From the agitation turning violent in January to the government passing a bill to repeal the three farm laws in December, and the eventual calling off of the protests by farmers, the year 2021 clearly belonged to the farmer
Farmer leaders celebrating after the govt made a announcement to repeal the three farm laws. Pic/Pallav Paliwal
In independent India, many protests have taken place over time, but none have caught the imagination of the world or got a government, known to silence dissent, to do course correction. The farmers’ protest, which began in 2020 and culminated this year, was one such episode that not only mobilised people and political parties but forced the government to roll back its decision---its first in six years since assuming power---marking a watershed moment in the history of protests in the country.
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From the agitation turning violent in January to the government passing a bill to repeal the three farm laws in December, and the eventual calling off of the protests by farmers, the year 2021 clearly belong to the farmer. As the country celebrates National Famers' Day today, we look at how the events unfolded in the past 12 months.
Timeline:
January 4: Seventh round of talks remained inconclusive between farm leaders and govt representatives.
January 7: Supreme Court agrees to hear petition challenging the new laws and those against the protests on January 11.
January 11: Apex court pulls up govt for its handling of the protests and said it would form a committee headed by Chief Justice of India to resolve the deadlock.
January 12: SC stays the implementation of the three farm laws and forms a four-member committee to make recommendations.
January 26: Thousands of protestors clash with Delhi Police during a tractor rally on Republic Day. Delhi Police resorts to lathi-charge and shells tear gas on protestors as situation gets violent at Red Fort. One protester dies in the chaos.
January 28: Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district administration orders farmers to vacate the site at Ghazipur border by night. But the farmer leaders remain defiant.
February 4: Pop star Rihanna, environmental activist Greta Thunberg and US Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris calls out the govt for their handling of the crisis and come out in support of farmers. In response, the govt slams these celebrities and calls their comments “neither accurate nor responsible”.
February 5: Delhi Police’s cyber-crime cell registers an FIR on charges of sedition, criminal conspiracy and promoting hatred against the creators of a ‘toolkit’ on farmer protests, which was allegedly shared by Greta.
February 9: One of the main accused in the Republic Day violence case, Punjabi actor and singer Deep Sidhu, is arrested by Delhi Police.
February 14: A 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi is arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly editing the toolkit shared by Greta.
February 23: Ravi is granted bail by a sessions court in Delhi.
March 5: Punjab Assembly passes a resolution for unconditional withdrawal of farm laws
March 6: Farmers complete 100 days of their agitation at Delhi’s borders.
April 26: Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu is granted bail by the court.
May 27: To mark six months of agitation, farmers observe a ‘black day’ and say their agitation will continue till 2024 if their demands are not met.
July 22: About 200 farmers start a parallel Monsoon Session, Kisan Sansad, near the Parliament House.
August 7: Leaders of 14 Opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, visit Kisan Sansad at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to show solidarity.
August 28: Haryana Police cracks down on farmers in Karnal, leaving several injured in a lathi-charge at the Bastara toll plaza on the national highway.
September 11: Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha is sent on leave by Haryana govt for his alleged role in ordering to beat up farmers at Bastara toll plaza.
October 22: Supreme Court, in its observation, states that people have every right to protest, but protestors cannot block roads indefinitely.
October 29: Delhi Police starts removing barricades at Ghazipur border, where farmers are protesting.
November 19: PM Modi, on the occasion of Gurupurab, makes the announcement of repealing the farm laws.
November 29: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha clear Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 via voice vote.
December 8: The govt sends a draft proposal, including unconditional withdrawal of all police cases lodged against protesters, to farm unions and urges them to call off their protests.
December 9: The agitation is called off after farmer leaders receive an official proposal from the govt.
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