Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers continue sit-in at Chilla, traffic diverted

Noida: Farmers gathered at the Chilla border to protest against the Centre’s new farm laws on Saturday continued their sit-in protest. As a result, the traffic going from Noida to Delhi remained diverted via the DND flyway.Hundreds of farmers have been protesting at the Chilla border (Noida-Delhi link road) for the past nearly three weeks. Members of Bhanu faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) have been camping at the Chilla border after they were stopped from entering Delhi.On Saturday, the BKU (Bhanu) supporters were joined by a small group of farmers from Telangana. “A larger delegation will also join us in the coming days. If the government had thought that the movement would lose its momentum, they were wrong,” said Yogesh Pratap Singh, state president, BKU (Bhanu).The number of protesting farmers at the Chilla border are swelling, as a group of farmers from UP’s Etah had joined the group on Friday night.The border had opened on December 13 before the traffic from Noida to Delhi was once again blocked on December 16 after the farmers alleged that their supporters were being illegally detained in the state. The Noida-Delhi side was opened on Saturday for a brief period to let a medical emergency vehicle pass through, the police said.On Saturday evening, farmers camped at the border also burnt some copies of the new farm laws and a letter from the minister of agriculture to the farmers.“We don’t need them to write letters to us. We need them to talk to us and listen to the problems that we are facing and then take steps to improve them. The cold weather no longer affects us. We are going to remain here until the government takes some action in our favour,” said Singh. The BKU (Bhanu) leader was on a hunger strike which he had broken on Thursday. The members of the BKU (Lok Shakti) camped at the Dalit Prerna Sthal are also on an indefinite hunger strike. They were joined on Saturday by the local transgender community that gave cultural performances to boost the morale of the protestors.Meanwhile, with one side of the border remaining closed, traffic continues to be diverted through the DND flyway.“Traffic is moving steadily through alternate routes. The protestors were joined yesterday by a group from Etah. Police is on high alert to manage any law and order situation and we are monitoring the developments,” said Rajesh S, deputy commissioner of police, Noida zone 1.

Hindustan Times

19-12-2020

Noida