Under a united banner called the ‘Chalo Dilli March’, nearly 5000 farmers from various parts of Uttar Pradesh set their steps towards the Parliament in New Delhi on Monday. Holding green and red flags of various unions, these farmers demand adequate compensation for land acquired by the government since 1997. To their dismay, the farmers were stopped at the Noida-Delhi border
At the Noida Border
The protesting farmers halted traffic at Noida’s Chilla border, creating inconvenience to daily commuters. This gathering of farmers started at around 11:30 AM at the Mahamaya flyover on the Dadri Noida Link Road. To respond to this, the police had to set up multiple layers of barricades and deploy heavy security. The traffic jam was as it was for several hours as protesters could cross initial bargaining by the police.
The protesting crowd was finally stopped at Dalit Prerna Sthal, a kilometre away from the Chilla border which serves as one of the entry points to the capital city. This agitation began on November 25 with less than 2000 farmers. By December 3rd, over 3000 protesters from Gautam Budh Nagar, Agra, Meerut, and Bulandshahr also joined to conclude the eighth day of the agitation.
The officials trying to control the agitated crowd in Noida told farmers that they would arrange a meeting between them and the Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Government. “We have given them a week’s time to arrange the meeting promised to us by the security officials,” said Atul Yadav Roja, the youth president of Bharathi Kisan Union. According to him, the protesting farmers halted their protest only because traffic congestion was creating problems for regular commuters.
Farmers’ Demand
The agitated crowd of farmers, waving flags and banners, demanded the allocation of 10% developed plots for farmers displaced by land acquisition, increased compensation amount under the old acquisition law, implementation of new legal apparatus that benefits the farming community and finally the adoption of recommendations by the UP state committee for farmer’s welfare.
“We’ve been protesting for a long time now, but the authorities have done nothing except exploit poor farmers. Now they are talking of New Noida. They will again usurp our land forcefully.”, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Akhand) President Chaudhary Mahesh Kasana told the media. Other organisations and unions that participated in the protest were Bharathi Kisan Parishad, Bhartiya Kisan Union, Samyuktha Kisan Morcha and Kissan Mazdoor Morcha.
Supreme Court to Farmers
The Supreme Court on Monday asked agitating farmers to not cause inconvenience to the public as they march towards Delhi. “In a democratic set-up, you can engage in peaceful protests, but do not cause inconvenience to people.”, remarked Justice Surya Kant, who presides over a division bench of two judges.
The Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Surya Kant was hearing a habeas corpus petition non-political), Jagjit Singh Dallewal. The plea alleged that Dallewal was unlawfully detained from Khanauri border point on November 26, shortly before he was about to commence a fast unto death.
Taking note, the bench remarked, “We have seen that he has been released, and he even persuaded a fellow protester to end his fast-to-death protest on Saturday.” The court also pointed out that the farmers’ grievance from the Singu border protest last year is already pending in the court. That is why the court will not pursue Dallewal’s plea at the moment. However, he is free to pursue the demand in the future.
