Farmers Movement Archive

2 days after being stopped in Rampur, hundreds of Terai farmers continue march to Delhi

Rudrapur: Two days after being stopped by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) police on the Nainital-Delhi highway (NH-87) at Rampur, hundreds of farmers from Terai, Uttarakhand’s “rice bowl”, proceeded to New Delhi on Saturday afternoon after the heavy police force retreated. “Last two nights were challenging for us but we still have a total strength of more than one thousand farmers. We will go to Delhi and join the ongoing protest. We are confident that the government will be compelled to repeal these detrimental laws,” said Santokh Singh, a protesting farmer. Earlier on Thursday, the farmers heading to the national capital to protest against the three contentious farm laws were stopped by the police but they had refused to fall back and had rather parked their vehicles (tractors and other utility vehicles, among others) outside Rudra-Bilas sugar mill in Rampur and set up makeshift beds at the spot. Additionally, a nearby gurdwara had arranged a ‘langar’ (free community meal) to feed these protesting farmers. Tejender Singh Virk, member of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) and president of Terai Kisan Mahasabha, told TOI, “The farmers are protesting against all three laws — the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Instead of taking back these flawed laws, the government is stopping farmers from protesting peacefully. Nonetheless, hundreds of farmers are joining us and we are confident that we will definitely reach Delhi for the protest. We live in a democracy and protesting against a government decision is our constitutional right.” Notably, the protesters include members of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, AIKSCC and Bharatiya Kisan Union and several other farmers from the Terai region of Uttarakhand. Meanwhile, the local police in Roorkee on Saturday stopped around 100 farmers who were also heading towards New Delhi to join the ‘anti-farm laws’ protest. “We told the farmers about the risk of gathering in such a large number during Covid-19 pandemic. They were told that they would have to undergo a mandatory Covid-19 test when they return to the state after protesting in Delhi. After a detailed discussion, their march to New Delhi was cancelled,” SP (rural Haridwar) Swapn Kishore Singh told TOI. However, the agitating farmers — members of either the BKU or the Rashtriya Kisan Majdoor Sangathan — have said that they will now undertake solo journeys to New Delhi as they were prevented by the police from traveling in a group.

The Times of India

2020-11-29

Dehradun