Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers in large number head back to Punjab, Haryana

Ambala/Patiala: National Highway-44, which connects several states with the national capital, was on Wednesday thick with thousands of farmers on their tractors-trailers and SUVs heading back to Punjab and Haryana from Delhi’s kisan parade. A police force was deputed by the Ambala district administration at Devi Nagar toll plaza that kept an eye on the movement of tractors on the way to Punjab. The farmers returning to their homes seemed positive to carry forward the protest against the three farm laws. They alleged that, “The government misused the state machinery to divide the farmers’ agitation.” BKU Haryana (Charuni) Ambala district vice-president Gulab Singh, who also returned from Delhi on Wednesday, said, “The incident at the Red Fort was part of a conspiracy supported by the BJP government. Deep Sidhu was planted by the government to break our agitation. But we will foil this conspiracy with a peaceful protest until the black laws are withdrawn.” At Shambhu, farmer Sukhwinder Singh returning to Punjab said, “On Tuesday, we were moving on the route given by the Delhi police, but they barricaded that passage and turned the farmers towards the Red Fort. The farmers moved on and reached Red Fort.” Another farmer Yadwinder Singh at Shambhu said, “Some mischievous elements were behind what happened at the Red Fort. We are returning to Punjab to drop some persons and will return to the agitation site again.” Sub-inspector Anil Kumar, police officer on duty at Shambhu, said, “We have been deputed to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the highway so that the farmers coming from Delhi return to their homes in Punjab safely and with peace.” In Patiala, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Shingara Singh Mann said a number of farmers returned to their home after participating in the parade. “The farmers who returned were those who had come to Delhi only to participate in the parade.” BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) Punjab general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokari Kalan said, “Around 75% of farmers who had come to participate only in the kisan parade had returned.” Clash in Karnal village Karnal: A few local youths clashed with the returning farmers near Gharaunda village in Karnal. The district administration uprooted the farmers’ dharna and langar stalls. Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav and superintendent of police Ganga Ram Punia also visited the Bastara toll plaza, which had been under siege by the farmers. Yadav said, “After the Delhi incident, some people had given a call not to let farmers hold any other dharna in the district, so we requested the kisan protesters to close the community kitchen and go home. The farmers complied voluntarily. The dharnas and the four langars are off. The Gharaunda clash was minor but duty magistrates are keeping an eye on the law and order situation.” SP Ganga Ram Punia said, “Police are now deployed at the Bastara toll plaza and inside Gharaunda village to catch anyone who tries to disrupt communal harmony. We will keep the traffic smooth.” A farmers’ group vacated its campsite at Masani barrage of Rewari near Dharuhera and went home after the DSP told them that 15 local villages had given it an ultimatum. These farmers had entered the Rewari-Dharuhera road on January 2 after running through barricades and facing police resistance. The road section was closed since.

The Times of India

2021-01-28

Chandigarh