As their march towards the Parliament complex was stopped by the police authorities, the protesting farmers from Uttar Pradesh are now sitting on a ‘dharna’ at Dalit Prerana Sthal on Tuesday. Thousands of farmers breached barricades, barbed wires, trucks, and shipping containers put on their way to Delhi by the UP Police, and gathered at the Noida-Delhi border a day before. 

The farmers' representatives have said the government has promised them a discussion over the issue however the sit-in will continue till their demands are met.

The protest caused significant traffic disruptions on Monday as commuters faced long delays at the Chilla border and other points of entry between Noida and Delhi, with hours-long traffic and multiple layers of barricades set up by police. 

A senior officer from Delhi Police, Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) SK Jain, stated that security had been increased at both borders, and surveillance drones were being used to monitor the situation. “Protests without permission are strictly prohibited in the New Delhi area, especially during Parliament sessions. We will stop those trying to forcibly enter the city,” PTI quoted Jain.

As the protesters are now sitting on ‘dharna’ at Dalit Prerana Sthal, located just a kilometer from the Chilla border, the authorities assured them that UP’s Chief Secretary would meet them to discuss their demands, leading the farmers to temporarily remain at the site. However, the SKM made it clear that the sit-in would continue until the state government addresses their demands.

The farmers had planned a “Delhi Kooch” (March to Delhi) to raise their concerns in front of Parliament, which is currently in session. However, they were halted by heavy police barricades, trucks, and shipping containers. Despite the obstacles, the farmers managed to break through the initial layers of security, raising slogans such as “Bol Kisan, Halla Bol” as they advanced towards Delhi.

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The farmers have given the Uttar Pradesh government seven days to address their concerns. If their demands, which include payment for land acquisition dues and the allocation of developed plots for displaced farmers, are not met, they have warned of escalating their protest. A group of farmers from Punjab has also announced plans for a march towards Delhi on December 6, further intensifying the ongoing agitation.

Farmers from various parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Aligarh, Agra, and Amroha, joined the protest. PTI quoted one of the protestors, Naresh Chaudhry, a leader from the Kisan Union Samyukt Morcha's Amroha unit, who asserted that the compensation provided by the government was insufficient. “We are demanding that the anomaly be corrected,” he said, urging the authorities to pay the correct price for the lands acquired.

According to the SKM, the land issues of project-affected farmers in the region have remained unresolved for over two decades. The farmers have been denied fair compensation for the land acquired by the state for projects such as the Greater Noida, Yamuna Expressway, and other developments, which they argue violate the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013.

“The Yogi Adityanath government has failed to ensure justice for the farmers. The BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government has not revised the land circle rate since 2017, and landowners have been denied lawful compensation and other benefits as per the Land Acquisition Act,” the SKM stated in a release.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha also announced plans to hold protests across Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday against the privatization of electricity, signaling that their struggle is far from over.