Farmers Movement Archive

Borders still first choice, only a few move to Burari

New Delhi: Though the farmers of Punjab on a march to Delhi have been asked to stage their protest at the Nirkankari Samagam ground, most of them opted to stay put at the Singhu and Tikri borders. On Saturday, there were only a few hundred protesters at the ground in north Delhi’s Burari, despite Delhi government’s elaborate arrangements there for the demonstrating farmers. Jagdish Jagga of Faridkot, who reached the Singhu border with others in a tractor-trolley around 2am on Saturday was clear. “If we sit at the Burari ground for even four years, it will make no impact on the central government,” he declared. “Our demands for the rollback of the three new farm laws will be heard only if we hit the streets.” His fellow protester, Gurmeet Singh, added, “We will take a call on Sunday on whether to shift from here to Burari.” At the ground itself, farmers from Punjab and Haryana, equipped with rations, utensils, blankets and mattresses, claimed they were prepared to sit in protest for the next four to six months. Though Delhi government and some voluntary groups made arrangements for food at Burari, the farmers cooked their own meals and shunned the tents provided there, preferring instead their tractors. Busy chopping vegetables, Harvinder Singh of Bhaini village in Punjab’s Mansa district, said they were ready to protest for whatever time it took to get the government to repeal the new laws that left them vulnerable to private companies. Some farmers claimed to be at the grounds only to inspect the arrangements. Yashpal Chowdhury of Baghpat, UP, said, “We left our friends at the UP border and came here to check things out. We will now drive back to the border.” Amit Kumar, squatting alongside 20 others, said, “All of us, farmers from Haryana’s Fatehabad district, arrived in Delhi in 27 tractor-trolleys. Most have stayed at the border, but some of us decided to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar and went there in an auto-rickshaw only to have the cops stopping us. So we came to Burari, but will go back in the evening to join the rest at the border.” Social activist Medha Patkar was at Burari on Saturday. After meeting the protesters, she told TOI, “The farmers have not come to Burari ground in large numbers as their associations feel that this will become a camping site, instead of a struggle site. Discussions are under way to use Burari site for a protest because the farmers want a place where dialogues can take place in their favour.” AAP leader Sanjay Singh too visited the farmers. “We are satisfied with the arrangements here,” said farmer Hakam Singh. North Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Jai Prakash said efforts had been made to ensure the protesters did not face any inconvenience. He said 25 mobile toilets, three auto tippers, five waste bins and a JCB to manage the garbage had been placed and three generator sets provided illumination.

The Times of India

2020-11-28

Delhi