Farmers Movement Archive

Traffic hit as pro-farm bill farmers protest at Noida e-way for 5 hours

A group of farmers on Thursday protested at the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway near Mahamaya Flyway, affecting the traffic moving from Greater Noida towards Delhi for about five hours. The protest was led by the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (KSS), which is supporting the Centre’s new farm bills.The farmers claimed that they wanted to go to Delhi to meet the Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar but were stopped by the police. They gathered at the spot around 11:30am and protested till 4:30pm, the police said. Bijendra Singh Rawal, president, KSS, GB Nagar, said, “Along with 500 other farmers, I have come here in support of the three farm laws. We have gone through these laws and found them useful. These laws will break the shackles that have been restricting the farmers from growth and prosperity since Independence,” he said. Rawal further said that earlier, the farmers had the option to sell their produce only at the mandi. “There was no other option to sell the produce outside mandi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated that the mandis will exist while the farmers will have option to sell their crops to others at their convenience,” said Rawal.He alleged that in the mandis, there are middlemen, who take commission to facilitate the sale and purchase of the crops that ultimately affects the income of farmers. Meanwhile, some members of Kisan Sena, another outfit, also joined the pro-farm laws protest near Mahamaya Flyway. Satveer Tyagi, a resident of Kulesra village in Greater Noida, said, “I grow paddy, wheat and bajra in my fields. When we go to sell the produce in the mandis, the mediators seek commission from us. Now, we can visit other places and sell our crops if we get better price,” he said. A Noida police team reached the spot and placed barricades on both sides of the protesters. A team also flew a drone to keep aerial surveillance. Kumar Ranvijay Singh, additional DCP, Noida Zone 1, said that the farmers had started gathering from 11:30am onwards. “The police had placed barricades and allowed traffic movement in a single lane for commuters heading towards DND Flyway and Film City Flyway. But at 4pm, another farmers’ group came from Western Uttar Pradesh and joined the protest. The gathering became large and we stopped the traffic completely till 4:30pm on the route. However, we diverted the traffic at Charkha Chowk, near Amity University. These vehicles were guided to reach Okhla Sanctuary metro station and take the underpass to reach Noida-Greater Noida Expressway again,” he said. The police later allowed a 21-member farmers’ delegation to enter Delhi to meet the Union Agriculture Minister.

Hindustan Times

25-12-2020

Noida