Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers block railway tracks, trains stopped amid heavy security

Meerut/Muzaffarangar/Rudrapur: Farmers squatted on railway tracks in several districts of West UP and Terai region in Uttarakhand on Monday, delaying trains and leaving passengers stranded on the stations. A stern warning from the UP government and deployment of heavy police force failed to deter farmers from answering the call for a nationwide ‘Rail Roko’ by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) to demand immediate suspension of Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. In Muzaffarnagar, farmers staged dharna on the railway tracks at Mansoorpur railway station, leaving Amritsar-Delhi Express stranded. Similarly, Sidhbali Express was halted at Bijnor. The rail-roko Andolan began at 10am on Monday and continued for six hours. In Meerut, farmers sat on dharna at Kankerkhera and Partapur railway tracks. In many places, however, the protest was symbolic in nature and trains ran without obstruction. According to ADM city (Muzaffarnagar), Amit Singh, “Farmers had staged protests at two railway stations — Khatauli and Mansoorpur. A train was stopped at 11:30am. But farmers were not sitting on the tracks and after talks they agreed that no trains would be stopped, but railway authorities halted the trains due to security reasons.” In Bijnor, Digambar Singh, a senior BKU leader, said, “Our rail-roko andolan was quite successful and we stopped a train at Maizampur railway station.” Bijnor superintendent of police Dharamveer Singh, however, said heavy police force was deployed at railway stations and no train was stopped. The administration downplayed the impact of the agitation, with the UP ADG (law and order) Prashant Kumar claiming that no trains were stopped in the state. Kumar said, "The agitation was more or less symbolic in nature and no trains were stopped in the state. To prevent any aggressiveness, we had deployed 160 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and nine companies of paramilitary forces at railway stations. Besides, senior police and administrative officials were regularly in touch with farmer leaders to ensure peace.” In Uttarakhand’s Rudrapur, farmers under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) reached the railway station which lies under the jurisdiction of Bilaspur police of UP and sat on the tracks at 10 am. District president of BKU (Chashni), Sahab Singh Sekhon, said, “We demand immediate dismissal of Union minister Ajay Mishra as he can influence the probe underway against his son.” As soon as 'Garib Rath' from Delhi to Kathgodam arrived at the station at 12 noon, the farmers laid down on the tracks, forcing the loco pilot to stop the train. The protesting farmers were forcefully removed from the tracks and the train left for Kathgodam. Circle officer of Bilaspur police, Anoop Chaudhary, said that the train was stopped for five minutes as per its normal halt. “We ensured smooth passage of the Garib Rath as farmers were removed from the tracks,” he said. (Inputs by Aakash Ahuja)

The Times of India

2021-10-19

Meerut