1 5 B8 4 " 5 " 5 5 VRGR '%&((!1#VCEB R BP A"'!#$#1!$"#0$"T utqBVQWBuxy( 56%5$"7 /.12 +4+46 78,9 * 8:/$ 4 E )7#)6@E #11)7/71)#47970@6 (6#8)(1:@#@E 879:09#6@ :@4(9:#(671() :(9(0F( (447(9@647661+9F(60( :(40@6197(A#7 )(6:0)(04#) :(680A(): 87:)(8#6 :+87)((8F0/(+(8( C9 4 ='55*" =<= C( 1 7 ( 8 - & /9- 99: '! / Q 1 ! R Q R ! "# ' 67879:0 $ ! Q! five-member delegation of R & 67879:0 meeting went on for two-and- amendment can be made AOpposition leaders, includ- a-half hours. wherein State Governments ing Rahul Gandhi and Sharad protesting farmers for the Governments, have extended ithin hours of receiving At a meeting held at the can register the traders oper- Pawar, on Wednesday, met repeal of three farm laws. their solidarity “with the ongo- Wthe Government’s draft Singhu border before the ating outside mandis. States can President Ram Nath Kovind Talking to the media after ing historic struggle of the proposal to amend at least Government’s written propos- also impose tax and cess as they and sought repeal of three submitting a memorandum to Indian peasantry” and had eight clauses of the new farm als came in, the farmers decid- used in APMC mandis on “controversial” farm laws. the President, the leaders said extended wholehearted support laws, farmers’ unions on ed that they would continue them. On concerns that farm- “We sought repeal of farm the farm Bills were passed to their call for a Bharat Bandh Wednesday rejected the pro- their protest till the ers may be duped as anyone laws during the meeting with “without proper discussions demanding the repeal of the posal calling it “vague” and an Government removes the farm having just a pan card is the President. The laws were and consultations”. “retrograde agri-laws”. insult to farmers. Claiming laws. “We do not accept any allowed to trade outside APMC passed without any discussion Apart from Rahul and Pawar, a former Union that there was nothing new in amendment in the laws, we mandis, the Government said in the House,” Congress leader Pawar, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Agriculture Minister, said they + % ' " , & the Government proposal, they want total removal,” the farm- to rule out such apprehen- Rahul said. Yechury, DMK’s TKS informed the President that ' %- ./'0 " %( / threatened to intensify their ers’ representatives said. sions, the State Governments The Opposition parties, Elangovan and CPI’s D Raja there was a request from all %% %) ".1 agitation by blocking all entry A day after Shah’s talks can be given the power to reg- including Congress, NCP, met the President. Opposition parties for an in- points to the national Capital. with farm leaders ended in a ister such traders and make DMK, CPI(M) and CPI, urged The memorandum said depth discussion on farm Bills accepted and bills were passed ing their unhappiness. It is the Farmers’ unions insisted on deadlock, the Government on rules keeping in mind the local the President to persuade the more than 20 different politi- and that it should be sent to in hurry”. “In this cold, the duty of the Government to their demand to repeal the Wednesday sent a draft pro- situation of farmers. Government “not to be obdu- cal parties, including many select committee, “but unfor- farmers are on the streets resolve this issue,” he said. three farm laws. They also posal to farmers unions to Continued on Page 2 rate” and accept the demand of parties running State tunately, no suggestion was protesting peacefully, express- Continued on Page 2 threatened to block the Jaipur- allay their concerns about the Delhi highway on December 12 three farm laws. The and hold protest demonstra- Government has proposed to tions in many parts of the make the necessary amend- country on December 14. ments on at least seven issues, Terming the proposal as including one to allay fears “vague” and an insult to farm- about the weakening of the ers, Krantikari Kisan Union mandi system. president Darshan Pal said, The Government proposed “We will block the Delhi-Jaipur to include registration provi- highway and sit on dharna at all sion of private traders for trad- '( the toll plazas of the country on ing outside regulated mandi, December 12… No tax to be bring in equal taxes for APMC ' 67879:0 Rajokri NH 8, paid on that day at any toll mandis and private markets to Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam plaza… We will also gherao all provide a level playing field and s the farmers’ unions on Vihar and Dundahera Borders. district headquarters during allow higher courts of appeal in AWednesday rejected the “Singhu, Auchandi, Piao our nationwide protest on contract farming disputes. Government’s proposal to Maniyari, Mangesh borders December 14. We have asked In its draft proposal, the resolve their issues and threat- are closed. NH-44 is closed on the people to protest against Government also said it is en to cut off the national both sides. Take alternate every MP and MLA of the BJP.” ready to provide a written Capital, the Delhi Police on has routes via Lampur, Safiabad, Farmers said that there assurance that the existing suggested alternative routes to Saboli, NH8/Bhopra/Apsara will be sit-ins across the coun- Minimum Support Price commuters entering or exiting borders/peripheral expressway,” try and will boycott (MSP) system will continue. Delhi. the Traffic Police tweeted. Reliance/Adani/ Ambani estab- In the proposal, sent by The Delhi Traffic Police Traffic has been diverted lishments/products across the Agriculture Ministry Joint alerted commuters that the from Mukarba and GTK road country. Secretary Vivek Aggarwal to 13 Tikri, Jharoda, Dhansa Borders and commuters should avoid Soon after farmers reject- farmers’ unions, the are closed for any traffic move- Outer Ring Road, GTK road, ed the Government’s proposal, Government said is ready to ment. “Jhatikara Borders is NH-44, it said. Union Agriculture Minister consider with an open heart the open only for two wheelers and “Chilla Border one car- Narendra Singh Tomar and objections which farmers have pedestrian movement,” it riageway from Delhi to Noida Consumer Affairs Minister on the new farm laws. tweeted. has been opened for traffic Piyush Goyal held a meeting On farmers’ fear that man- The police also said those however other carriageway with Home Minister Amit dis would weaken after the new travelling to Haryana can take from Noida to Delhi is still Shah at his residence. The laws, the Government said an $ % & % % ' (& ) &%" Daurala, Kapashera, Badusarai, closed,” it tweeted. Q ) ! ( ' 67879:0 # $%&'( 3.4 months, experienced seri- ous adverse events, the study *+ , !R he interim results from the reveals. Of these, one had Tclinical trials of the Covid- received the vaccine arm while 19 vaccine, jointly developed by being manufactured by the The trials found the vac- the other was in the placebo ' 67879:0 first military casualties on the Oxford University and British- Serum Institute of India. cine efficacy is 62 per cent for group. LAC since 1975. Swedish pharmaceutical com- The results, published on those given two full doses, and “The results presented in s the stand-off continued at The relationship has been pany AstraZeneca, reveal that Tuesday in The Lancet journal, 90 per cent in those given a half this report provide the key Athe Line of Actual Control “very significantly damaged” it protects against symptomatic are the first full peer-reviewed dose, followed by a full one. findings from our first interim (LAC), External Affairs because all positive develop- disease in 70 per cent cases. efficacy results to be published Only three out of 23,745 analysis. In future analyses, Minister S Jaishankar on ments in bilateral ties over the In India, the vaccine is for a Covid-19 vaccine. participants, over an average of with more data included as it Wednesday said ties with past 30 years, including China becomes available, we will China are “significantly dam- becoming India’s second largest !2/3 investigate differences in key aged.” He also said the relations trade partner and engagements &%;<=<% <>?'$&><$&?& subgroups such as older adults, between the two neighbours in tourism and travel, were +4+4,+ %?3$%<&&%%'%3%=>' various ethnicities, doses, tim- are in the “most difficult phase based on the fact that the two ing of booster vaccines, and we in the last 30-40 years”. sides had agreed to maintain ( 4 %>=<3> >'<3%;&&3= will determine which immune Striking a strident note, peace and tranquility in border 6 >?<'$' &&%=;>>&;?= responses equate to protection Jaishankar said the ties were areas while trying to solve the ,0-1-23 ;<?3>$ $3'% 3%;??% from infection or disease,” “very significantly damaged” so far failed to address the basic online conversation with the boundary question, he said. Merryn Voysey, from the because of Beijing’s violation of issue that “agreements are not Australian think tank Lowy Underlining the multiple /-2/-03 8 3??3>3 ,-./ 3;?$&; Oxford University and one of agreements on maintaining being observed.” Institute. agreements since 1993 that #4 33%&>= >?;>3$%%=$ the study authors, said in a peace and tranquility on the The Chinese have given “We are today probably at committed both parties not to 3&'?3& %%;><>%<=< statement. LAC. five “differing explanations” the most difficult phase of our bring large forces to the LAC, ,-22-230 @ =$$$?? &%<$ =&><&$ The Oxford vaccine uses Armies of both the coun- for violating the agreements by relationship with China, cer- he said, “Now for some reason, ChAdOx1 — a weakened and tries are locked in face-off at the bringing tens of thousands of tainly in the last 30 to 40 for which the Chinese have to -0-3., )* $%3;$> $<%3$;==3' non-replicating version of a 1,700 km long LAC in Ladakh.