Farmers Movement Archive

Kept our promise, say farmers leaving Delhi's Tikri border

NEW DELHI: Celebrations broke out at Tikri border and there were loud chants of “Kisan ekta zindabad” before the farmers set off for their homes in decorated trucks and trolleys after 380 days of agitating against three central government farm laws. Elderly women flashed the victory sign as they danced, while other ecstatic farmers distributed fruits to people around and showered flower petals on their leaders. The locals stood by, capturing the scenes on their mobile phones as they waved goodbye to the protesters. Near the main stage of the protest, young farmers danced to folk tunes amid sounds of firecrackers bursting. By 12 noon on Saturday, almost all the temporary shelters had gone. People who remained were keenly looking for help to dismantle their dwellings of the past year and clear the way for motorists. Kartar Singh a farmer from Sri Muktsar Sahib, a district in Punjab said, “We fulfilled our promise and as assured, we cleared the site on December 11. We never had any intention to cause any inconvenience to anyone and jammed the borders only when the situation turned ugly and the government refused to hear us. The three anti-farmer laws could have ruined our futures, if implemented.” The farmers were scheduling their departures from Tikri to be able to be in time for the celebrations planned in their villages. “Folks back home are waiting to welcome us back. There will be elaborate celebrations and folk events in every village in Punjab and Haryana,” said Kalvinder Singh Soni, Pradhan of a village in Ferozepur district, Punjab. Wearing big smiles on their faces, the farmers declared that they held no grudges against anyone, not even the government. “We only request the central government now to finalise the minimum support price norms to benefit the farmers. This movement has proved that with unity and cooperation, one can achieve anything,” smiled Baba Tek Singh, a farmer from Sri Muktar Sahib, Punjab. The civic authorities also wasted no time in getting down to the task of clearing up the road after the farmers left. Labourers demolished the makeshift cement wall erected at the border around six months ago to stop the agitating farmers from entering the capital. The four barricades of cemented bollards, containers, fences and trolleys were all removed one by one by cranes under the supervision of the local police. A house made of mud and bricks with doors and windows located at the very start of the protest sites was also demolish soon after the farmers from Haryana vacated the area. On one side of Rohtak Road leading to Bahadurgarh Chowk from Delhi, sweepers cleaned the stretch and removed the accumulated debris in preparation for the opening of the road segment to the general public. “Though many farmers vacated the site and gave the stuff they weren’t taking back home to the locals and waste pickers, we need to clean the roads. There are big potholes at places and we will repair these in a day or two,” said a municipal worker.

The Times of India

2021-12-12

Delhi