Farmers throng Chandigarh roads

Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 26

A large number of farm activists, along with leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), marched into Chandigarh this afternoon through the barricaded Sector 51-52 road where they braved lathicharge and water cannons.

Traffic jams in city, people back protesters

The traffic situation in the city remained chaotic, but people supported the farmers. At the lights opposite the Sector 46 gaushala, Anmol Gupta, who is a chocolatier, said: “I had to go for an important assignment, but I’m stuck here instead. It doesn’t bother me as I support our farmers. They’ve been waiting for seven months now.”

On a call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the march was intended to culminate at the Raj Bhawan, but was cut short as DC Mandip Brar arrived at the Sector 8 traffic lights (formerly Press Chowk) to accept a memorandum from the leaders.

Starting from Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali, a total of 32 farmer organisations of Punjab set out for the Governor’s House, but were met with barricades at Chandigarh-Mohali border. On crossing the barricades, a senior leader of BKU and SKM, Balbir Singh Rajewal, said: “One has often noticed that the Chandigarh Administration closes its doors on protesters of any organisation or party from Punjab. This city is the state capital; what’s the use of it being a capital if it shuts its doors on the people of Punjab, especially when they want to address an issue, that too peacefully? They aren’t understanding, people are angry.”

Thousands of people skipped over the barricades, faced the police’s lathis and tore through the water cannons to march ahead. “The police backed off once they saw the numbers. We were an army of 32 organisations, unarmed people, just wanting to give a memorandum to the Governor, but still the police used water cannons and lathis, which is sad as our approach is always peaceful,” opined Satnam Singh Tanda, a member of the Kisan Ekta Chandigarh.

The police also tried to stop the farmers at the Aroma lights, but in vain. A leader of the BKU, Baldev Singh Sirsa, said: “We met barricades at three points in Chandigarh and even though many women protesters accompanied us, I didn’t see a single woman police personnel at the barricades.” Sirsa said the UT Administration parked CTU buses at the Sector 17-18 lights where the DC came and collected the memorandum. “Even there, the police used lathis on protesters, but we didn’t react. Today, we have let the Chandigarh Administration and the Centre know that we will stop at nothing.”

At about 2:30 pm, senior leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal and Ruldu Singh Mansa handed the memorandum to the DC. At the chowk, Mandip Brar said: “I assured the farmer leaders that the memorandum will be delivered to the Governor and they assured us that they’ll march back peacefully.”

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.