Chandigarh: Farmers’ march spells chaos on roads near Matka Chowk

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 2

The city today witnessed a major protest by farmers, first agitation on such a massive scale in the past 15 years. Hundreds of farmers reached the Sector 34 Carnival Ground — a surprise pick by the UT Administration instead of the Sector 25 Rally Ground – in the morning to protest against the Punjab and Central governments over their unfulfilled demands.

Their demands include saving Punjab’s waters from further depletion and contamination, providing canal water for drinking purposes, strengthening cooperatives, ensuring guarantee for gainful employment, waiving debts, etc.

Local residents were inconvenienced due to the protest. The schools located nearby were either shut or their timings were changed. The traffic near the protest site moved at a snail’s pace. The staff of a majority of offices located in the area opted to work from home.

After addressing the gathering, the farmer leaders held a meeting with the local officials and decided to hold a foot march by nearly 1,000 protesters at 3 pm.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait also reached the venue and interacted with the farmers.

The first session of the farmers’ protest was held at the rally pandal (tent), followed by the foot march in the afternoon. Members of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, who had reached the site on Sunday, are likely to stay put here till September 5. The BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), along with the BKU (Rajewal), Kirti Kisan Union, BKU Dakaunda and BKU Lakhowal, participated in today’s protest.

As the 8km march of farmers started from the Old Labour Chowk and passed through the Sector 18 road, Bus Stand Chowk, Sector 16 Cricket Stadium Chowk before culminating at Matka Chowk amid heavy police presence, there were snarl-ups on various roads. “The UT Administration should not have allowed this protest in the middle of the city. This huge rush of vehicles proves it was a wrong decision by the authorities,” said Ashuman, a resident of Sector 35.

A heavy police force, including personnel of Punjab Police Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Chandigarh Police, barricaded the area to stop the protesters from going beyond the designated spot. The protesters stayed there for about two hours before Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian reached there and accepted their memorandum. After submitting the memorandum to the minister, the protesters left for the Sector 34 site by CTU buses.

The traffic had remained disrupted for two hours. “This could have been avoided. The Madhya Marg witnesses heavy traffic in the evening and blocking the entire patch was really disturbing. This route also leads to two hospitals. The minister could have received the memorandum at the Sector 34 protesting site,” said Navdeep, a commuter.

Carnival sites wear deserted look

Two carnivals underway on the nearby grounds were hit by the protest. The organisers claimed the footfall suddenly dipped to almost zero on Sunday evening and there was no business even on Monday. “We are paying Rs 1 lakh per day in rent for organising this carnival for the next five months. We have a total staff of 150 people. We stopped the carnival the moment the farmers reached here. I am not against anyone, but we demand some compensation from the UT Administration or the Municipal Corporation,” said Rakesh Sood, one of the organisers.

Liquor vends do brisk business

• Portable solar cameras were installed at various junctions by the UT police
• Traffic rules went for a toss during the march as buses, cars and tractor-trailers were parked in no-parking zones on main roads
• There was a huge rush of protesters at the nearby liquor vends throughout the day and the countrymade liquor was in much demand
• Two schools located in the nearby areas remained shut and the timings of other were changed
• Most of the offices and coaching institutes located near the protest site remained shut
• Delivery apps, including Blinkit, Zomato and Swiggy, saw low business
• Two brothers from Mansa were selling kurta-paijamas at the protest site in Sector 35

Carnivals take a hit

Two carnivals underway on the nearby grounds were hit by the protest. The organisers claimed the footfall suddenly dipped to almost zero on Sunday evening and there was no business even on Monday. “I am not against anyone, but we demand some compensation from the UT Administration or the Municipal Corporation," said Rakesh Sood, one of the organisers.