Highways blocked, protestors detained during nationwide 'chakka jam'

The call for ‘Chakka Jam’ (Road blockade), that began sharp at noon, was given by joint farmers' union -- Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). The farmers' body had on Friday said that the National and state highways across the country will be jammed from 1200 hrs to 1500 hrs.

According to reports arriving here, vehicular traffic was disrupted as farmers blocked the roads at many places. However, there was no report of any untoward incident received from anywhere so far.

Hundreds of farmers from Punjab and Haryana gathered at the Shambhu border, which witnessed the first scenes of farmers-police. Heavy police force was deployed along the border in the Haryana side, while, in contrast, there was very less presence of police personnel in the Punjab side.

"Enough is enough! The government should immediately roll back the black laws," a protesting farmer told UNI at Ghazipur border which became the epicenter of the peasant's protests after an emotional appeal by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on January 30.

The National Highway 1 connecting the national capital with Chandigarh was blocked at Karnal while NH 44 was blocked near Ludhiana in Punjab. The joint farmers' body had said that the three-hour Chakka jam will remain peaceful and non-violent. "The protesters are instructed not to engage in any confrontation with any officers, employees or common people during the protest," SKM said.

Activists blocked prominent roads, state or national highways and other important thoroughfares in 34 of the Maharashtra's 36 districts - including Mumbai and excluding  Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg - squatted and halted traffic, waved banners and placards, shouted slogans and sang devotional or patriotic songs, amid tight police security, according to Samyukta Kisan Morcha spokesperson P. S. Prasad.

Farmers in Rajasthan blocked many national and state highways demanding the withdrawal of three farm laws and protesting against the internet ban near their protest sites and alleged harassment by authorities, among other issues. In Jaipur, tractors were placed on roads to jam the traffic while in Alwar, stones and thorny shrubs were placed on roads to check the traffic on roads. 

"We demand implementation of Swaminathan report and guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) as well as repealing the farm laws," said Kulwant Singh, member of Jammu Kashmir Kisaan Vikaas Front. The protestors blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway which affected the traffic movement.

The Delhi-Jaipur highway was completely blocked as the lane passing through the Shahjahanapur border (Alwar) was also closed around 11 am in morning. Former deputy CM Sachin Pilot, who started a kisaan mahapanchayat on Friday from Dausa, reached Bharapur on Saturday to address a farmers' gathering as a part of this chakka jam protest.

The Delhi police has taken strict measures like intensifying security at city's border points to deal with any kind of violent situation emerging out of the 'chakka jam'. Barricades wrapped with concertina wires have been placed at several places to keep off people on foot.