait said.

There will be no road blockade in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand tomorrow; roads will be blocked in rest parts of the country excluding Delhi. The reason is that they can be called to Delhi any time, so they are kept on standby: Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union pic.twitter.com/5F1jddM7j8

— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2021

He further said that,"we have been protesting peacefully and the 'chakka jam' will also be held peacefully across the country on February 6. The farmers who are unable to join us will hold ‘chakka jam’ at their respective places."

जो लोग यहां नहीं आ पाए वो अपने-अपने जगहों पर कल चक्का जाम शांतिपूर्ण तरीके से करेंगे। ये जाम दिल्ली में नहीं होगा: राकेश टिकैत, भारतीय किसान यूनियन के राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता pic.twitter.com/ENXDH0pWs4

— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) February 5, 2021

He also said, "there is no harm in Hollywood artists supporting farmers' movement, I don't know them personally, but they are supporting without any expectation. If Samyukta Kisan Morcha has thanked them, Kisan Union will do the same."

There is no harm in Hollywood artists supporting farmers' movement, I don't know them personally, but they are supporting without any expectation. If Samyukta Kisan Morcha has thanked them, Kisan Union will do the same: Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union

— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2021

Balbir Singh Rajewal, farmer leader of SKM, said the meeting involved discussion on arrest and harassment of young farmers by police, no trace of farmers whose tractors were seized during Republic Day, suspension of mobile internet and electricity, and barricading roads around and leading up to the protest spots.

“Farmers coming to join the agitation by trains are also being harassed. We want to protest against all these atrocities and so will do a three-hour chakka jam on February 6 across the nation. These will be on the national and state highways” ,he said. “Government has also reduced allocation for the agriculture sector in the budget and we will be protesting against that as well.”

Agitating farmers have proposed 'chakka jam' tomorrow. In view of the violence that happened on January 26, Delhi Police have made adequate security arrangements at borders so that miscreants can not enter the national capital said Chinmoy Biswal, Delhi Police PRO

We are monitoring content on social media to make sure rumours are not spread against Police or other things. The protestors are camping at the borders of Delhi. We are in touch with Police Force of other states too: Chinmoy Biswal, Delhi Police PRO

— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2021

Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Budget cleared all doubts over contentious issues relating to the legislations and appealed to farmer leaders to think about it positively.

Flagging the Budget announcement, Tomar said the budgetary proposals reflected the government’s commitment towards APMC ‘mandis’ and minimum support price (MSP) provisions which must now clear the doubts, whatsoever, over the farm laws.

He referred to the Budget announcement where the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed giving APMCs ‘mandis’ the access of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund so that these state-regulated Agri markets could be modernized through infrastructure creation. The finance minister during her budget speech also spoke on how the procurement of crops at MSP has substantially increased compared to 2013-14.

Regarding parliament discussion he further said that As far as Farm Laws are concerned, I was in Rajya Sabha today & I noticed that no one is ready to say what is black in the 'black laws'. If you are protesting against the law, then discussion should be held on its provisions. Unfortunately, this is not happening. So, I have told all the leaders of the parties as well as farmers that the Govt is ready for an open discussion. We have been talking to them. We have given them a proposal, we will talk with them again after their proposal comes said agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

So, I have told all the leaders of the parties as well as farmers that the Govt is ready for an open discussion. We have been talking to them. We have given them a proposal, we will talk with them again after their proposal comes: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar

— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2021

Farmers’ unions, however, expressed their concerns even on overall Budgetary provisions for agriculture and allied sectors put together and said the government slashed the budget from Rs 1.54 lakh crore in 2020-21 to Rs 1.48 lakh crore in 2021-22.

 Addressing a press conference of the farm unions' umbrella body, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), Yogendra Yadav of Jai Kisan Andolan said the government has, in fact, proposed to reduce the share of agriculture in total budget from 5.1% in current financial year to 4.3% in 2021-22.

Asserting that the government is committed towards farmers' welfare, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday proposed 10 per cent hike in the farm loan disbursal target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore, and introduced an agri infra and development cess of up to 100 per cent to create post-harvest infrastructure for improving farmers' income. The minister also proposed higher allocation for Rural Infrastructure Development Fund and Micro Irrigation Fund, and extended Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to APMCs for augmenting infrastructure facilities

The 'Delhi Chalo' farmers' protest at border points of New Delhi has entered the 72nd day today. Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, are staging a sit-in protest along Delhi borders. The protest started on November 26. The farmers are demanding a complete rollback of the new farm reform laws and a guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system being retained. Multiple rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmers’ union leaders have ended in a stalemate. Protesting farmers fear that the new laws will dismantle the MSP system and corporatise farming. The Supreme Court had earlier ordered a stay on the implementation of these contentious laws, hoping it will end the protest. The farm union leaders have also rejected Centre's proposal to suspend implementation of the laws for the 18 months. On January 26, the protest turned violent when some farmers deviated from a pre-decided route for their Republic Day tractor rally and clashed with police. Some protesters scaled the ramparts of the Red Fort. Several police personnel were injured in the  clashes.