Farmers Movement Archive

Haryana farmers block highways and a railway line against farm reform bills

Farmers and ahrtia associations in Haryana have blocked several road highways and at least one railway track in the northern parts of the state to implement the nationwide shutdown call given by a group of farmers’ organisations against the three farm reform bills passed in the Parliament during the recently concluded Monsoon session.The protesting farmers sat on dharnas, blocking traffic movement on highways by parking their tractor-trailers and cars on roads in Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Karnal, and Kaithal districts. Karnal-Ladwa-Yamunanagar highway near Ladwa town, Karnal-Assandh-Jind road near Jalmaba Village of Karnal, Shahbad-Saha road near Shahbad, Yamunangar-Kurukshetra road near Radaur of Yamunangagar district had been blocked.The farmers associated with Bharatiya Kisan Union or BKU, (Charuni), have also blocked the Ambala-Yamunanagar-Saharanpur railway track near Sudhal village of Yamunanagar district. In the morning, there was no major impact in the cities as the shops and the markets remained opened but later, farmers carrying black flags were seen in several cities, requesting the shopkeepers and trade unions to shut down in support of the Bharat Bandh Call by closing their shops from 10am to 4pm. Also Read: Bharat Bandh: List of trains cancelled, highways blockedMost of the grain markets are also closed and there is no procurement of paddy in the mandis as the commission agents have also extended their support to the protests.While a heavy deployment of the police force has been made, they were not seen stopping the farmers from blocking the roads. The cops were instead seen managing the traffic by diverting it to the link roads. Also Read: Congress-ruled Punjab at standstill till 4pm in support of farmers’ bandh call The members of BKU (Charuni) have blocked the railway track near Yamunanagar, disrupting the movement of rails. The farmers were also taking out protest rallies on tractors, cars and bikes. BKU state president Gurnam Singh Charuni is visiting several districts and addressing farmers, encouraging them to support the agitation to force the central government to withdraw the agriculture reform bills.Around 17 farmer and ahrtia associations are supporting the bandh including BKU, All India Farmers Union (AIFU), All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), All India Kisan Mahasangh (AIKM). In Ambala, the traffic coming from Delhi side and going towards Patiala or Chandigarh has been diverted. Police presence at the borders, connecting Ambala with Patiala (Shambhu border) and Chandigarh (Sadopur), has been increased to manage traffic, IG Ambala Y Puran Kumar said. “Borders have not been sealed but we are only diverting traffic due to protests near Patiala and near Dera Bassi. As of now, there has been no reports of any protesting group going towards Delhi today,” IG Kumar said.

Hindustan Times

25-09-2020

India