Farmers’ stir gets commuters support

Amarjot Kaur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 6

In what can be called as a monumental show of support to Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s call for ‘chakka jam’, farmers blocked almost every highway near Mohali. While protesters parked their tractors, cars, trollies and sat on the crossroads of Sector 77-76, Sector 68-69, near Gurdwara Singh Shaheeda (NH5) and state highway near CGC Landran, blocking the traffic, commuters navigated through internal routes.

The Tribune correspondent spoke to both, protesters and travellers.

At Landran, about 200 protesters blocked the state highway, drawing the government’s attention to their demands. Harneeta Sandhu, a Mohali-based pastry chef had to walk for 2 km to get to her studio. “I had to prepare something and deliver it today. My studio and home are seperated by the Landran road. So, I parked my car near the ‘chakka jam’ and walked till the studio. If you ask I mind doing that for the farmers, I’ll surely say, it’s the least that I can do.”

At Godrej Chowk, protesters, mainly women and children raised slogans of ‘Jai jawan, jai kisan’. A bus to Una had stopped near the ‘chakka jam’. We spoke to passengers. Nikhil, who was heading to Anandpur Sahib from Chandigarh, said, “I don’t mind waiting here as I support our farmers.”

Headed to their homwtown Una, Akshit and Anshika said, “We gave our GATE exam today, but we will wait just like farmers are waiting. They have been waiting for months altogether. We can wait for three hours. No problem.”

As people took out marches, sang songs of revolution and raised slogans in favour of India, they asked the government to take back the three agriculture laws.

Roopinder Singh, at Sector 76-77 crossroads, said, “We are legally, constitutionally and rightfully asserting demands of the farmers. The need for this ‘chakka jam’ wouldn’t have arisen had the government paid attention to farmers’ plight.”

Tribute to ‘martyrs’ of farmers’ resistance

Members and supporters of the Naujawan Kisan Ekta Chandigarh, Pendu Sangharsh Committee and civil society today staged a protest at almost every traffic light and chowk in the tricity area.

With Tricolour and Kisan Union flags between 5 pm and 7 pm, protesters lighted candles to pay tribute to those, who died while protesting on the Delhi borders. While maximum number of protesters, ranging between 400 and 500, stood at Matka Chowk with candles and posters of resistance, others flocked around light points and roundabouts in various other sectors in the tricity area.

“We are lighting candles in the memory of martyrs of farmers’ resistence,” said Raj Gill at Matka Chowk. Actor Savita Bhatti was spotted at the protest too. “I’m here because this is not a farmer or Punjab issue anymore. It’s a human rights issue and needs to be addressed,” said Savita.

At Sector 35 lights Jagmohan Singh, who retired from the Indian Air Force, said, “People, who have served the country as defence personnel have been put behind bars. This is what they get? The government should release all farmers and senior citizens arrested under false allegations to quell dissent.”

While Haryana-born, Chandigarh-based Premlata called Modi ‘Hitler’, 17-year-old Pavit hit out at government’s ‘internal matter’ stance on farmer protests going global.

“Figure this: a woman’s being beaten and tortured in a house. The inmates say it’s our internal matter. Well, no. It’s not. It’s a global problem. In the same way, human rights’ violation at farmer protest sites is not an internal but a global issue,” she said.