Chakka Jam passes off peacefully in Jalandhar, cops remained on toes for ensuring law and order

The‘Chakka Jam’ call given by the Samyukt Kissan Morcha against the Centre’s threefarm received an overwhelming response from the Jalandhar residents. Not onlyfarmers and members of farm bodies, rather people from all walks of lifestepped out of their houses and participated in the three-hour long chakka jamtoday.

Theresidents including children, women and youth blocked several roads andhighways at several places in the district. Holding banners and placards insupport of the protest, the young generation of the farmers took the centrestage of the Chakka Jam at PAP here. 

Thelocals and the farmers held a sat-in dharna, raised slogans and even resortedto honking their vehicles to oppose the farm laws. Farm leaders said, throughthis mass honking they were trying to wake up the government.

Meanwhile,the police and anti-riot team were deployed on the highways in large numbers toavert any untoward incident; leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congresswere also present at the protest sites to stand with the farmers.

Besides,transport services were hit and commuters suffered as roads and highwaysremained blocked for three hours i.e. from 12 pm to 3pm. Roadways and railwaypassengers were seen walking on roads amid the road blockade by the farmers andpolitical groups. Entry and exit of vehicles and trucks remain stranded on thehighways. Tractors were parked on the roads to curb the movement of commuters.However, the ambulance and other emergency vehicles were not stopped by theprotesters.

“TheModi-led centre government is paying no heed to farmers’ pleas. It is a matterof shame for the BJP government as instead of working in their fields, thepeasants since last three months are sitting on roads and toll plaza’sstruggling to restore their rights, however, the central government stillremains unmoved by their agitation”, said Maninder Singh, a member ofcity-based farmers organisation who was spotted at PAP highway.

Anotherfarmer Harkamal Singh said that even the UN Human Rights Body have asked theauthorities to exercise maximum restraint seeing the violations of human rightsat the Singhu and Tikri borders. “We strongly condemn the internet ban, thearrests of farmers and activists and want to tell the centre government thattheir cheap tactics won’t weaken our unity”, he said.

“Wewill continue this protest even if it takes our lives and won’t step back untilthe demands are not met”, Singh added.

Womenand children too gave huge support to the protest and raised slogans againstthe Modi government demanding repeal of the three farm laws.

AnureetKaur, a law student said that the BJP government is showing its real face nowand has come to dictatorship by asking twitter to suspend the social mediaaccounts of the farm activists and farm leaders. “This protest from the day itstarted till now has been peaceful, the violence that erupted on January 26,was a planned conspiracy of the government”, she alleged.