Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers take over toll plaza at Chandimandir for 6 hours

Tribune News ServicePanchkula, December 12A large number of farmers, under the banner of Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), today reached the Chandimandir toll plaza on the Zirakpur-Shimla and forced the staff to allow vehicles to pass without paying fee for about 6 hours.The farmers, mostly from Kalka and Pinjore, shouted slogans such as “Long live farmers unity”. Their banners read: “Take back farm bills” and “If you can’t support farmers, stop eating food.”Meanwhile, Gurdwara Nada Sahib organised a “langar” for the protesting farmers.Param Singh, a block-level representative of the Haryana BKU, said: “We have occupied the toll plaza to further pressurise the Modi government for repeal of the anti-farmer laws. On December 14, we will stage a protest outside the DC office in Sector 1 to intensify our protest.”When political workers turned up at the protest site, the farmers expressed their reservation and made it clear that their protest was apolitical.“If any political party wants to back our demands, it is welcome. But we won’t give it our stage. We are very firm on it,” he said.Pawnesh Chauhan, an official of the Chandimandir toll plaza, said: “The free movement of vehicles began at 11:40 am and lasted till 5:20 pm. The plaza witnesses huge Shimla-bound traffic on Saturdays and Sundays but the toll collection drastically came down today with farmers taking over the barrier for about 6 hours and not allowing the staff to collect toll.”Meanwhile, farmers also laid a siege to the Barwala toll plaza on the Panchkula-Yamunanagar highway.

The Tribune

2020-12-13