Farmers Movement Archive

Village groups coordinate chakka jam

Protesting farmers at the Singhu border on Saturday said residents of their respective villages had participated in the chakka jam (road block) called by the farmers. Teams and committees at the village level had been formed earlier to coordinate between those who were required to be present at the borders and those who would participate in the chakka jam , they said. Patiala resident Manjeet Singh, who has been at the Singhu border since the protest began, said, “These days we are mostly staying at the borders on a rotational basis. Committees have been formed at the village level specially for coordination purposes — to decide which group is going to be at the borders and for how long.” “Similarly, for the chakka jam as well, it was decided as to who all will block the highways. Considering we are here at the border, people from our village have participated in the three-hour blockade, in large numbers. From our village, tractors and trolleys were used to protest on the Bhatinda-Chandigarh highway. Link roads were also shut during this period, according to the updates we received from those who participated,” Mr. Singh said. Several tractors and trolleys were also seen arriving at the Singhu border on Saturday, with groups of people joining the protest, even as the chakka jam was under way in other parts of the country. Division of labour Vikram Singh of Bathinda said, “I have been at the protest site since the first day. We have 25 to 30 trolleys from our village itself. The village pradhan is the one who is mostly coordinating and organising everything. People from our village have gone to the Bhatinda-Amritsar highway for the chakka jam . Because the distance is also less, there are instances where all members from a particular family have joined the three-hour long blockade.” Stating that people back in the villages were ready and motivated to participate in the protest, Maninder Singh, a farmer from Mohali district said, “The call had gone from the main stage at Singhu border and people in the villages were more than happy to join the protest. Everyone is prepared. Anyway people are visiting the borders on a rotational basis. So the ones who are currently in the villages joined the chakka jam wholeheartedly.” Internet services remained disrupted at the Singhu border amid deployment of security forces.

The Hindu

2021-02-07

NEW DELHI