Noida police detain farmers protesting at Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal

NOIDA: Noida police on Tuesday detained all the protesting farmers, took them to the police line, and ended their protest at Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal. The farmers protested on Monday at Noida Expressway and then camped at the Sthal. They also brought mattresses, blankets, utensils, and other cooking materials, indicating their intention to prolong the protest.

However, nearly 500 cops arrived at 1 pm and detained the farmers, taking them to the police line in several UPSRTC buses.

Omwati, a resident of Ghodi Baccheda village, said that the farmers were peacefully protesting, but the police launched a crackdown and took them in buses. “I have no idea where they are taking us… they are putting us in jail,” she said from the window of the bus.

Noida police detain farmers protesting at Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal

Shivhari Meena, Additional CP Law and Order, among other police officials, was present during the exercise. He did not comment on the issue on the spot.

Earlier, the farmers, who have been demanding higher compensation in return for land acquired from them by the three authorities in Noida – eventually held a sit-in protest near Dalit Prerna Sthal on Monday. They called off the demonstration around 4.30pm after talks with senior police officers and district authorities.

Several farmer unions — including BKU (Tikait), Bharatiya Kisan Parishad and Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha –had announced their protest to march to Delhi on Sunday evening after negotiations with Noida authorities failed.

For years, farmers whose lands have been acquired by the Noida Authority, GNIDA and YEIDA for urbanisation and other projects have been demanding higher compensation and developed residential plots.

The matter had reached the Allahabad high court, which ruled in favour of farmers’ demands for additional compensation in 2011. The Supreme Court upheld this ruling in May 2015. Protests have continued as authorities say there aren’t enough developed residential plots to give to farmers whose lands were acquired.

Courtesy: Times Of India

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