With the edge completely sealed, the alternate route is blocked 24×7
New Delhi:
Concertina cables sandwiched between four layers of yellow barricades, slightly out of the way, crisscrossed parked buses and trucks – Delhi police have left little to chance in their efforts to prevent Uttar Pradesh farmers from crossing into Delhi via the Ghazipur-Meerut highway.
On this February morning, the farmers stood behind the barricades, in the same place where they have been waiting for more than two months. Most have made themselves comfortable, spreading rugs and rugs on the road where they sit and chat. Food is brought from the langar and at noon and in the evening, they sit in lines for a simple meal.
Just five days ago, this had been the scene of a great drama. Rakesh Tikait, facing an ultimatum from the police to vacate the road with the rest of the farmers, had broken down in full view of the cameras around midnight.
ये यूपी दिल्ली बार्डर है। pic.twitter.com/IWJRAneoTt
– Umashankar Singh उमाशंकर सिंह (@umashankarsingh) February 1, 2021
“I’d rather face the bullets than leave,” he had declared excitedly, injecting hope and passion into a movement that faltered after the misfortune of the Republic Day tractor rally.
His stubborn refusal not only stopped farmers who were about to leave the site, but also acted as a call to farmers from the interior of the country, who began to move towards Delhi.
Preparations by the Delhi police began shortly thereafter. Energy and water for farmers was reduced.
Singhu and Ghazipur broken barricades fresh in his mind, the police also planned a three-level security. Between the barricades and the criss-crossed buses, the police, three deep, stand in riot gear.
This highway has 14 lanes, seven from Ghaziabad to Delhi that have been blocked by farmers for more than two months. But seven lanes from Delhi to Ghaziabad were open, except on one or two occasions, when they were jammed by agitated farmers.
On January 26, due to the concentration of tractors, the police also blocked the Delhi-Ghaziabad side. It has now been fortified on the Ghazipur border (as you can see in the video) as the administration is afraid that farmers will try to enter Delhi.
Every day since then has been a nightmare for office goers. With the border completely sealed, the alternate route is stuck 24/7 and a trip that previously took 45 minutes is now taking between two and four hours.
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