The name for the nationwide ‘chakka jam’ between 12-3 pm was given by the farmer unions protesting on the Delhi borders the Centre’s agricultural legal guidelines.
“I got here to the stretch at 11 am. There had been only a few folks then, however the quantity swelled very quickly. The goal is to peacefully do exactly what’s instructed to us by our leaders — block the highway until 3 pm,” mentioned Mukesh Sharma, an area farmer supporting the motion.
Biscuits and fruits had been distributed among the many protesting farmers sitting on the highway. Those coming to the stretch with their autos had been politely knowledgeable concerning the protest and requested to flip again.
“We don’t desire to trigger any inconvenience to the folks,” mentioned Ajit Ahluwalia (29), from Haryana’s Hisar.
“That’s exactly the explanation why the decision given was for 3 hours solely. Security forces have been blocking ours and theirs passage for therefore many days. We anticipate the ‘aam aadmi’ to cooperate with us for some hours no less than. And the reality is they’re,” he mentioned.
Some autos, carrying folks with emergency well being situations, had been allowed to go with none delay.
The 136-km Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway or the western peripheral expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.
It was constructed to decongest the ever-busy roads of Delhi, particularly by lowering the variety of vans coming into the nationwide capital, thus serving to to curb air pollution. It offers high-speed hyperlink between northern Haryana and southern districts and provides uninterrupted high-speed hyperlink for site visitors, particularly business site visitors, from Haryana to neighbouring states.
The commuters, largely ready patiently, mentioned they knew concerning the ‘chakka-jam’ however had to be out due to social and skilled engagements.
While Satnam Sandhu (42), a non-public contractor, had to attend a enterprise assembly; Sonu Ahuja and his household had been going for his cousin’s weeding.
“We are farmers ourselves, and assist the farmers’ motion fully. I’ve gone to the Singhu border many a occasions for the protest. And even in the present day, had it not been my cousin’s wedding ceremony, you’d have seen me right here standing and protesting with my farmer brothers,” mentioned 36-year-old Ahuja.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November on the Delhi borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these legal guidelines would pave the way in which for the dismantling of the minimal assist worth (MSP) system, leaving them on the “mercy” of massive firms.
However, the federal government has maintained that the brand new legal guidelines will deliver higher alternatives to farmers and introduce new applied sciences in agriculture.
The three-hour-long agitation was introduced to register protest in opposition to the web ban in areas close to their agitation websites, alleged harassment meted out to farmers by the authorities and different points.
Several highways, together with the Chandigarh-Zirakpur, Amritsar-Pathankot, Tarn Taran-Kapurthala, Ferozepur-Fazilka, Muktsar-Kotkapura, Bathinda-Chandigarh, Ludhiana-Jalandhar, Panchkula-Pinjore, Patiala-Kaithal, Jind-Karnal, Karnal-Kaithal, Ambala – Chandigarh Highway, Ambala- Hisar and Mansa-Sirsa had been additionally blocked by the protesting farmers.
