Farmers clear roads to Delhi, say their ‘protest isn’t over’

Noida: Blocked from entering Delhi, farmers who protested on Thursday dispersed from the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway by 6pm but asserted that they will continue their sit-in demonstration at the offices of civic authorities and outside NTPC’s building in the city.In effect, the expressway connecting Noida and Delhi is likely to be clear for traffic on Friday, but farmers have warned they will go back to the capital if their demands aren’t met. Bharatiya Kisan Parishad leader Sukhbir Khalifa told TOI that the group vacated roads on Thursday, but they will go back to the offices of Noida Authority (Sector 6) and Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (Knowledge Park IV), along with the NTPC office in Sector 24.“We are getting off the roads, but we will not let the Authority gates open till our demands are met. The dharna will continue,” Khalifa said.According to the outfit, farmers from 55 villages have been protesting at the GNIDA office for the past five months, and in Noida since December last year.Farmers began their latest protest over two key demands — 10% abadi land as compensation for acquisition of their land, and a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.Govt’s MSP assurance was one of the conditions on which farmer groups had withdrawn their year-long agitation on the borders of Delhi in 2020-21. Dharampal, who is participating at the demonstration in front of Dalit Prerna Sthal that’s just 2km from Chilla border, said, “We have vacated roads, but this doesn’t mean our protest is over. It will continue till there is a solution by govt. We will again enter Delhi if there isn’t a solution soon.” “We have spoken to Noida police commissioner Laxmi Singh who told us that a committee will be formed to decide on our demands. But our demand for 10% abadi land has already been passed by the authorities and is pending for approval from the state government. If we find that there is any effort to dodge our demand, we will return on the roads and enter Delhi,” Khalifa said.Krishna Nagar, general secretary of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha, said their outfit took part in the Greater Noida mahapanchayat on Wednesday. “Police did not allow farmers to enter Delhi. So, we have decided not to leave our sit-in protest at the district headquarters in Surajpur,” he said.Another farmer said he was returning to the Noida Authority office. “We are hopeful that govt will give us our rightful due,” he said.