Tens of thousands of farmers riding tractors and horses reached the Indian capital on Tuesday, defying a ban on their presence and clashing with police in an escalation of months of protest.
The group had planned to march into Delhi on the country’s Republic Day after nearly two months of sit-ins on the borders of the city against new farm laws they say will harm their livelihoods.
The government had agreed to allow a symbolic tractor march parade around the capital’s borders, dozens of miles away from the main Republic Day celebrations venue in the high security central Delhi, where India puts its military and cultural might on display with parades every January 26.
But farmers, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, northern Punjab and Haryana state, poured into the capital city from three entry points, some of them armed with swords and spears.
Many of the nearly 20,000 tractors – part of the march – were on their way to the centre of the city, as residents showered flower petals and cheered at the marching protesters.
Television footage showed farmers pushing through steel barricades and clashing with police, who threw teargas shells and used batons to push back the protesters. At some spots police in riot gear fought pitched battles with protesters, who hurled stones.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government insists the laws passed in September will boost production and bring in private investment, but farmers say this commercialisation will ruin their income.
Since being stopped at the borders of Delhi in November, the group has hunkered down, setting up encampments and threatening to besiege the capital until the farm laws are repealed.
Several rounds of talks between farmer unions’ and government have failed as both sides refuse to budge.
At the Ghazipur border to the east of the capital, hordes of farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and nearby states marched on a four-lane highway. They sat on top of tractors, carrying national flags, while shouting slogans of independence and singing songs hailing farmers.
Many showered each other in flower petals, as teams of police in riot gear kept the vigil.
Tarlok Singh, a 75-year-old farmer from Uttarakhand, who has been protesting at the border since November called the protest a “historic” moment for the farmer community.
"This rally is symbolic, it is a sign of farmers' unity, strength and determination. This is our fight for independence from government laws. I woke up at 4am because I was excited for this rally," Mr Singh told The National.
Vipin Kumar, 28, a farmer who owns five acres of a sugar cane farm in Baghpat, called the rally an answer to the government.
“This government called us terrorists, Khalistanis. They said we are a handful of farmers so this rally is our show of strength and unity. Modi should know we are not handful … he should see the sea of farmers today and be ready for our protests until he repeals the laws,” Mr Kumar said.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
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Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
ICC Academy, November 22-28
UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal
ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan
UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
Bio:
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
