Chakka jam: 500 people block road against farm laws- demonstrators kept a lane of the road free for ambulances, people headed to the airport or others with any emergency.

The demonstrators had kept a lane of the road free for ambulances, people headed to the airport or others with any emergency

Protesters stand in front of vehicles to start the blockade near the Dankuni toll plaza during the nationwide chakka jam around noon on Saturday.: Pradip Sanyal

Subhajoy Roy   |   TT   |   Calcutta   |     07.02.21 : More than 500 people, most of them with roots in Punjab, blocked a stretch of road near Dankuni toll plaza on Saturday as part of a nationwide chakka jam, in support of the farmers’ demands to repeal three farm laws.

The demonstrators had kept a lane of the road free for ambulances, people headed to the airport or others with any emergency. A member of the Calcutta Sikh Sangat, organisers of the blockade at Dankuni, said they also allowed cars with families to pass.

The protesters even served tea to the truck drivers and others stuck in the blockade.

The road blockade, held between noon and 2.30pm, was in response to a call for all-India chakka jam (road blockade) by the farmers who have been camping at Delhi’s borders for over two months demanding that the Centre take back the three farm laws.

Demonstrators hold poster in solidarity with the farmers’ protest.: Pradip Sanyal

The protesters who blocked National Highway 2 in Dankuni said in their speeches during the blockade that everyone would have to pay more for their meals if the laws were implemented.

There were many women and elderly in Saturday’s protests.

The demonstrators came from various places.

Demonstrators offer tea to truck drivers and others who got stuck because of the blockade.: Pradip Sanyal

Tajinder Singh Bal, who came from Durgapur, said he was pleasantly surprised that none of those who got stuck in snarls because of the blockade were complaining.

“I feel even the common people, the truck drivers and others who got stuck felt for our cause. No one requested us to let them pass,” said Tajinder, who owns nine acres of farmland at Patiala in Punjab.

“The laws allow hoarding. Large corporates will hoard grains and rice and create artificial crisis. People will have to buy rice and grains at a higher cost,” Tajinder added.

Along with the Tricolour, there were many yellow flags with Long live farmers’ unity written in green in the centre, at the blockade site.

“Yellow is the colour of mustard flower, grown abundantly in Punjab and green symbolises the Green Revolution that was ushered in by the hard labour of the farmers,” said Ajit Singh, who came to the protest from Bhowanipore.

There were placards with the words “We are farmers not terrorists”, “Farmers want reversal of new reform” written on them.

One of the cars that ferried people from Calcutta to the blockade site had two loudspeakers fitted on its roof.

There have been multiple rallies in Calcutta in support of the farmers’ movement since December.

The rallies criss-crossed the city, with the participants carrying placards saying a nation cannot survive if its farmers were unwell.

Even a religious procession of the Sikhs had some people carrying banners in support of the farmers’ movement.