Farmers’ protests: Heavy rain hits UP Gate, Noida sites, but fails to dampen spirits

Ghaziabad: It was probably the toughest day yet for the thousands of farmers protesting at the national Capital’s border, as they were faced with heavy rainfall

Ghaziabad: It was probably the toughest day yet for the thousands of farmers protesting at the national Capital’s border, as they were faced with heavy rainfall since the wee hours on Sunday, while their blankets, tents, eatables and other items were drenched.

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Refusing to budge from their stance, however, they said they will resurrect the protest sites and will continue to camp there till their demands of recalling the three new laws, and a new law on minimum support price, are accepted by the government.

Thousands of farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand have been on protest at UP Gate in Ghaziabad since November 28, and the Chilla border and the Dalit Prerna Sthal in Noida since December 1. They arrived in hundreds of tractor-trolleys and put-up myriad tents over the Ghaziabad-Delhi carriageway of the Delhi Meerut Expressway.

However, heavy rain played spoilsport.

“Although we had ensured that the entire block of our camp is fully covered, rain water swept in and a number of our bedrolls, blankets and even ration items were drenched in water. We have now asked for about 400 more bedrolls and even more blankets, as wet blankets and bedrolls will lead to health complications,” said Ravneet Kaur, the in-charge of the women’s camp at the UP Gate site.

“However, people are still coming in despite the adverse weather. We estimate that the gathering will swell further and we will have to take up additional arrangements,” she added.

At the Noida protest sites, one major tent each at both the protest sites collapsed. There were no injuries but the farmers lost their shelter.

“The weather has already been troublesome and the rain further aggravated the situation. It is not comfortable for us but this will still not stop us from protesting. We took shelter in the Dalit Prerna Sthal building and despite the weather, more supporters came to join us today from a youth faction and a teacher’s union from Agra,” said SK Giri, national spokesperson, Lokshakti.

The farmers used makeshift plastic wraps to cover their food supply and valuables. But they were adamant that the weather in no way will dampen their spirits.

“A farmer is used to the cold and rain. We are used to finding shelter under trees and sleeping under open skies. The weather is not an issue for us,” said Yogesh Pratap Singh, state president, Bhanu faction.

They were also joined by a group of farmers travelling from Barabanki for support. The protestors had already been provided 20 waterproof camping tents courtesy of the Hemkund foundation on Saturday.

“There was water-logging in our tents but we were protected from the rain because of the new tents. Our protest will continue and nothing will deter us from our goals. Our fire pits had been drenched but they are back to being operational now. A farmer is very resilient. We are used to hardships,” he said.

Volunteers at UP Gate said that the drain pipes of the expressway flushed rain water to the last carriageway, and this affected their camps and even food items stocked in temporary tents covered with tarpaulin.

“We need about 100 more tarpaulin sheets for covering our tents, as it is likely that there will be more rain in the coming days. Our stocks of rice, sugar and wheat flour also got spoiled due to the rain. So, we need more of fresh supplies. However, we are battling the odds and will not go back till our demands are met,” said Gurjeet Singh, another volunteer from Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand).

“Saturday night, a three-year-old girl staying with her mother developed health complications due to adverse weather and we rushed her to the nearest hospital, where she is recuperating and is stable. So, such weather will affect our people but we are committed to stay put and carry on our fight,” he added.

The most affected portions of the protest site were the “fauji tents” (soldier tents) which are generally constructed in the shape of a hut with the use of bamboo sticks and tarpaulin.

“We have about 200-250 ‘fauji tents’ and many of these faced a huge water inflow, which has drenched our bedrolls, blankets, clothes and daily items. However, we are trying to get more bedrolls and blankets. Till that time, the occupants will adjust in tents which are not affected or are less affected,” said Vikramjeet Singh, a volunteer at the UP Gate.

The dais, which sees daily speeches by leaders at UP Gate, was almost out of order due to heavy water-logging but the eleven farmers, who keep up the 24-hours relay fast, were present at the dais and continued their fast on Sunday.

“Due to the situation which unfolded due to the rain, cooked food supplies came in from several villages. The langars at the UP Gate site started but a bit later than usual, as priority was to cover up the food supplies which were stocked in tents and to save them from water,” said Rajbir Singh, state vice-president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).

“However, farmers are used to these kinds of conditions and everyone came forward to help each other out. The priority is to get more coverings for the tents to protect them from the water. On Monday, we have the next round of talks scheduled with the government and everyone is looking forward to it,” he added.

Police said that the weather did not cause any injuries or accidents in Noida.

“They are being provided with all amenities. The law and order situation is being maintained. The traffic is affected due to the road closure but it has been moving consistently through diversions via the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) Flyway for the past few weeks,” said additional deputy commissioner of police, zone 1, Kumar Ranvijay Singh.