Farmers Movement Archive

Blockade at Chilla border: Traffic from Noida diverted

Farmer groups on Wednesday blocked the carriageway from Noida to Delhi via the Chilla border, even as the Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated that it may form a committee to resolve the deadlock over the three new contentious farm laws. The Delhi-Noida carriageway, however, remained in operation with only about 150 farmers reaching the site instead of the nearly 2,000 that were expected, according to farm union leaders. The Noida-Delhi traffic was diverted through the Delhi-Noida Direct Flyway.In a press conference on Tuesday evening, farmer leaders had announced that they will “completely block” the Chilla (Delhi-Noida link road) border.“We were expecting nearly 2,000 farmers to reach there for the complete blockade of the Chilla border. However, only a few could reach and block one carriageway. We will reach on Thursday morning in full strength and block both the roads,” said Rishipal Ambawata, head of Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Ambawata group.Yogesh Pratap Singh, state president of BKU (Bhanu), said: “We will continue the blockade till the government accepts all our demands. We are not against another round of talks, but the government should also give us an optimistic response. We are planning to block DND next.”The agitation at Delhi’s four key borders – Singhu, Tikri, UP Gate and Chilla – entered the 21st day on Wednesday. Farm union leaders also said they had formed an IT cell to counter the Centre’s “propaganda” about the agitation.Commenting on the SC’s indications earlier in the day, Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders after their core committee meeting in the evening decided “to remain silent on the matter” until they receive any notice from the apex court over constituting the panel. They had welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision earlier in the day, with some suggestions of their own on how the body would be constituted.Manjeet Rai, national president of BKU (Doaba), said, “In the meeting, the members of our core committee decided that we will not comment anything on the Supreme Court’s suggestion of forming a panel of farmers and representatives of the government for talks on the farm laws till a formal notice is received. The matter is listed in the Supreme Court on Thursday. Further decision will be taken accordingly.”The farm leaders had earlier demanded that the panel should mainly consist of the representatives of the farmers who have been protesting against the farm bills at Delhi borders and other places across the country. They also said that they will not accept the “participation of any pro-government farmer leaders” in the panel.“We will not accept any such leaders in the panel. The committee should be time-bound. We request the government of Punjab and Haryana to play a positive role and stand in solidarity with the agitating protesters. The farmers are dying at the protest venue because of the chilling cold,” Satnam Singh Sahni, BKU Doaba’s general secretary, said in the afternoon when asked to comment on the Supreme Court’s decision.However, the farmer leaders changed their stand after the core committee meeting and decided to maintain silence of the issue till the Wednesday’s hearing in the court.Darshan Pal, president of Krantikari Kisan Union, said that the members of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), a platform leading the protests, will meet on Thursday morning and decide the next course of action. “We will discuss the suggestions given by the apex court on Thursday. We will take any decision after discussing with all the farmers’ unions,” he said.On Wednesday, the farmer leaders said that they have formed an IT Cell to counter the central government’s “propaganda” that they have been spreading against the protesting farmers through various means.“Our 50 member IT wing would respond to all such propaganda of the government and revert instantly in the same manner. This cell will also work to disseminate real-time information about our decisions and progress in the agitation to nearly 1.2 billion people across the globe who are associated with us,” said Rai.At the Ghazipur and Tikri borders, the protest remained peaceful on Wednesday.

Hindustan Times

17-12-2020

Delhi