Farmers Movement Archive

From winter of dissent to a summer of protest, at UP Gate

GHAZIABAD: They have braved the chilly winds. Now, they are preparing to face the sultry summer. With fans, coolers and gensets, farmers’ outfits at UP Gate are making preparations to house protesters so that they can continue their agitation through the summer months. While a tarpaulin shade is being erected near the stage, which is the heart of the protest site, tents are being shifted from the Delhi-Meerut Expressway to the vacant space below the flyover. Fans and coolers are being supplied by farmers from various parts of the country, just like the way food, blankets and medicines have arrived at the protest site. Three gensets of 10KV capacity are supplying power to run the fans and coolers. Rakesh Tikait, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader who is spearheading the agitation at UP Gate, has asked the district administration to supply electricity to the protest site at commercial rates. “But if they refuse to supply power to us, we will use gensets. The protesters will themselves supply diesel like they have been contributing for the langars,” said Tikait. Jagtar Singh Bajwa, one of the protesters, said more fans and coolers would reach them in a few days. “A few affluent farmers from across the country are sending these. To protect the protesters from the sun, a tarpaulin shade has already been set up near the stage. Very soon we will raise the heights of the tents and make arrangements for cross ventilation in them,” he added. The rising mercury has started taking a toll on the farmers. “Yes, it gets very hot inside the tents in the afternoon. And with six men already inside each of them, it’s very difficult to catch some sleep. The tents have no ventilation. We need to have fans and coolers inside every tent. I am told that arrangements are being made to help us see the summer months through,” said Jagpreet Singh, a farmer Khatauli who was catching a nap under the shade of his tractor. Hukum Singh has shifted his tent from near the stage to below the DME bridge. “You may not feel the heat while you are out. But in the afternoon, it is already becoming difficult to stay inside. I have had to shift to one of the tents that is just below the DME bridge,” he added. But even here, Hukum Singh is not getting reprieve. “Here, a gush of wind is bringing foul smell from nearby drains and the Ghazipur murga mandi. With the government not budging and our leaders declaring that the agitation will continue till the laws are repealed, the going for the farmers from here will only get tougher,” added Singh. However, the protesters are confident that the agitation will continue, no matter how hot it gets. “At the end of the day, we are farmers and have braved the harsh weather for years. We are used to working in the fields in sub-zero temperatures and intense heat waves. So, the weather cannot break our resolve,” said Harnam Choudhary, a protester.

The Times of India

2021-02-17

Ghaziabad