‘Chakka jam’ passes off largely peacefully

Farmers block key highways in Punjab, Haryana; not going back until demands are met, says Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur

CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI: The three-hour chakka jam (traffic halt) call by farm unions protesting the three agricultural laws evoked huge response on Saturday in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, even as symbolic road blockades were held in other parts of the country. The unions, however, withdrew the call for blockade in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi citing inputs regarding some “miscreants trying to disrupt peace”.

Thousands of farmers across

the country blocked roads with vehicles and boulders to demand a repeal of the three laws, with no major incidents of violence being reported. The government and farm unions have not been able to find a solution to the stand-off over 11 rounds of talks..

Raising slogans against the

Centre, many farmers parked their tractor-trailers or squatted in the middle of roads as they blocked several highways, including the Chandigarh-zirakpur, Amritsar-pathankot, Tarn Taran-kapurthala, Ferozepurfazilka, Muktsar-kotkapura, Bathinda-chandigarh, Ludhiana-jalandhar,

Panchkula-pinjore and Ambala-chandigarh highway. Protests were also held at Shambhu near Ambala and at many toll plazas. “The protest was completely peaceful,” said BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan. In Haryana, traffic was blocked on almost all national and state highways for three hours. After the “chakka jam” concluded, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said the protest once again proved that farmers across the country were united against the three central farm laws.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said the Centre should repeal the farm laws by October, failing which they will intensity their protest further. “We have given time to the government till October 2 to repeal the laws. After this, we will make further plans. We won’t return home unless our demands are met,” he said.