Police used water jets and tear gas to quell farmer protests at the Delhi border. All schools and colleges in Ghaziabad will remain closed on Wednesday due to the ongoing farmers' protest at the Delhi border, the district administration has announced. The decision was taken after at least 30,000 agitating farmers trying to enter Delhi from Uttar Pradesh were held at bay, giving rise to clashes with the police. Although the government promised to consider the farmers' demands, the latter expressed dissatisfaction and said that the agitation will continue. "Schools and colleges in Ghaziabad will remain closed tomorrow on account of the ongoing Kisan Kranti Padyatra," a statement issued by the administration read. Ironically, the clashes that spurred this decision occurred on a day when the entire nation was paying its respects to Mahatma Gandhi -- an ardent proponent of non-violence. The farmers are demanding a loan waiver, subsidised electricity and fuel, pension for farmers above 60, and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations on the minimum selling price for crops. Although the farmers were supposed to end their rally at Kisan Ghat, the memorial of farmer chief Chaudhary Charan Singh, they were stopped at the heavily barricaded Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. Sloganeering farmers tried to push their way through, forcing the police to use batons, tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse them. Several protesters and policemen were injured in the process. The protest march began from Tikait Ghat in Haridwar on September 23, with farmers from places as far as Gonda, Basti and Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh and the sugarcane belt of western Uttar Pradesh joining in. Although Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh promised to look into the demands at a meeting with representatives of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), the farmers were not convinced. "We had a discussion on 11 points. The government agreed on seven but didn't agree on the rest. They said they will get back to us after a discussion because it was a financial matter," said BKU spokesperson Yudhvir Singh. The Opposition leaders were quick to target the BJP government over the violence. Congress president Rahul Gandhi condemned the way in which police had attacked the farmers while they were "peacefully marching to register their protest on the International Day of Non-Violence". "Peaceful and unarmed farmers going towards Raj Ghat were brutally treated, they were lathicharged and teargas shells fired on them. We condemn this," said KC Tyagi of the Janata Dal (United). Even Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded that the farmers be allowed to enter. "This is wrong. Delhi belongs to everybody. Farmers cannot be stopped from coming to Delhi. Their demands are valid and should be agreed upon. We are with the farmers," he said.<doc-sep>Govt agrees to farmers’ demand of keeping tractors out of NGT list: GS Shekhawt NGT’s order is that diesel vehicles more than 10 years old can’t enter Delhi NCR. Farmers’ demanded that their tractors are equipment of agriculture and should be kept out of vehicles’ list. The government has agreed to this demand and the Centre will make efforts with UP, Delhi and Haryana governments about this: Union minister GS Shekhawat to ANI Ghaziabad traffic movement should normalise, says DM Ghaziabad district magistrate tweeted on Wednesday that following the end of farmers agitation, traffic movement should normalise. After rounds of meetings, Kisan Yatra agitation ended yesterday night and all have moved back to their destinations. District Traffic movement should normalise today .. — DM Ghaziabad (@dm_ghaziabad) October 3, 2018 Schools in Ghaziabad shut on Wednesday Schools and educational institutions in Ghaziabad are shut on Wednesday as a preventive measure according to an earlier announcement by the district magistrate. Everyone left Delhi by 6 am, says Delhi police official DCP (East) Pankaj Singh said around five thousand farmers who were left were given entry into the national capital. Everyone left the city by 6 am on Wednesday. . The 'Kisan Kranti Padyatra' that started on Sept 23 had to end at Delhi's Kisan Ghat. Since Delhi police didn't allow us to enter we protested. Our aim was to finish the yatra which has been done. Now we'll go back to our villages: Naresh Tikait, President, Bharatiya Kisan Union pic.twitter.com/P7xvF4YTFI — ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2018 Protesting farmers allowed to enter Delhi, end their 10-day-old march Thousands of farmers ended their 10-day Kisan Kranti Yatra early on Wednesday morning after they were allowed to enter Delhi, police said.<doc-sep>GHAZIABAD: Traffic movement along NH-24 at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border was partially restored on Wednesday morning after protesting farmers cleared UP Gate late at night. Farmers moved to Delhi through UP Gate at around 1 am from where they travelled to Kisan Ghat to pay obeisance at the memorial of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh Ghaziabad police said vehicular movement along NH-24 is expected to return to complete normalcy during the day on Wednesday. Cops were trying to clear tractors broken down on the service road along NH-24 leading to Delhi at the time that this report was being filed.“Deadlock over entry of the farmers’ rally into Delhi has been amicably resolved. Delhi police have allowed entry of this rally into their borders at around 1 am on Tuesday night,” said Ghaziabad SSP Vaibhav Krishna Traffic movement has been allowed across the Ghazipur flyover on NH-24 for all vehicles travelling from Ghaziabad towards Delhi.“A number of tractors that broke down have been abandoned on the service road of NH-24. We are trying to clear the mess. Traffic movement has been restored to normal along the flyovers though,” Ghaziabad SP (Traffic) Shyam Narayan Singh told TOI.Ghaziabad police had issued an advisory on traffic restrictions for Wednesday in view of the continued protest of farmers at UP Gate which had failed to resolve till late on the night of October 2. Hindon Elevated Road, which had been completely barricaded from October 2 was yet to be opened.“We haven’t opened the elevated road yet because vehicles travelling from Raj Nagar Extension towards Delhi will invariably merge with the service road of NH-24 where broken down tractors are still lying in a mess. Cranes have been unable to remove these tractors till now,” said Singh.Schools and colleges across Ghaziabad had been ordered shut for October 3 by the district administration as a pre-emptive measure against the farmers’ agitations.<doc-sep>
At around 5.30 am, the farmers began dispersing from Delhi's Kisan Ghat. Highlights Schools and colleges in Ghaziabad are closed today Farmers ended protest after they were allowed to enter Delhi There were violent clashes on Tuesday when farmers were stopped at border Thousands of farmers ended their protests after they were allowed to enter Delhi early this morning. But, all schools and colleges in Ghaziabad will remain closed today. The Delhi Traffic Police said the traffic on National Highway-24 is now open. Late on Tuesday night, the police opened the barricades at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, allowing the farmers to enter the capital. Led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief Naresh Tikait, over 400 tractors carrying thousands of farmers reached Kisan Ghat. At around 5.30 am, the farmers began dispersing from Delhi's Kisan Ghat. "Schools and colleges in Ghaziabad will remain closed tomorrow on account of the ongoing Kisan Kranti Padyatra," a statement issued by the Ghaziabad administration yesterday read The farmers said they have reached an agreement with the Centre, which, according to them, has accepted "most of the demands". They said that their prime demand of increasing the price of crops has been agreed upon by the government. "There are several issues. We will wait and see what will be done in five to six days. Many farmers left left their homes 10 to 16 days ago. So we're sending them back home," Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), told NDTV. On Tuesday, the farmers were stopped from entering the national capital which resulted in a violent clash with the police. They have been protesting as part of their "Kisan Kranti Padyatra" to demand loan waiver, subsidised electricity and fuel, pension for farmers above 60 and implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. The 'Kisan Kranti Padyatra' began from Tikait Ghat in Haridwar on September 23 and farmers from places as far as Gonda, Basti and Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh and the sugarcane belt of western UP joined the agitation. They came on foot, in buses and tractor trolleys. They carried banners of Bhartiya Kisan Union, which gave the call for the march to press for a series of demands. Their list of demands include unconditional loan waiver for farmers, clearing of dues by sugar mills, higher prices for crops, free electricity for farms and a cut in diesel prices.