Protesting farmers up the ante with ‘rail roko’ name; ‘minimal impact,’ says Railways

Responding to a name for nationwide ‘rail roko’ (rail blockade) by the farmer unions protesting Centre’s three contentious farm legal guidelines, protesters in numerous elements of the nation sat on railway tracks, leading to some delays.
During the protest, introduced by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella physique of farmer unions spearheading the agitations final week, trains have been stopped at locations, some have been cancelled or rerouted. However, a spokesperson for the nationwide transporter stated there was negligible or minimal influence on railway providers because of the ‘rail roko’ agitation. He stated majority of the zonal railways reported no incident because of the protest.
This was the third main demonstration by farmers, following the Republic Day tractor rally and the ‘chakka jam’ on February 6.

Ahead of the protest, which was scheduled between 12 midday and 4 pm, the railways stepped up the safety on the stations deploying 20 extra corporations of RPSF troops throughout the nation, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
25 trains regulated in northern railway zone
Around 25 trains have been regulated within the northern zone, a zonal railway spokesperson stated, including that there was, nonetheless, minimal impact of the agitation on the railways. Regulating trains means they’ve been both cancelled, quick terminated or rerouted.
Farmers sit on railway tracks in Amritsar. (Express Photo: Rana Simarjeet)
Farmers sat on railway tracks at many locations in Punjab and Haryana as a part of the ‘rail roko’ protest, with officers stopping trains at stations as a precautionary measure. Effects of the ‘rail roko’ name have been additionally felt at Haryana’s Kurukshetra the place the farmers climbed on the locomotive of Gita Jayanti Express practice, which was stationary at the moment, leading to delays.

Railway monitor blockades have been reported at Charkhi Dadri railway station in Haryana the place the farmers served ‘jalebis’, tea and snacks to different protesters, police in addition to railway officers.
In Punjab, the protesters sat on tracks on the Delhi-Ludhiana-Amritsar railway line and blocked the Jalandhar Cantt-Jammu railway monitor in Jalandhar and one other rail monitor in Mohali district, the officers stated.

Passengers ready for practice at Chandigarh railway station throughout Rail Roko Andolan by Farmers on Thursday @iepunjab @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/gtLd5cVCJl
— kamleshwar singh (@ks_express16) February 18, 2021
Security was tightened in each Haryana and Punjab, with personnel of each the federal government railway police and state police being deployed there, officers stated. The Ferozepur division of the Northern Railways determined to halt trains at stations in order that passengers face much less inconvenience throughout the ‘rail roko’ protest.
In stations close to Delhi too, protesters gathered on the tracks. They additionally assembled close to the Gazipur border at Modinagar railway station.
In Pune, Congress, Shiv Sena, AAP be part of protest
Members belonging to numerous organisations and political events staged the ‘rail roko’ agitation on the Pune railway station to mark their protest towards the Centre’s three farm legal guidelines, officers stated. Labour welfare activist Nitin Pawar stated that members of a number of organisations and employees of political events, together with Congress, Shiv Sena, NCP, Janata Dal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), took half within the rail roko agitation on the Pune railway station on Thursday afternoon.
Various political events participate in Rail Roko protest in Pune.
The protesters blocked the Koyna Express practice and raised slogans standing in entrance of the practice, he stated. A Railway Protection Force (RPF) official stated a case was registered towards three activists, together with Pawar, for unauthorisedly approaching the railway platform, crossing the tracks and elevating slogans.
Meanwhile, the ‘Rail Roko’ occasion evoked a combined response in Karnataka. While the protest was low-key in Bengaluru, there was a great turnout of protesters in Raichur, Belagavi and Davangere.
According to PTI, in Yeshwanthpur Railway station in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Raichur, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Davangere, Hubballi-Dharwad, Koppal and Kolar, the agitators tried in useless to storm into the railway stations to cease trains.
In Raichur, Belagavi and Davangere, protesters have been arrested.
In Bengaluru, the agitation was led by farmer-leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar. However, there was no nice influence.
Rail Roko protest in Pune.
12 individuals detained close to Aurangabad
Members of a farmers’ union staged protests at Lasur railway station in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district. At least 12 individuals have been detained that the agitation staged by Lal Bawta Shet Majur Union on the station, which is round 40 km from Aurangabad, an official stated. “The Jalna-Mumbai Janshatabdi train was stopped at the station for around 30 minutes. We have detained around 12 agitators and further probe is underway,” the official from the railway police stated.
Similarly, the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha (AIKS) staged a protest outdoors Aurangabad railway station.
CPI levels protest in Kolkata
Apart from this, glimpses of the ‘rail roko’ protest is also seen in Kolkata’s Jadavpur station in Bengal. Railway tracks have been blocked and trains have been delayed because the CPI celebration referred to as for ‘rail roko’ from 11 am in assist of the continuing farmers’ protest.
CPI levels protest by stopping a practice at Jadavpur station in Kolkata.
Proof that protest not restricted to Punjab and Haryana: Farmers on ‘rail roko’
With farmers blocking railway tracks throughout the nation, protesters at Singhu border stated it proved that the agitation was not confined to Punjab and Haryana.
“The authorities has consistently been saying that the protest towards the three farm legal guidelines is being staged by the farmers of simply two states, Punjab and Haryana, however the rail roko andolan reveals that the federal government is unsuitable.
“Farmers from so many states have participated. That is why it was important for us to protest on the railway tracks. Like the railways that has a nationwide network, our protest is also happening across the country,” Krantikari Kisan Union’s Gurdaspur district president Bhajan Singh was quoted as saying by PTI.

“The three laws need to be repealed and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha is trying to put pressure on the government from every angle. But we have been protesting peacefully and will continue to do so,” the Jalandhar state unit president of the BKU (Kadia), stated, including that the “rail roko” occasion was held for simply 4 hours as a result of the farmers “only wanted to send a message to the government and not inconvenience the public”. “We do not want to create problems for the passengers. We only want the government to accept our demands, so that they can also sleep peacefully and we can return home to our families,” he stated.
(With inputs from PTI)