To block Delhi-Jaipur NH, union leaders to hold hunger strike at Singhu Border today
As the standoff between the farmers and Centre continues over agriculture laws, farmers are going to block the Jaipur National Highway-8, which passes through Gurugram, on Monday. Following which the Delhi Police has upped security on the national Capital’s border with Haryana.
On Sunday heads of all farmer unions declared that now they will observe a one-day hunger strike on Monday, farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said here on Sunday. Farmers said the hunger strike between 8 am and 5 pm on Monday is part of the farmers’ plan to intensify their agitation from December 14.
The announcement by farmers’ unions to block the Jaipur-Delhi highway comes amid protests by thousands for the last 17 days at the various other border points of the national Capital, including Singhu and Tikri, against the laws. Farmers are demanding that the Centre withdraws the legislations.
Addressing a Press conference at Singhu border, where the farmers have been camping in agitation for over two weeks, Chaduni said the leaders will observe the hunger strike at their respective places.
“Also dharnas will be staged at all district headquarters across the country. The protest will go on as usual,” he told reporters. “There are groups that are ending protest and saying they are in favour of laws passed by the Government. We want to clarify that they are not associated with us.
“They have been hand-in-gloves with the Government, they conspired to sabotage our protest. The Government is hatching a conspiracy to derail the ongoing farmers’ protest,” added Chaduni.
Farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka said, “Government agencies have been stopping farmers from reaching Delhi, but the protest will continue till their demands are met.”
“Our stand is clear, we want the three farm laws repealed. All farmer unions participating in this movement are together,” he said. Another farmer leader, Rakesh Tikait, said, “if the Government gives another proposal for talks, our committee will decide on it. We appeal to all to maintain peace during protest”.
Sandeep Gidde, another farmer leader, announced at the Press conference that the proposed indefinite hunger strike by farmers from December 19 has been cancelled and it will be a day-long strike on Monday instead.
Farmer leaders on Saturday had said they are ready to hold talks with the Government, but will first discuss repealing of the three new farm laws, and announced that representatives of their unions would sit on a hunger strike during a nationwide protest on Monday.
They had also said thousands of farmers will start their ‘’Delhi Chalo’’ march with their tractors from Rajasthan’s Shahjahanpur through the Jaipur highway at 11 am on Sunday.
The Delhi Traffic Police has deployed its personnel across important border points to ensure commuters do not face difficulties and is constantly updating people about open and closed routes on its Twitter handle.
On Sunday, the traffic police tweeted the Tikri and the Dhansa borders are closed for traffic movement but the Jhatikara border is open only for two wheelers and pedestrian movement.
Those going towards Haryana, can take Jharoda (only single carriageway), Daurala, Kapashera, Badusarai, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera borders as they are open, the traffic police said.
“The Gazipur border is closed for traffic from Noida & Gaziabad to Delhi due to farmers’ protests. People are advised to take alternate route for coming to Delhi via Chilla, Anand Vihar, DND, Apsara & Bhopra borders,” it tweeted.
The traffic police also informed commuters about the closure of the Singhu, Auchandi, Piau, Maniyari and Mangesh borders. Since these borders are closed, it suggested that motorists take alternative routes via Lampur, Safiabad,Saboli and Singhu School toll tax borders, it said.
Traffic was diverted from Mukarba and GTK Road. So, commuters have been advised to avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK Road and National Highway-44, the traffic police said. Farmers have been protesting against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
Farmers from Rajasthan and some other places gathered in large numbers on the Haryana-Rajasthan border near Rewari for their march towards Delhi and sat in protest on side of the Delhi-Jaipur national highway as the Haryana police put up barricades to stop their onward march.
Rewari’s Superintendent of Police Abhishek Jorwal told reporters at the site that district authorities had imposed Section 144 of the CrPC banning assembly of five or more people.
“We have set up barricades and we will try to stop them here,” he said, adding, besides adequate force of the Haryana police, three companies of paramilitary personnel have been deployed to ensure law and order.
The farmers were sitting in protest at Jaisinghpur Kheda area in Rewari along Rajasthan-Haryana border (NH-48). Gurgaon is over 70 km from the site while Delhi is nearly 80 km away.
Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav, who was at the site, said since the barricades have been put, the farmers had no option but to stage a sit-in. A farmer from Rajasthan who was among those who wanted to march to Delhi against the Centre’s new farm laws said they will “force the government to rollback the anti-peasant legislations.” Earlier, the farmers had threatened to block the Jaipur-Delhi highway.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting at various border points of Delhi for over a fortnight demanding repeal of the new farm laws. Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the Government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
