Farmers Movement Archive

Farmer protest site on Delhi-Jaipur highway deserted, traffic continues to crawl

NEW DELHI/ALWAR: While cars crawl in between trucks and heavy loaders going to Jaipur from Delhi, the site of the farmers’ protest near Shahjahanpur on the Delhi-Jaipur highway is deserted. Many of the hundreds of huts erected on the highway are empty today, with a large number of the protesters returning home to harvest the wheat and mustard crops. There is only a handful of people in the area. Gurdar Singh, 80, of Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan, said the farmers need to be present in their fields at this time of the year. “The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has allowed people to go back to their villages, though most will be back in the next couple of weeks after the harvest is done,” said Singh. A memorial made of red earthen pots place inversely over sticks spiked in the earth brought from the villages marks the blockade site, which covers both the carriageways of the Delhi-Jaipur highway. Japan Singh said that most of the protesters here hail from Hanumangarh, Churu, Ganganagar and Sikar districts of Rajasthan, places where mustard is cultivated. “People have small fields and the families mostly carry out the harvesting on their own, not with hired labourers,” said Japan Singh. “We are optimistic of people returning on a rotation basis before the march to Delhi.” Samyukta Kisan Morcha has announced a march to Parliament in May. The association of farmers unions has decreed the march will be on foot and special care will be taken to avoid the incidents that marred the January 26 tractor rally. Among the people who have remained put at Shahjahanpur are members of left-wing organisations. Bhagat Singh, 62, of Shahjahanpur belongs to one such organisation. "We are asking people to come here on a rotation basis. The dust-storms of April 1 damaged many tents, but we are not budging,” he said. Maleram, 61, of Sikar district hasn’t left the protest site since December 13. “We have braved storms, the harsh winter and rains. What is the point of giving up now? We will stay till the three black farm laws are repealed,” he declared. A Haryana Police officer stationed at the location confirmed that the number of protesters here had diminished, estimating them at between 100 and 200. The cops are using the service lanes for traffic going to Jaipur from Delhi. “We make sure the service lanes are open. We only have orders to prevent the farmers from moving to Haryana,” he said.

The Times of India

2021-04-13

Delhi