By Satinder Bains
NEW DELHI: The Centre government has created sort of panic among the industrialists, traders and workers in and around Delhi by blocking the entry points, mainly the Tikri and Singhu borders even though there is no protest of farmers is going on there.
The Delhi and Haryana police has blocked roads leading to Delhi in anticipation of farmers reaching at Delhi borders to resume their agitation which was postponed in 2021 after BJP led centre government had withdrawn the three controversial farm laws and made promise to fulfil some of their main demands including guarantee on MSP of crops.
The farmers of Punjab have given call for 'Dehi Chalo' to remind the centre government of its unfulfilled promises. The BJP government in Haryana had stopped the farmers at Shambu and Khanauri borders where an unprecedented security is deployed and concrete blocks in three layers were laid besides barbed wire and nails. The protesting farmers are attacked with tear gas shells and plastic bullets using drones.
It is the fear of centre government that its security arrangements at Haryana borders would fail and farmers would reach Delhi that entry points of Delhi are blocked in advance. At the same time centre is also holding talks with the agitating farmers. At this point of time, the inconvenience caused to daily commuters and traders of Delhi and surrounding areas is not due to farmers but due to over cautious Delhi Police and Union Home ministry.
The business community had faced hardship and loss in business when farmers had started dharna at Delhi borders and Delhi police blocked the roads to ban their entry into national capital. Roads were not actually blocked by the farmers at that time too.
The traders of Haryana's Bahadurgarh and Delhi's Bawana Industrial Area (BIA) claimed to have incurred a loss of over Rs 20 crore during the 2020-21 farmers' agitation are anticipating if farmers reached Delhi the same story may be repeated. The onus of resolving the farmer's issues lies with the centre government not the farmer unions.
The Tikri region in western Delhi and neighbouring Bahadurgarh are home to one of the largest footwear manufacturing sectors, with over 400, 000 workers commuting daily to their respective workplaces.
In addition to the footwear industry, the manufacturers, traders and industrialists at BIA, which accommodates various industries such as plastic granules, stainless steel, clothing, and nuts and bolts, are also concerned about potential business losses.
Due to advance preparations by Delhi and Haryana police, the business community has been incurring extra expenses for transportation of their product being delivered through longer routes. The fears of businessmen are true as security measures at borders have created undesired panic.
The heavy security arrangements are also an indication that centre is not very keen to calm down the farmers and it is assumed that farmers would march to Delhi. Though the three Union Ministers are holding parleys with farmers in Chandigarh but it seems they are only buying time to linger on the issue as long as Lok Sabha elections are not announced. It is expected that ECI may announce the dates of general elections by the end of February and farmers may have to postpone the agitation till next government is formed. The next meeting between the union ministers and farmers is scheduled on February 18.