Farmers’ march to Delhi halted in Noida, traffic thrown out of gear

The agitation, which began on November 25 with over 3,000 protesters from Gautam Buddh Nagar, Agra, Meerut and Bulandshahr, entered its eighth day on Monday.

Around 11.30 am, farmers, waving flags and banners, gathered at the Mahamaya Flyover on the Dadri-Noida Link Road. They demanded the allocation of 10% developed plots for farmers displaced by land acquisition, increased compensation under the old acquisition law, implementation of new legal benefits, and adoption of recommendations by a state committee for farmer welfare.

“We’ve been protesting for a long time now but the authority has done nothing except exploit poor farmers. Now, they are talking of New Noida, they will again usurp our land forcefully,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union (Akhand) President Chaudhary Mahesh Kasana. The protest was led by the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad, Bhartiya Kisan Union, Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

Around 1.30 pm, protesters could be seen breaking through initial police barricades as security personnel looked on; some climbed over tractors and fire-fighting vehicles parked at the spot.

It was finally halted at Dalit Prerna Sthal Gate No. 2 on the Noida Link Road, nearly a kilometre away from the Chilla border where police forces were also deployed in huge numbers.

Officials of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna authorities told farmers they would convene a meeting between the farmers and the Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh government. “We have given them a week’s time to arrange the meeting,” said Atul Yadav Roja, Bhartiya Kisan Union youth president. He said they also halted the protest as traffic congestion was creating problems for regular commuters.

Around 4.30 pm, Noida Police said normalcy was restored after farmers left the site. “We were continuously in talks with farmers and officials of the three authorities. Once the officials gave them their assurance, farmers left and traffic returned to normal,” said Joint CP (Law and Order) Shivhari Meena.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida, Manish Kumar Mishra, who was present at the site, said they made arrangements keeping in mind the safety of commuters and protesters. “We charted out a route diversion plan to keep traffic in check,” he said.