Farmers Movement Archive

West UP stir reaches Delhi border as protests rage

GURUGRAM/NOIDA: Responding to the nationwide bandh called by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) against the contentious farm bills passed last week, large groups of farmers and commission agents flooded the streets in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, blocking highways and the rail routes around the capital, and disrupting traffic till late afternoon. In Haryana, where the demonstrations swelled on Friday, thousands of farmers and over 30 farmers’ bodies agitated against the ‘anti-farmer’ policies adopted by the Centre from 10am. While the protests were peaceful in parts, effigies of senior BJP leaders and copies of the farm bills were burnt in some areas, and scathing slogans were raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) blocked Triveni Chowk on Ladwa road at Radaur in Yamunanagar, where Congress MLA Bishan Lal Saini joined protesters in burning effigies of BJP and coalition ally JJP leaders. BKU Haryana president Gurnam Singh Charuni addressed agitators in Pinjore, Barwala, Naraingarh, and Shahabad. In Ambala and some other villages, peasants put up banners at entry points prohibiting entry of BJP and JJP leaders, who form the ruling alliance in the state. In Hisar, farmers gheraoed the residence of cabinet minister Anoop Dhanak and shouted anti-BJP slogans. They pledged to intensify the protest unless the Centre passes a law that gives sovereign guarantee on the MSP and grievance redress system in case of the defaults. “This is the tipping point. The entire nation is standing up to demand guaranteed MSP (minimum support price) for the food-givers of the country. This will only get bigger. Modi and his friends must get this straight,” said Mewat-based farmer leader and member of AIKSCC Ramzan Choudhary. Demanding a constitutional guarantee that they will get the right price for their produce, hundreds of farmers in places like Rohtak and Yamunanagar marched on highways and blocked railroads for hours. As many as 20 trains were either cancelled or rerouted till Saturday. Villagers from Bhaini Maharajpur camped on the Delhi-Hisar part of the NH-9, putting it out of bounds for motorists. On Delhi’s borders with Uttar Pradesh, farmers protested at Noida gate and UP Gate in hundreds, blocked from progressing into the capital by Delhi Police, which had heavily barricaded the borders. The farmers, who had congregated from various parts of West UP, disrupted traffic flow for almost four hours. Atop tractors and cars, they shouted slogans like “Modi teri tanashahi nahi chalegi,” accusing the Centre of trying to help “capitalists and industrialists”. Agitating villagers from Jewar and Dankaur took over the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and moved towards Noida in waves. To avoid chaos, traffic police started diverting commuters going from Noida to Delhi via the DND loop, leaving many drivers confused. Traffic was also thrown out of gear at the Chilla border in east Delhi. “If they don’t allow us to enter Delhi, we will not allow anyone from Delhi to enter either. We will do a ‘chakka jam’ on all four sides of Delhi, and supply of milk, vegetables and food will be stopped. We have given a memorandum to this affect,” said Pawan Khatana, state spokesperson and Meerut mandal president of BKU-apolitical. “If a farmer gets to know that his produce will fetch a better price in Karnataka, how will he transport his produce to Karnataka?” he asked. Several kilometres of the Delhi-Meerut expressway were completely choked. Sanjay Mishra, a resident of Shastri Nagar who was on his way to Meerut, had to turn back as protesters did not allow him and many others to pass through. “Even though there was heavy presence of police force, no attempts were made to free up the expressway,” alleged Mishra. At Bhowpura and UP Gate where traffic was frustrating slow for about two hours, the protesters relented only after the administration officials made several requests. “The protesting farmers submitted a memorandum to the President through the district magistrate, and only after that they ended the protest which lasted for about two hours,” said Shailender Singh, ADM city. A senior Delhi traffic police officer said heavy deployment was made at the border areas in anticipation of the protest moving into Delhi. “A similar arrangement with fewer people will be made at the Delhi border on Saturday as well to ensure no untoward activity takes place,” he said.

The Times of India

2020-09-26

Noida