Around 20,000 farmers and representatives of the ruling UPA alliance in Jharkhand took part in the “chakka jam” (road blockade) at 64 places along the national and state highways on Saturday in response to the nationwide protest call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions, against the Centre’s three new farm laws.

“It was a completely peaceful agitation. We are grateful to the political outfits who expressed solidarity with our cause and supported the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s symbolic protest against the Union budget which ignored our demands and against oppressive measures of the central government, especially banning Internet at various farmer protest sites bordering Delhi,” said Jharkhand Rajya Kisan Sangarsh Samanvay Samity vice-president Prafulla Linda, a farmer from Ranchi. The Samity is coordinating the agitation in Jharkhand.

Linda reiterated that farmers had abided by their directives against causing harassment to the passengers and commuters during the “chakka jam” from noon to 3pm.

“The agitation was a mark of protest against the central government and not intended to cause harassment to the masses. Along national highways in Dhanbad and Jamshedpur, our front members, with support from the Congress, the JMM, the RJD and the CPM, gave lunch packets to the truck drivers stuck in the jam.

“In most of the other places drinking water, tea and snacks were provided to the truckers and in some cases to the passengers as well. At no place were the passengers or ambulances and vehicles carrying essential commodities stopped,” said Sufal Mahato, a Tamar-based farmer and convener of the Samity.

Inspector-general (operations) and state police spokesperson Saket Kumar Singh also said that nobody was taken into preventive custody during the agitation.

Congress supporters protest along National Highway 33 Bhola Prasad

“Following a directive from the state police headquarters, security forces had been deployed at strategic places along the highways. There has been no report of violence from anywhere in the state. In most places, the agitators relented after persuasion by the police and lifted the blockade after an hour or so. So far nobody has been taken under preventive detention from anywhere in the 24 districts,” the officer said.

Jarmundi Congress MLA and state agriculture minister Badal Patralekh, who had met farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in Delhi, spearheaded the agitation at Lowadih along National Highway 33 in Ranchi.

“It was a peaceful agitation against the central government by the farmers, youth and some political parties. We want to express our solidarity with our farmers. We will continue to agitate till the new farm laws, which are nothing but a death warrant for the farmers, are not repealed by the government. The Congress and likeminded parties will be undertaking phase-wise rallies and agitation on February 10, 13 and 28 in different parts of Jharkhand,” said Patralekh.

Meanwhile, a 10-member delegation of the Kisan Andolan Ekjuttha Manch, Jamshedpur, on Friday night met Tikait at Delhi’s Ghazipur border, presented a memento of tribal icon Birsa Munda and expressed solidarity with the agitation against the farm laws.

The delegation also met the agitating farmers at the Singhu border on Saturday to express their solidarity.