-The Indian Express Non-payment of last season’s dues and no SAP being declared for 2020-21, with more than two months of crushing over, can emerge as a potential flashpoint in the ongoing farmers’ agitation. New Delhi: The farmers’ agitation, until now, has been about Punjab and Haryana, wheat and paddy, and concerns over the future of minimum support price (MSP)-based procurement and agricultural produce market committee mandis. But there’s one elephant in the...

-Livemint.com * Unlikely alliances brought the disquiet to Delhi’s doorstep. Here’s the definitive behind-the-scenes account * Many of the farmer leaders who are out on the streets have not seen eye-to-eye for years, if not decades. Yet, decisions are being taken jointly, brushing aside years of acrimony Enough is enough. How long will we sit like this? Let us break the barricades and move toward Delhi. If some lives have to be sacrificed,...

-TheWire.in The police action follows a complaint lodged by a Bajrang Dal organiser from Bulandshahr, alleging that the seller was promoting communal disharmony. New Delhi: A Muslim shopkeeper in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr was detained by the police on Tuesday for selling shoes embossed with the word ‘Thakur’ on the sole with the authorities accusing him of inciting communal hatred. Thakur is a common Hindu name, normally associated with a so-called ‘upper’ caste. The shopkeeper,...

-The Indian Express Considering the critical importance of agriculture for livelihoods, health, food security, and also keeping in mind the vulnerability of Indian farmers, it is necessary to go beyond reductionist expediency in considering agricultural reforms. In his speech on December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the three controversial farm laws will finally deliver justice to the vast majority of small farmers who have been ignored by successive governments. As...

-IndiaSpend.com Many health issues were neglected as COVID-19 hogged global attention in 2020. Apart from the COVID-19 vaccine, what other health issues should be in focus in 2021? New Delhi: COVID-19 demanded the single-minded focus of India's entire healthcare infrastructure all through 2020. In fact, the pandemic hogged so much attention across all aspects of our lives that most other issues of public health were put on the back-burner. Issues such as tackling...