Farmers Movement Archive

Ghaziabad: Officials inspect UP-Gate farmers’ protest site, roll out directions for fire and electrical safety measures

The Ghaziabad district administration and police on Friday inspected the UP Gate farmer protest sites to ensure the protesters were not at risk of a fire that could go out of control. The farmers, officially estimated to be around 2,500-3,000 at the site, have been holding ground during peak winter with the help of gas stoves, bonfires and ‘hukkah’ to keep themselves warm. The site also has about 15 langars (community ktichens) that run on firewood and LPG cylinders. “We directed the department of electrical safety and the fire department to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. Their officers have been directed to brief farmers about proper use of electrical fittings and other gadgets. The teams have also been asked to co-ordinate with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI),” said Praveen Kumar, inspector general (Meerut range). Kumar was accompanied by district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey to inspect the site. Many of the protesters were also drawing power by illegally tapping into electrical panels of the street lights erected onthe Delhi Meerut Expressway to run heaters, washing machines etc and to charge their mobile phones. NHAI officials had earlier complained to the district magistrate over the issue.“We have asked the department of electrical safety and the fire department to arrange 20-25 charging points for the protesters,” said Shailendra Kumar Singh, additional district magistrate (city). The fire department said that they had briefed farmers about safety. “Two fire tenders have been deployed at the highway section, while two others have been deployed below the UP-Gate flyover (which are the protest sites). One is stationed on the Delhi-Ghaziabad carriageway. We also met people there and asked them to take all precautions,” said Sunil Kumar Singh, chief fire officer. Rakesh Tikait, leader and spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Tikait faction, said, “We have been here for about 23 days now and have no option but to use power from wherever available. It is a necessity.” ‘Rift no more’Two farmer groups that, on Wednesday, set up another protest site after differences with the BKU (Tikait), returned to the main protest platform on the UP Gate flyover on Friday. BKU (Balraj Bhati) and Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan had then claimed that the BKU (Tikait) had “expelled” them from the protest but were united for the cause of the farmer. The two groups had preferred for a more accommodating stance during the talks with the central government, while the Tikait faction said it wanted the three new farms laws to be revoked.Balraj Bhati, the leader of his faction, on Friday said that they had dismantled their protest site after senior farmer leaders arrived and resolved the issue. Sardar VM Singh of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan said: “We have a common agenda (against the farm laws). I just want to stick to it. I have no issues with Rakesh (Tikait). I just said that if we are fighting the government, we cannot sit with the government.” Singh had said that he would have accepted the central government’s offer of written assurance on buying produce at the minimum support price (MSP). He believed that this would effectively dilute the effect of the farm laws. This allegedly earned the ire of the Tikait faction.Rakes Tikait said, “Sardar VM Singh is here with us and he is a big farmer leader and all of us are fighting for the cause of farmers. He also arrived at the common dais on Friday and there is absolutely no issue between us.”

Hindustan Times

18-12-2020

Noida