Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Farm fire: On the fast by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, farmers’ demands

Farm fire: On the fast by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, farmers’ demands

Jagjit Singh Dallewal should end his fast and press (दबाव डालना, जोर देना) for talks (बातचीत, चर्चा) on farmers’ demands

The sit-in (धरना, विरोध प्रदर्शन) rotest that began almost a year ago by a group of farmers owing allegiance (निष्ठा, वफादारी, समर्पण) to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non Political) at the Punjab-Haryana border has taken a new turn with their leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal refusing to end his indefinite (अनिश्चित, अस्पष्ट) fast, that started on November 26. The stand (stance, position, perspective, attitude, point of view, viewpoint) of the 70-year-old leader, a cancer patient, has drawn the attention of the Supreme Court. Farmers in the State, across their organisational and political positions, supported a Punjab bandh on December 30, 2024, in solidarity (एकजुटता) with Mr. Dallewal. The Court has allowed the Punjab government time till Thursday (January 2, 2024) to ensure that Mr. Dallewal gets medical aid (सहायता, मदद). The farmers’ outfits (समूह) have told the Court that their leader would accept medical help only if the Union Government held a discussion with them on their demands such as implementing a legalised (वैध, कानूनी) Minimum Support Price (न्यूनतम समर्थन मूल्य) as per the formula of the National Commission on Farmers (राष्ट्रीय किसान आयोग) (constituted by M.S. Swaminathan), a debt (ऋण, कर्ज) waiver (deferral, rejection, renunciation (with no stipulations/restrictions)) for all farmers and the withdrawal of all cases against farmers for protesting against the three farm laws, which were repealed (निरस्त करना, रद्द करना) in 2021. Major farmers’ organisations in the State, including the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) and the All India Kisan Sabha, have urged the Centre and State governments to address (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) the demands so that Mr. Dallewal ends his fast. Several Opposition parties had also demanded that the Centre start a dialogue (वार्ता, संवाद) with farmers.

It is debatable how helpful the Court’s ultimatumb ((final) warning, demand, notice, conditions/terms) is in situations such as these when policy, law and order (a condition in which the existing rules, regulations, norms and related legal codes are recognized and observed for the sustenance of peace, orderliness and security of lives and property in society) and politics are all intertwined (connect/link closely). Perhaps (maybe, possibly, probably), the courts should not be so interfering (intervene, mediate, step in, intrude, arbitrate, involve oneself, get involved) and governments should be more proactive (energetic, motivated, farsighted, cautious, careful) and preemptive (preventive, precautionary, protective) in dealing with such flare-ups (sudden appearance/occurrence. outburst, outbreak, eruption, epidemic). The demands on the table (presented/suggested for discussion) have been pending for long, and the crisis in agriculture is multifaceted (diverse, different, various (features/aspects)). But allowing these permanent sit-in protests is problematic when someone goes on a fast unto (until) death because there is no way to know if he is being forced to starve (suffer, die from hunger) to death or not allowed to end the fast. Many of the farmers’ leaders have met Mr. Dallewal requesting him to end his hunger strike (a method of protest during which food is refused). However, such requests have been turned down (reject, decline, say no to, spurn, rebuff) with his supporters labelling (describe, classify, designate, identify, categorize, typify, call, name) other farmers’ leaders as agents of the government. Sane (rational, sensible, practical, wise, logical, realistic, responsible, balanced) voices (opinion, view, comment, feeling) among the farmers have been maintaining (say, state strongly; assert, affirm, announce) that Mr. Dallewal should join the joint protests rather than (instead of) adopting his fast unto death protest. The Punjab and Haryana governments and the Union Government must ensure that his life is not in danger. Mr. Dallewal and his associates (colleague, partner, supporter) should heed (pay attention to, take into account, consider) the advice of other farmers’ leaders and clear (remove, end) the apprehensions (misgiving, doubt, qualm, fear, worry, concern, uneasiness) that he is under pressure to continue with the hunger strike.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.press (for) (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दबाव डालना, जोर देना
English Meaning - urge, pressure, put pressure on, pressurize, force, drive.

2.talks (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बातचीत, चर्चा
English Meaning - discussions, dialogue, negotiation, consultation, deliberation.

3.sit-in (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धरना, विरोध प्रदर्शन
English Meaning - a method of protest in which people gather in a (public) place and remain there protesting continuously until their demands are fulfilled.

4.allegiance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निष्ठा, वफादारी, समर्पण
English Meaning - faithfulness, fidelity, obedience, adherence.

5.indefinite (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनिश्चित, अस्पष्ट
English Meaning - endless, infinite, uncertain, unsettled, undefined.

6.solidarity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - एकजुटता
English Meaning - mutual support, unity, unanimity, harmony, cohesion, cooperation.

7.aid (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सहायता, मदद
English Meaning - assistance, help, support, backing.

8.outfit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समूह
English Meaning - group, unit.

9.legalised (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - वैध, कानूनी
English Meaning - legal, legitimate, lawful, approved, authorized.

10.Minimum Support Price (MSP) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - न्यूनतम समर्थन मूल्य
English Meaning - it is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to give guaranteed price and assured market to the farmers and protect them from the price fluctuations and market imperfections. The guaranteed price and assured market are expected to encourage higher investment and in adoption of modern farming practices. The MSP is meant to set a minimum level of prices below which prices do not fall, and is announced by the government for 23 commodities. It is the price at which the government ‘promises’ to buy from farmers if market prices fall below it.

11.National Commission on Farmers (NCF) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राष्ट्रीय किसान आयोग
English Meaning - On November 18, 2004, the government of India formed the National Commission on Farmers (NCF), with MS Swaminathan (who is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India) as its chairman. The main aim of the commission was to come up with a system for sustainability in farming system and make it more profitable and cost competitive in farm commodities.

12.constitute (verb)

Hindi Meaning - गठित करना, स्थापित करना
English Meaning - initiate, establish, create, set up, originate, begin/start.

13.debt (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ऋण, कर्ज
English Meaning - liability, financial obligation, borrowed capital.

14.repeal (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निरस्त करना, रद्द करना
English Meaning - invalidate, reverse, cancel, nullify, revoke.

15.dialogue (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वार्ता, संवाद
English Meaning - discussions, talk, negotiation, consultation, deliberation, parley.

16.owe allegiance to (phrase)

English Meaning - to be loyal to, to be faithful to, to have a duty to obey someone.

17.stand (noun)

English Meaning - stance, position, perspective, attitude, point of view, viewpoint.

18.draw the attention of/to (noun)

English Meaning - to make someone notice something or someone.

19.held past participle of hold (verb)

English Meaning - have, conduct, organize, arrange.

20.loan/debt waiver (noun)

English Meaning - the borrower (farmer) is exempted from repayment of loan/debt due to a poor monsoon or natural calamity and the Centre or State governments which offer loan/debt waiver, will take over the liability of farmers and repay the banks.

21.waiver (noun)

English Meaning - deferral, rejection, renunciation (with no stipulations/restrictions).

22.Farm Acts, 2000 (noun)

English Meaning - Farm Acts, 2000 refer to three agricultural bills passed by Indian Parliament in September 2020. The three acts are “The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 (FPTC Act) allows farmers to sell their harvest outside the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis without paying any State taxes or fees”, “the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 facilitates contract farming and direct marketing”, and “the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 deregulates the production, storage, movement and sale of several major foodstuffs, including cereals, pulses, edible oils and onion, except in the case of extraordinary circumstances”.

23.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.

24.ultimatum (noun)

English Meaning - (final) warning, demand, notice, conditions/terms.

25.law and order (noun)

English Meaning - a condition in which the existing rules, regulations, norms and related legal codes are recognized and observed for the sustenance of peace, orderliness and security of lives and property in society.

26.intertwine (verb)

English Meaning - connect/link closely.

27.intertwined (adjective)

English Meaning - connected/linked closely.

28.perhaps (adverb)

English Meaning - maybe, possibly, probably.

29.interfere (verb)

English Meaning - intervene, mediate, step in, intrude, arbitrate, involve oneself, get involved.

30.proactive (adjective)

English Meaning - energetic, motivated, farsighted, cautious, careful.

31.preemptive (adjective)

English Meaning - preventive, precautionary, protective.