Farmers Movement Archive

As farmers march towards Delhi, admin & cops on their toes to persuade them to stay home

PILIBHIT: Three teams of Pilibhit district administration and police held meetings with farmers at gurdwaras in Sikh-dominated villages under Puranpur tehsil in Pilibhit district in a bid to persuade them “not to travel to Delhi borders with the supplies needed for the protesting farmers” after UP-Uttarakhand Sikh Sangathan chief Jasveer Singh Virk called upon the farmers to reach Delhi’s Ghazipur border on December 25. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa, meanwhile, on Thursday visited Rampur to campaign against the three new farm laws in villages in the district. Confirming the development, Pilibhit district magistrate Pulkit Khare said, “The teams are visiting 10 villages daily. They are listening to farmers’ grievances and trying to redress them on the spot.” The DM and superintendent of police Jai Prakash Yadav comprised a team, while ADM (judicial) Devendra Pratap Mishra led the second team comprising IPS-designated of the state government Ajay Pal Sharma and two deputy SPs from Lucknow — Vineet Singh and Ajay Pal Sahni. The third team was, however, led by Puranpur circle SDM Rajendra Prasad and CO Pramod Yadav, said the DM. The visiting officials even “promised to resolve some of the local issues of the farmers”. Virk told TOI that farmers from several destinations in UP and Uttarakhand had started moving towards the Delhi border on Thursday, but police were impeding their journey. “They will not return to their homes and will stage peaceful dharna at the spot of their detention. The dharna will continue till police withdraw. We are expecting at least ten thousand farmers from Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand and UP to assemble at Rampur T-point at 11 am on December 25.” Nighasan tehsil president of the Sangathan in Kheri district Gurmeet Singh said around 300 farmers from Tikunia first "took an oath to reach the Ghazipur border at any cost" at Tikunia gurdwara and then embarked on their journey by tractor-trolleys and cars, but they were besieged by a heavy police force just outside the gurdwara. “They somehow managed to move towards Palia, where they would be joined by around 600 farmers. At Bhira, another 200-300 farmers would join them with essential supplies for their stay at the Delhi border. They are prepared to thwart police action,” he added. Talking with TOI over the phone, Sirsa said police forces had encircled Nawabganj gurdwara in Rampur on Thursday morning after Sikh farmers in large numbers assembled there following a call given by ‘mukhya granthi’ (chief priest) Baba Anoop Singh to reach Delhi border. Sirsa termed the police action “unfortunate and provocative”. Jagdev Singh Jagga, a farmer leader hailing from Simraya village under Puranpur tehsil, told TOI that administrative and police officers were making efforts to persuade farmers not to go to Delhi borders.

The Times of India

2020-12-25

Bareilly