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From June 1 to 10, no supplies to cities from villages as farmers observe Gaon Bandh Mahotsav

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8 years ago

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From June 1 to 10, no supplies to cities from villages as farmers observe Gaon Bandh Mahotsav

City dwellers in north Indian states had better stock up on supplies of vegetables, milk, etc, for these may be in short supply, if not simply unavailable, from June 1 (Friday) for the next 10 days.

Adopting a new form of protest to highlight their issues and press for their demands, farmers have decided to observe a ‘Gaon Bandh Mahotsav’, a 10-day shutdown of villages beginning June 1, during which they will neither supply farm and village produce to cities, nor buy anything from cities. They will not go to mandis and sell their produce themselves in village itself. City dwellers can go and buy farm produce from villages if they want.

It is a protest that effectively portrays the divide between the rural India and urban India and accentuates the importance given to cities and city dwellers over the villages and villagers.

“It is not a strike as such,” said the coordinator of Kisan Ekta Manch Devinder Sharma, “the farmers are simply taking a holiday like others do – why can’t farmers take a holiday?” He said the Gaon bandh will be held in all states of north and central India.

The issues the farmers are pressing for are minimum assured income of Rs.18,000 per month for every agriculturist’s family, implementation of Swaminathan Commission’s report, a price for their produce that gives them 50% more than the total weighted cost of production and waiver of all loans.

Several farmers’ organisation of different states have come together for this agitation on the calll of Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, an umbrella body of over 100 farmers organisations.

Farmers are enthused over this new form of agitation and are more confident over its prospects as they see this as more effective than dharnas and rallies which they used to resort to till now.

Farmer leaders said the villages would not supply anything to cities nor go to cities to buy anything. If the city dwellers need to buy vegetables or milk or any farm produce, they would have to go to the villages, they said.

The farmers have made plans to make good use of all produce that cannot be stocked for over 10 days.

A report in The Times of India quoted a farmer leader from Harda district of Madhya Pradesh: “There are over one lakh farmers in our district, and almost all of us will be participating in this protest. For us, the fact that our produce now fetches only half the price we expected is a bigger problem that planning what to do for 10 days, when we will be boycotting the urban mandis. We have a number of diary farms, and the plan is to make ghee, khoa and mava. There is a big demand for ghee these days. We will also allow calves to drink from the cows, which we usually do not allow. We also plan on barter – dairy farmers will offer milk in return for vegetables from people who grow vegetables. We usually sell our best produce and eat what we think is inferior. We look forward now to keeping the best produce for ourselves.”

A farmer from Punjab was quoted as saying: “We are planning to set up haats in rural areas, so that produce can be sold without going to mandis in urban centres. For milk, we plan to make ghee. We will also increase free distribution of milk to orphanages and other centres in that time. Our plan is not to sell produce in urban centres, and not to buy anything either from the cities.”

The plan for this form of agitation was announced on April 30 when farmers from across the country representing over 100 farmer organizations had gathered in Delhi. Former BJP Union minister Yashwant Sinha too is part of this programme.

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Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

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3 hours ago

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August 16, 2026

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Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

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1 day ago

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August 15, 2026

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IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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India News

Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

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1 day ago

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August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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