Kane Williamson will captain the T20 World Cup squad for a fourth time as New Zealand hunt for a maiden title
cricket4 hours ago
India’s government invited leaders of farmers for talks as thousands of them pressed on with a protest in and around the capital on Saturday against agricultural legislation they said could be exploited by the private sector to buy their crops at cheap prices.
After a day of clashes with police who used tear gas, water cannons and baton charges to push them back, the farmers were allowed to enter New Delhi late Friday.
Television images showed some of them moving to the capital while thousands still remained at the outskirts of the city.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar invited them for talks.
“We have called all the farmers’ organizations on December 3 and we have talked before and are still ready for talks,” Tomar said.
There was no immediate response from the farmers’ leaders. The protesters said they would not return to their homes until their demands were met.
For the last two months, farmer unions have rejected the laws, which were passed in September, and have camped out on highways in Punjab and Haryana states. They say the measure could cause the government to stop buying grain at guaranteed prices and result in their exploitation by corporations that would buy their crops cheaply.
The government says the laws are needed to reform agriculture by giving farmers the freedom to market their produce and boosting production through private investment.
“We are fighting for our rights. We won’t rest until we reach the capital and force the government to abolish these black laws,” said Majhinder Singh Dhaliwal, a farmer leader.
Opposition parties and some Modi allies have called the laws anti-farmer and pro-corporation.
Farmers have long been seen as the heart and soul of India, where agriculture supports more than half of the country’s 1.3 billion people. But farmers have also seen their economic clout diminish over the last three decades. Once accounting for a third of India’s gross domestic product, they now produce only 15% of the country’s $2.9 trillion economy.
Farmers often complain of being ignored and hold frequent protests to demand better crop prices, more loan waivers and irrigation systems to guarantee water during dry spells.
Kane Williamson will captain the T20 World Cup squad for a fourth time as New Zealand hunt for a maiden title
cricket4 hours ago
Vehicle owners must bring their old plates along to the inspection station
uae4 hours ago
Clean sweep for UAE in golf as the hosts win team gold and Rayan claims individual title
sports4 hours ago
Silva announced his farewell on Monday in an emotional video message on Chelsea's website
football4 hours ago
Protest organizers deny accusations of anti-Semitism, arguing that their actions are aimed at the Israeli government
world4 hours ago
Images published on the weekend showed Bollywood superstar actor Shah Rukh Khan sweating profusely while watching his team train
cricket4 hours ago