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At UP Gate, social outfits hold rallies in show of support for farmers
Ghaziabad: On Sunday, the UP Gate site where farmers have been on protest against the three new farm laws, was abuzz with activity as several organisations carried out rallies in the thousands in a show of support
Ghaziabad: On Sunday, the UP Gate site where farmers have been on protest against the three new farm laws, was abuzz with activity as several organisations carried out rallies in the thousands in a show of support.
Among them were volunteers of the Samajwadi Bahujan Manch, a social organisation that took out a “tiranga yatra” (tricolour march) and a “mati sankalp march” (pledge for the soil march) at the UP Gate site.
“We brought in soil from farmlands in villages from 25 different districts in western UP, Delhi and Haryana, and handed the earthen pots containing the soil to farmers at the UP Gate. Some of these will also be sent to the Singhu and Tikri borders protest sites. With this march, we have vowed to protect our soil. We also took out a tiranga yatra in which we stitched a 150-metre long tricolour,” Sanjeev Mathur, convener of the organisation, said while adding that about 15,000 volunteers joined the rally at UP Gate.
“It is being said that only farmers from Punjab are part of the ongoing agitation, but this is not so. The fight is even for small and marginal farmers alike, as well as landless farmers. Even our leaders such as Dr BR Ambedkar would have supported farmers. So, members of our organisation decided that we should take out the awareness rally and support farmers at the UP Gate,” he added.
Members of the Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Brigade also organised a rally.
“Our organisation took out a rally to support farmers and we want them to emerge victorious. We feel that their talks with the government should continue and we also support their proposed tractor march on January 26,” said Shyam Kishor Yadav, founder member of the organisation.
MAHILA KISAN DIVAS
Members of the UP Gate protest site said they will observe Monday as Mahila Kisan Divas wherein hundreds of women farmers from different areas will join them. They added that the dais will be coordinated by women farmers on Monday. Besides, a kabaddi match has been scheduled on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
“Women farmers will come to the protest site in large numbers for the Mahila Kisan Divas. Besides, a Kabaddi event is scheduled for Monday. The day will be observed to remember the contribution of women farmers,” said Jagtar Singh Bajwa, member of the UP Gate committee and a farmer leader from Uttarakhand.
TRAFFIC AND SOUND CONTROL PANEL
Thousands of farmers have been camping at the UP Gate since November 28 over their demand of repeal of the three new farm laws. Successive talks with the government have so far failed to break the deadlock.
The gathering at the UP Gate has swelled further as tractor-trolleys and camps have been put up all across the Ghaziabad-Delhi carriageway, from UP Gate to Khoda Colony.
The farmers have also come up with a traffic and sound control committee, which has 11 members who are all senior citizens. A special camp at the site has been erected for the committee members.
“The idea behind this committee is to keep an eye on youngsters who play loud DJ music in their vehicles and perform stunts in tractors. We don’t allow them to play loud music at night, since it will trouble residents nearby (of Khoda Colony). We keep a 24-hour check on such instances and no loud music is allowed here after 10pm,” said Satnam Singh, a senior citizen from Lakhimpur Kheri.
He added that a youngster got injured a couple of days ago while performing stunts with his tractor.
“The boy got injured and his tractor saw major damages. It could have led to injuries to people in camps. Our committee keeps an eye on such incidents and we try to prevent them,” he added.
