Impasse at Tikri border ends: Five-feet passage opened for 2-wheelers, ambulances

Farm leaders said a meeting was held Friday in Bahadurgarh with officials of Haryana and Delhi Police and the district administration to discuss opening of roads at Tikri border. An agreement was reached that a five-feet passage — 2.5 feet for either side — for two-wheelers, pedestrians and ambulances would be allowed from Saturday morning.

Boota Singh Burjgil, Punjab state president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, Ekta Dakaunda, said, “Officials stated that the Supreme Court had said roads need to be opened and put forth a proposal to allow four-wheelers to pass. We informed them that it was police who had put up barricades and blocked the roads, prompting farmers to camp at the city’s borders. We told officials that we cannot allow movement of four-wheelers and heavy vehicles on the highway due to safety concerns, especially in the wake of recent incidents (Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahadurgarh hit-and-run)…?”

He added that decision to allow five-feet passage was taken keeping in mind the interests of people, especially labourers who work in the area.
Farm leaders said a few hours after Friday’s meeting, police personnel arrived with a JCB machine, broke down the last layer of the concrete barrier, and allegedly tried to open the entire 40-feet passage on one side of the highway, “betraying” the agreement.

Meet Mann, general secretary, Zamindar Student Association, said, “In the past two days, police had used earthmovers to break down two layers of concrete barriers and concertina wires. At 8.45 pm, police broke the third layer of concrete and tried to open the entire 40-feet stretch to allow movement of vehicles. Following this, there was panic and tension and a large number of protesters gathered near the main stage at Tikri border and started protesting.”

Farm leaders said after mediation, police put up the barricades at 10 pm.

DCP Singh, however, said, “Last night, we went with the JCBs to only remove a few layers of concrete structures and barricading from one side of the road. We weren’t trying to remove tents. These are our barricades… we can remove them to make space or as per our security concerns.”

Farm leaders added that the road had been open earlier for movement of people and was only blocked by police in the wake of the January 26 violence.

In a statement released Saturday, SKM said: “Farmers are pointing out that the possibility of accidents injuring and killing protesters will increase now. SKM has always maintained it is police who had blocked the roads, and the hasty removal of barricades clearly vindicates the stand of protesting farmers. If the government wants to open the passage completely, it also has to open the passage to fulfillment of the farmers’ demands. Whether the agitation will continue in the same location or whether it will move into Delhi is a collective decision that will be taken at an appropriate time.”

On Saturday evening, protesters took turns to sit on vigil at the barricades at Tikri border where vehicular movement has now been allowed. “We have created a security roster where volunteers would keep vigil here in case police try to open complete passage surreptitiously,” said Harbans Singh, a protester from Mansa.