Farmers’ plight mount as AoL eyes record

We have not been given any compensation. I plant peas, coriander and many other vegetables. I don’t know how I will feed my children. I have a family of four to run. Even if I commit suicide tomorrow, there is no one to look after them,” said Manohar Singh, a 50-year-old farmer.

Manohar is among the hundreds of other farmers who have been hit hard by the event. Not only has their business gone for a toss but also their lives. “We don’t know what to do. Even if we raise our voice, we will be shut up. We are weak and we don’t have a voice. There is no money on us to feed our children,” he said with tears in his eyes.

While the organisers of the World Culture Festival (WCL) 2016 are spending crores on the three-day mega show event, farmers at the banks of the river Yamuna are struggling to make ends meet and allege that the farmland has been cleaned up without any compensation. The land, which provides a large supply of crops to the Capital, has been levelled for parking and other purposes.

Farmers, who are at the receiving end, have expressed regret allowing massive activities to be taken up for the event and alleged that they have not even received any compensation. The agricultural land on the banks of the river has been removed as the area is being cleaned up to accommodate an expected footfall of nearly 35 lakh people and for parking purposes. A look at the site shows that hundreds of acre of agricultural land that grows vegetables, fruits, flowers and plants have been cleared to give a different look to the area surrounding the venue. This includes villages Chilla, Nangli and Sarai Kale Khan along the DND flyover, and some UP Canal and DDA (Delhi Development Authority) property on the Noida road side.

On the other hand, farmers have led a protest against the abrupt clearance of agricultural land that has left them devastated. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit has joined the farmers’ protest against Sri Sri World Culture Festival.

Bhim Singh, who is one of the protestors, said that the authorities abruptly came and cleaned the land. “It was the biggest shock for us and we have not been able to recover from that state. These people came all of a sudden and uprooted whatever vegetables that had been planted. Last year was also not a good year for us,” he added.

Standing next to him, Roop Lal, another such farmer said that though the step has been taken for just three days, it will take a long period for the farmers to get it back to square one.