Farmers from Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh called off the protest march to Parliament on Thursday evening following an assurance from the police to farmer union leaders that a committee would be established to address their grievances.
Bharatiya Kisan Parishad (BKP) leader Sukhbir Yadav ‘Khalifa’ reportedly said, “The Noida Police Commissioner assured us that a high-powered committee will look into our demands and arrive at a decision within eight days."
“The committee will decide how genuine our issues are… We will fight for our rights. If we are still ignored and led astray, we will march to Delhi. We are vacating the road for now. We have a meeting with the commissioner at 8 pm,” he added.
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According to a Financial Express report, a farmer named Sandeep Kumar, who participated in the protest, said that their “demands are simple”.
“The government has sought eight days. We will wait until then. If nothing happens, we will gather again in large numbers,” he reportedly added.
Thousands of farmers from approximately 100 villages in Noida and Greater Noida rallied on Thursday to demand increased compensation for their land, causing major traffic disruptions in various parts of Delhi-NCR as they attempted to march towards Parliament without success.
The farmers have decided to continue with their protest outside the offices of the Noida and Greater Noida authorities in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district, following an unproductive meeting with the police and district administration.
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However, they were stopped at Delhi-Noida border points at the Mahamaya Flyover, Dalit Prerna Sthal, and Chilla border by columns of police personnel around 1 pm. Protesting farmers, however, stayed put at the border throughout and early into the evening.
The agitation was called off at 6 pm. The farmers in Noida were demanding hiked compensation and developed plots against the land that the Centre acquired from them over the past 40 years to develop the township. The protest had been occurring sporadically in Noida for almost two months, but it escalated on Thursday.
What did President Murmu announce?
In the back drop of the farmers protest in Noida, President Droupadi Murmu urged for increased efforts to improve the livelihoods of farmers and guarantee fair prices for their crops, despite the government's current initiatives to enhance their earnings.
She was addressing the 62nd convocation of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) here at Pusa complex, Murmu said farmers are not only "annadata" but also "jeevandata" who are contributing in making the country's economy strong.
"We are aware of problems faced by our farmers. Even today, many farmers are living in poverty. To ensure they get the right price (for their produce) and improve their livelihood, we need to work even harder in this direction," Murmu reportedly said.
She expressed confidence that farmers will see the development as the country becomes a developed nation by 2047.
