India’s youth to honour the farmers’ protest on March 23

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 13:01:26 +0000

Image Courtesy:indianexpress.com

A mega-conference of youths will be held at Delhi borders on March 23, 2021, the Martyrdom Day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, said the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM).

Youths from across India will reach farmers’ protest sites to engage in cultural programmes starting at 11 AM where the ideas of the aforementioned freedom fighters will be reiterated.

“This Martyrdom Day will be dedicated to the farmers, in which Bhagat Singh’s views on the exploitation of the farmers and labourers will be highlighted and the movement will be strengthened further,” said farmer leader Darshan Pal.

Around the same time, Pad Yatras from Khatkad Kalan, Hisar and Mathura regions will reach city borders. The Yatras in particular continue to receive huge public support. They also spread messages of a complete Bharat Bandh on March 26.

On March 22, Karnataka farmers organised a Vidhansabha march in Bengaluru capital city wherein SKM leaders also participated. The State Agriculture Minister met farmers and received their memorandum.

Similarly, thousands of farmers and labourers arrived at Khuiyan Toll Plaza Dabwali, Haryana. Farmer leaders Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Baldev Singh Sirsa, Abhimanyu Kohar, Lakhwinder Singh Sirsa, S. P. Mishita and many artists addressed the crowd. Later, a bike rally was organised by All India Democratic Students’ Organisation youths in Rewari city to support the farmers’ movement.

Further, the Kisan Majdoor Jagriti Yatra from Uttarakhand, reached Gurudwara Banthara district Shahjahanpur via Gurugwara Puvaya via Nigohi, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly on Monday. In Uttar Pradesh, farmers observed a mahapanchayat in B. V. Nagar district Bulandshahar where the main speakers were Harpal Singh Bilari, Yogendra Yadav, Prem Singh, Prahlad Singh Poonia, Yogendra Sirohi, Rajeev Teotia, Harish Hoon Pratap Singh Sahi and others.

Farmers across India continue to oppose the three farm laws – the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act – and demand the legalisation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) among other demands. On their persisting demands, farmers said, “The BJP government wants to shift its failure on the farmers. Actually, instead of finding a solution for the farmers, they are blaming farmers for creating inconvenience. We again clarify that the government should send a proposal for dialogue in the right environment, the farmer leaders are fully ready for talks.”

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Nails embedded on roads, barricades set in concrete at Delhi borders, who are they trying to keep out?

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 14:47:04 +0000

Image Courtesy:indianexpress.com

On a day the Union Budget was presented, and as expected conversations across the country featured developments, better roads, enhanced infrastructure, world class connectivity, border roads leading into the National Capital were being dug up. The massive barricading process that began over the last weekend of January, as the farmer protest crossed into its third month of a sit-in on Uttar Pradesh-Delhi-Haryana borders, has continued. The visuals that trickled in once in a while, as the internet connectivity too remains elusive at the protest sites, show a city preparing to lock itself in.

At Singhu today. Multiple barricades, more concrete. pic.twitter.com/HFqH5HzFVA

— Kainat Sarfaraz. (@kainisms) February 1, 2021

After the digging, concrete was poured between barricades in what appears to be the beginning of a permanent roadblock, this was reported over social media, from the Delhi side of Singhu border, and Ghazipur border, while large nails and sharp iron rods have been embedded on main road at Tikri. Most of the farmers are sitting in protest against the three farm laws on a section of National Highways and along the by-pass roads. They have all left a clear carriageway to let ambulances, emergency vehicles, and locals pass by unobstructed, langars and medical camps are run in the service lanes, and the discussions and speeches are from stages set up on roads that have already been occupied, many also sleep on these roads at night on the carriageway closed to vehicular traffic.

WATCH: A small report from Tikri Border. Roads dug up, big boulders put and now big nails plastered on streets to stop farmers and tractors from entering the national capital.

I report. pic.twitter.com/VOaxHYSbwo

— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) February 1, 2021

As the protest progressed, so did the massive barricades put in place by security agencies. These new high level barricading which included serrated barbed wires on top of the police barricades which are packed together thickly, along with the embedded nails these will not only prevent all vehicles, but will also stop anyone from walking along the routes. All barricades, which do not look easy to dismantle in case of emergencies, are manned by large contingents of security personnel of various agencies.

सरहद pic.twitter.com/ogmZfIlxCJ

— Anurag Dhanda (@anuragdhanda) February 1, 2021

These measures will also inconvenience local people, and cause traffic jams even on other roads around the areas, many Delhi Metro stations are also shut down without prior warning whenever orders come. Slowly, but surely this can also turn public opinion against protesting people, as an inconvenienced office goer, or someone who needs to get to a hospital etc forgets its the government run security agencies who have put up barricades not the farmers or protestors. This was last seen in the national capital during the anti-CAA protest sit-ins of 2019-2020. Especially at Shaheen Bagh protest site which was on one carriageway of the road connecting Noida to Delhi. Cut to 2021, and the process of barricading, and cutting off protest sites seems to be on overdrive.

This is what they did at Tikri last night. #Tikri #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/t9Sg29PUzp

— Amaan (@amaanbali) February 1, 2021

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Monday had closed the gates of Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma and Tikri border stations. However they were opened at the end of the day.

Security Update

Entry/exit gates of Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma and Tikri Border are open. https://t.co/ho9GvsXRsa

— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I कृपया मास्क पहनें? (@OfficialDMRC) February 1, 2021

The Delhi traffic police had also issued an alert for the commuters travelling towards ISBT Anand Vihar, stating, “Traffic will remain affected on Road no. 56 from ISBT Anand Vihar to Ghazipur due to closing of border”.

सरहद pic.twitter.com/ogmZfIlxCJ

— Anurag Dhanda (@anuragdhanda) February 1, 2021

According to news report the suspension of mobile internet services will now continue till 11 pm February 2 at Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri borders, by order of the MHA that stated:

“In exercise of the power conferred under Sub-rule 1 of Rule 2 of the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) rules 2017 and in the interest of maintaining public safety and averting public emergency, it is necessary and expedient to order the temporary suspension of Internet services in the areas of Singhu. Ghazipur, and Tikri and their adjoining areas in the NCT of Delhi from 23:00 Hours on January 31 to 23:00 Hours on February 2.”

The post Nails embedded on roads, barricades set in concrete at Delhi borders, who are they trying to keep out? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Delhi borders | SabrangIndia

India’s youth to honour the farmers’ protest on March 23

Nails embedded on roads, barricades set in concrete at Delhi borders, who are they trying to keep out?