Farmers Movement Archive

Bharat Bandh, Delhi open

NEW DELHI: The Bharat bandh called by farmers on Tuesday against the central government’s new farm laws didn’t elicit much response in the capital though the borders of Delhi have been the epicentre of the protest for a fortnight now. Even though markets and offices remained opened and there was no problem in the availability of either public transport, app-based cabs or autorickshaws, Delhiites and those from neighbouring areas who work in Delhi preferred to be cautious on Tuesday keeping in mind the recent experiences of choked border points and traffic snarls due to the farmers’ protest. The bandh was peaceful and turned out more symbolic, just as the decision of market associations to keep shops open didn’t matter much as customers preferred to keep away. Connaught Place appeared desolate and there were few visitors at its stores and restaurants. The buzz was also missing from the high-rise office buildings in the central business district though offices were open. There were fewer customers in many other markets as well. “It usually takes me more than one hour to reach my office in Green Park, but today I drove the distance in less than 40 minutes because the roads were deserted,” said Abhilash Sharma, a resident of Vaishali in Ghaziabad. “Many colleagues, however, preferred to work from home today as they feared traffic snarls or overcrowding in the Delhi Metro.” The arterial roads of Delhi witnessed very thin traffic even in the peak hours. Even the perennially congested ITO intersection had very few vehicles on Tuesday morning. Similarly, India Gate and Mandi House roundabouts too had thin traffic. There was a heavy presence of security personnel at not only the border points but also across the city. At many points, random searches of vehicles were carried out. Satish Golcha, special commissioner of police (Law and Order), Central Range, said, “The situation in Delhi was peaceful and under control. The markets were open and there was normal movement of people as well as traffic.” Some farmers blocked the Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Ghazipur border. After around three hours, they moved to the other carriageway where they had already been sitting on protest so as not to impede movement of commuters. There was heavy police deployment at DND, but the farmers did not venture there, leaving the traffic peaceful and smooth. There was a protest at ITO near the flyover by Congress functionaries in support of the bandh. Members of the Aam Aadmi Party also raised slogans outside the party office, but the protests went off peacefully and Delhi Police ensured that nearby traffic movement was not affected. Two separate cases were, however, registered for Covid regulations violation, one against Congress activists and the other against AAP workers.

The Times of India

2020-12-09

Delhi