-TheCitizen.in ‘The entire top leadership will make its presence felt at the rally’ Unprecedented mobilisation is underway for a Muzaffarnagar mahapanchayat by Farmer organisations, labour unions and other civil society groups to protest the imposition of “pro-corporate” farm laws. Lakhs of people are expected to participate from across the country with the majority coming from Punjab, Haryana, UP and Uttarakhand. Polls are due in three of these states by March. The event holds...

-Hindustan Times A corrosive culture distances the State from the public and legitimises demands for public ‘discipline’ to achieve policy goals Caught on a now viral video, ordering police to “break the heads” of Farmer protesters, Haryana bureaucrat Ayush Sinha achieved notoriety last week. The incident, coupled with the Haryana chief minister (CM)’s condemnation of the “choice of words” while insisting on “strictness” to maintain law and order, speaks volumes for how...

-Down to Earth Tanks have fallen into disrepair for lack of a clear community ownership; but Farmers, mostly women, are now being paid for its upkeep There is a reason why tanks — water bodies that store rainwater for irrigation — are in abundance in Karnataka. The state does not have many rivers; nor does it receive a lot of rainfall.    Karnataka’s Kolar district is dotted by these tanks, which have assumed...

-The Hindu They demand dismissal of official responsible for ordering lathicharge Haryana Farmer unions on Monday held a meeting in Karnal to demand registration of cases against the officials responsible for the lathicharge on the Farmers this past weekend and ₹25 lakh compensation to the next of kin of the Farmer who allegedly died due to the injuries sustained during the police action, among other things. Please click here to read more.  ...

-The Hindu Environmental experts and politicians raise concern over Centre’s proposal. Given the widespread destruction of rainforests and native biodiversity caused by oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia, environmental experts and politicians are warning that the Centre’s move to promote their cultivation in India’s northeastern States and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could be disastrous. Other concerns include the impact on community ownership of tribal lands, as well as the fact that...