oppn parties Farm Dispute: Breaking The Ice

Story Of The Day

Kolkata Chor Bagan Durga Puja Tragedy: Accountability Must Be Complete, Fair and Free of Politics

October 19, 2026

People Are Talking About

People Are Talking About Junk Food Near Schools

News Snippets

  • A new pressure group, calling itself Lal Hit Janata Party (reference to the cockroach repellant Lal Hit), held its first meeting in Delhi on Sunday. Formed to oppose Cockroach Janata Party and the Congress, the group said the CJP is destroying the nation's institutions
  • Kolkata Police arrested seven people, including office-bearers of the Chorbagan Durga Puja committee and private security personnel, in connection with Saturday's stampede that killed 19 people and injured 25. A case has been registered over alleged failures in crowd management, safety arrangements and the pandal's structural setup
  • The West Bengal government announced inspections of major Durga Puja pandals across Kolkata and said similar checks would extend to other districts following the Chorbagan stampede. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the government would seek the Chief Justice's approval for a sitting Calcutta High Court judge to head an inquiry into the tragedy
  • Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered the removal of Gwalior's City Superintendent of Police and the suspension of eight other police personnel following the temple accident. The state has ordered an inquiry into how a heavy truck entered a restricted area despite arrangements intended to protect pilgrims
  • A truck struck devotees walking towards the Sheetla Mata temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, early Sunday after entering a restricted stretch of road during Navratri. The death toll was reported at 14 in official updates and later at 16 in other reports, while more than two dozen people were injured
  • Chief Justice of India Surya Kant inaugurated the permanent Leh Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Sunday. He directed the Supreme Court Registry to group cases originating in Ladakh and pending before the apex court for listing on a single day. The measure is intended to reduce repeated travel by litigants and lawyers from the remote Union Territory.
  • Delhi Police granted the Congress permission to hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1. The planned demonstration is part of the party's campaign against the Election Commission's handling of electoral-roll revision and its demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation
  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the concluding Goy Rakhonn Yatra in Goa on Sunday and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of involvement in alleged electoral manipulation
  • Goa Police registered an FIR against unidentified participants in a Cockroach Janta Party-linked protest held at Panaji's Azad Maidan on October 11, alleging that some protesters used communal slogans. The case invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to promoting enmity and outraging religious feelings; the allegations remain to be investigated
  • Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra won the DP World India Championship in New Delhi by two strokes, finishing at 21-under-par for the tournament. India's Anirban Lahiri was the highest-placed Indian, sharing 23rd position
  • The second round of Ranji Trophy matches produced several notable batting performances on Sunday: Rinku Singh scored an unbeaten 118 for Uttar Pradesh, which was dismissed for 202 against Goa, while Priyansh Arya fell for 199 as Delhi reached 381 for four against Gujarat. Punjab's Shubman Gill was dismissed for one on his return to domestic cricket, but teammate Uday Saharan scored 106 against Chhattisgarh
  • Asian Para Games: India aims for two gold medals as two shooters enter the finals. Spots iwere secured n both the men's and women's 10m Air Rifle finals, where star shooter Avani Lekhara headlines the women's event alongside Mona Agarwal, while Rakesh Nidagundi and Swaroop Unhalkar charge into the men's final
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
Actor Tiger Shroff attacked: Unidentified gunmen on motorcycle fired 6 rounds at the car carrying Tiger Shroff, his driver and a fan sustained injuries /////// Tiger shroff escaped with minor abrasions /////// Lawrence Bishnoi gang members claimed responsibility
oppn parties
Farm Dispute: Breaking The Ice

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2020-12-31 03:41:34

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

There were four issues on the agenda the farm unions had submitted to the government. The government claims that two of them - excluding farmers from the penal provisions of new ordinance on air quality management in NCR and nearby areas and scrapping of Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020 have been settled with a broad agreement with the unions. Another round of talks has been fixed for January 4. The government has, in the meantime, asked the farmers to scale down the agitation by sending the women and the children back home considering the severity of the weather.

While it is good to go after low hanging fruits to settle a dispute, in this case one thinks that the two major points - repealing the three new laws and providing a legal guarantee for the continuance of MSP - will take some time in resolving because both parties are not willing to concede any ground on the same. While the government has made it clear that there is no question about repealing the laws, the unions have put it as the first point in the agenda. Further, while the government is willing to give in writing that the MSP will continue, the unions want it to be codified.

Still, one can say that the last round of talks were held in a much better way and achieved what the earlier rounds failed to do. Earlier, the unions always said that the government was inflexible and not willing to consider their demands. But this time, they said they have achieved "half victory" and that the government was on the back foot. While they have not suspended the agitation, they have deferred the proposed tractor march from Singhu to Tikri and Shahjahanpur that was to be held today. This is a good sign. 

While the unions are upbeat and think that they will be able to pressurize the government into accepting the two remaining demands on January 4, one thinks that it will not be that easy. This is now becoming a game of give and take and one thinks that since the farmers have now claimed "half victory", they will have to settle for a quasi-legal guarantee on MSP and some amendments to the new farm laws. That would be a just settlement that will protect their interests and usher in much needed reforms in the sector. 

Other Stories You Make Like

Editorials

Eighteen lives lost at Chor Bagan. Kolkata must mourn first and learn second.

Eighteen lives lost at Chor Bagan. Kolkata must mourn first and learn second.

 Growth Without Jobs Is a Warning

Growth Without Jobs Is a Warning

In Depth

Grounds Of Arrest: The Supreme Court's Rule Must Be Followed By The Police On The Ground

Grounds Of Arrest: The Supreme Court's Rule Must Be Followed By The Police On The Ground

Editor's Pick

For the Goonj to Reverberate, Rahul Gandhi Must Take Regional Parties Along

For the Goonj to Reverberate, Rahul Gandhi Must Take Regional Parties Along
© 2014 India Commentary. All rights reserved.