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Farmers go on 10-day holiday in new form of protest, dump farm produce, stop supplies to cities

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8 years ago

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Farmers go on 10-day holiday in new form of protest, dump farm produce, stop supplies to cities

The 10-day ‘Gaon Bandh’ protest of farmers started today, Friday, June 1 with fresh produce from farms and thousands of litres of milk in many places being dumped on streets.

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 (RKM), an umbrella body of over 100 farmers organisations. The RKM  made it clear that farmers will not supply any vegetables and dairy produce to the cities for the next 10 days, nor would they buy anything from cities. City dwellers can go and buy farm produce from villages if they want.

The farmers who have called for the 10-day long protest will observe ‘Gaon Bandh’ from 1 June to 10 June, June 5 as Dhikkar Divas, June 6 as Saheed Sahadat Divas, June 8 as Asahyog Divas and June 10 as Bharat Bandh.

The federation has assured that farmers won’t block any roads, but they will sit on dharna along 30 major highways in the country.

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.

The seven states where the protests are being held are Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, according to media reports. Farmers in Punjab wearing green turbans were seen throwing vegetables, fresh fruits and spilling milk on streets, said media reports. Milk flowed on streets and tomatoes were dumped on a highway near Nashik in Maharashtra.

The hold up along with wastage is going to badly hit the cities.

“This has now become a nation-wide agitation. We have named the protest ‘Gaon Bandh’. We won’t go to cities, as we don’t want to disturb the normal lives of the people. We have decided to observe a Bharat Bandh on 10 June till 2 pm. We would request businessmen in cities to close their shops till 2 pm,” said RKM president Shiv Kumar Sharma.

He added that if anyone wants to buy vegetables and dairy products, they will have to drive to the villages.

The protest also marks the first anniversary of death of seven farmers in police firing in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur on June 6 last year.

“The government responds to the rightful demands of the farmers with lathis and bullets. June 6 is a black day for farmers. Nothing will be supplied by villages to cities for the next 10 days, neither will anything be brought from the cities during the period,” Aam Kisan Union chief Kedar Sirohi said.

Mandsaur was the epicentre of farmers’ protest last year when hundreds of farmers demanded better prices for their crops and loan waivers. The protests turned violent and seven farmers lost their lives in police firing.

Fearing a repeat, the Mandsaur district administration has made elaborate security arrangements. Some farmers have also been made to sign surety bonds to ensure that they would not indulge in violence, reported news agency IANS.

Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have held intermittent protests over the last year-and-a-half regarding issues such as low MSP, prices lower than MSP, inadequate storage facilities, loan-waiver. Most recently, farmers in the state took to the streets to protest when garlic prices slumped to as low as Re 1 per kilogram, with the Madhya Pradesh government’s flagship Bhavantar scheme proving to be of little use.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was in Bhopal on Thursday, however, dubbed the farmers’ agitation as an agitation of the Congress party, according to IANS. “The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state is working for the welfare of farmers and it has taken several big decisions in their interest,” he said.

Trashing the charge, newly appointed state Congress chief Kamal Nath said it is surprising that those who ordered firing at the farmers are now trying to shift the blame for violence on his party.

The strike is likely to affect the supply of milk, fruits and vegetables in cities and towns. Sandeep Gidde, coordinator of the strike said, “Starting Friday, we will stop the supply of milk and vegetables to cities. Farmers will station themselves along highways to stop vehicles transporting milk and vegetables.” He expressed confidence that the strike would be successful.

The RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has decided not to join farmer protests in eight states, calling the 10-day strike “politically motivated”.

Mohini Mohan, national secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, told News18.com that the latest protests were aimed at influencing the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “There are politically motivated elements that plan violence and this one has been organised keeping 2019 elections in mind. We don’t want to be part of it.”

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Amit Shah praises Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, says Nation above post

Amit Shah hailed Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister, saying BJP places the nation and students above any position while highlighting the government’s commitment to examination reforms.

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21 hours ago

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July 26, 2026

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Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday praised Dharmendra Pradhan’s decision to step down as Union Education Minister, saying the move reflected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to placing the nation and students above any political position.

In a post on X, Shah said that for BJP workers, the country, its youth and students are more important than any office. He described Pradhan’s resignation as an example of the party’s guiding principle of prioritising national interest over personal ambition.

Shah highlights government’s focus on exam reforms

Amit Shah said the Narendra Modi-led government respects the sentiments of students and remains committed to strengthening the examination system following concerns over alleged paper leaks.

He said the Centre has introduced strict measures to ensure severe punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks and expressed confidence that these steps would deliver justice to students who cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Praises Pradhan’s work as Education Minister

Recalling Dharmendra Pradhan’s tenure, Shah highlighted several initiatives undertaken during his time in the Education Ministry. He credited Pradhan with helping implement the National Education Policy (NEP), expanding PM SHRI schools, promoting digital education, strengthening skill development and improving coordination between industry and academic institutions.

Shah also said Pradhan worked towards making examinations more inclusive and student-centric, adding that his tenure reflected his commitment to the vision of a developed India.

Resignation follows NEET controversy

Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation comes amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and growing demands for accountability.

The resignation has triggered political reactions across party lines. While opposition parties have described the development as a result of sustained student protests, BJP leaders have projected it as an example of accountability and commitment to national interest.

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Assam flood death toll rises to 66, over 6.5 lakh people still affected

Assam’s flood situation improved slightly on Saturday, but more than 6.54 lakh people remain affected in six districts. Four fresh deaths have pushed the state’s flood toll to 66.

Published

21 hours ago

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July 26, 2026

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Assam floods

The flood situation in Assam showed marginal improvement on Saturday, though the disaster continued to impact more than 6.54 lakh people across six districts. Four more deaths were reported during the day, taking the total number of fatalities in this year’s floods to 66.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three of the latest deaths were reported from Sivasagar district, while one person lost their life in Charaideo.

The number of affected people declined from over 7.05 lakh across nine districts on Friday to 6,54,800 across six districts on Saturday, indicating a gradual improvement in the overall situation.

Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district

Among the affected districts, Sivasagar continues to be the worst hit, with nearly 2.9 lakh people impacted by the floods. Charaideo follows with around 1.9 lakh affected residents, while more than 1.3 lakh people remain affected in Jorhat.

The other districts still facing flood-related challenges are Dibrugarh, Golaghat and Nagaon.

Relief operations continue across affected areas

The ASDMA said the state administration is operating 274 relief camps and aid distribution centres across the affected districts. Around 18,902 displaced people are currently taking shelter at these facilities.

The latest daily bulletin also stated that floodwaters have inundated 810 villages across the state, while 34,970.8 hectares of agricultural land have suffered damage.

Rivers flowing above danger level

The floods have also damaged embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure in several areas.

Authorities said the Dikhou River in Sivasagar and the Dhansiri River at Numaligarh are flowing above the danger level, and officials continue to closely monitor the situation.

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UP Government forms new SIT led by 3 IPS officers to probe Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft

The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a new SIT led by three IPS officers to investigate the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case in Ayodhya following Supreme Court directions.

Published

21 hours ago

on

July 26, 2026

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Ram Mandir

The Uttar Pradesh government has reconstituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IG Kiran S, with DIG Somen Verma and SSP Dr Gaurav Grover as members, to investigate the alleged theft of donations meant for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. 

The move comes after directions from the Supreme Court, which sought a reconstituted investigation team to ensure an independent and comprehensive probe into the allegations.

The newly formed SIT is expected to continue the investigation and submit a status report before the Supreme Court on July 27.

Senior IPS officers to lead the probe

According to the state government, the investigation will now be supervised by senior IPS officers.  The revamped SIT has been tasked with examining all aspects of the alleged embezzlement of temple donations and carrying the investigation forward.

The Supreme Court had observed that criminal investigations and technical examination of theft-related cases are more effectively handled by experienced police officers, leading to the reconstitution of the SIT under senior IPS leadership.

Probe to continue under court supervision

The case relates to the alleged embezzlement of offerings (chadhava) donated by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.

The Supreme Court is monitoring the investigation and will review the SIT’s status report at the next hearing.

Authorities are expected to continue examining evidence collected during the earlier stages of the investigation as the newly constituted SIT proceeds with the case.

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