Farmers’ march to Parl stopped at UP-Delhi border

GHAZIABAD/NEW DELHI: Hundreds of farmers marching to Delhi from various UP cities to protest ordinances brought by the Centre were stopped at the border on Monday after Delhi Police denied them permission to congregate at Jantar Mantar.
The farmers then staged a protest at UP Gate, affecting peak-time traffic for at least four hours. The farmers, under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), are aggrieved over three ordinances – particularly the one that aimed at ending the grip of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) on trading – that the Centre brought on June 5. The protesters have termed the ordinances “pro-industry” and against their interest.
Around 10am on Monday, the farmers set out in convoys for Delhi on tractors and trucks. They came from Noida, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor and Shamli and other parts of western UP and from as far as Uttarakhand.
The BKU wanted to protest outside Parliament the same day it convened for its monsoon session. Delhi Police had, however, set up multiple layers of barricades at UP Gate. UP Police, paramilitary and PAC units were also deployed at the border.
Angered at not being allowed to proceed, the farmers resorted to a sit-in demonstration at the border, affecting traffic on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. “They were on their way to Parliament in protest against the three agricultural ordinances. Preventing farmers from demonstrating peacefully is a murder of democracy. This proves how autocratic the government is,” said Dharmendra Malik, the BKU national media in-charge. “If the government introduces any law related to any sector, talking to its representatives is the basic duty,” he added.
After talks with Delhi Police, a delegation of farmers went to Krishi Bhavan and submitted a memorandum stating their demands. “Farmers all over India are opposing these ordinances. The government is presenting these ordinances as a big step towards agricultural reforms in the form of ‘One Nation, One Market’. BKU is considering these ordinances as company rule in the agricultural sector,” the memorandum read.
“Some states are also demanding withdrawal of these three ordinances, believing it to be a violation of the federal structure of the country. Farmers have been raising their voice against these ordinances. Farmers are living in fear that these laws will make them captive of companies and corporates. Marketing, storage, and import-export when out of the legal purview can never be in the interest of farmers,” it added.
Jasmeet Singh, DCP (east), Delhi Police, said, “Permission for protest at Jantar Mantar was not granted. We coordinated with the protesters, who were stopped at the UP border. After a brief discussion, five of their representatives were sent to the krishi mantralaya.”
Police also stepped up vigil on the borders at Singhu and Gurugram with Haryana, where farmers’ groups are protesting in large numbers as well.
The three ordinances that the farmers want scrapped are Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The first one on APMCs has triggered apprehension that farmers may not get minimum selling price (MSP) for their produce if private players come in.
Ghaziabad SSP Kalanidhi Naithani said a 100-strong team from various police stations had been posted at the border, apart from traffic police. “People coming from Delhi were diverted towards Vaishali metro station to go to Ghaziabad, while those headed towards the national capital were asked to go towards Anand Vihar,” he added.
Traffic on the Hindon elevated road was also stopped till the farmers lifted their demonstration. Indirapuram resident Tanu Mishra was lucky enough not to miss her train from Delhi. “My train was at 2.30pm. Since it usually takes around 45 minutes to reach the station, I left home around 1pm. But I got stuck in the snarl. I could barely manage to reach the station at 2.15pm. I was lucky not to miss the train,” she said.