NEW DELHI, Sept 14: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday said it had issued notices to the centre and the state governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan governments over complaints of industrial units and transportation being affected by the ongoing farmers’ protest at the Delhi border.
The NHRC said it had “received several complaints regarding the ongoing farmers’ protest”, including about 9,000 industrial units and transportation being adversely affected.
“There are allegations of adverse impact on the industrial units, seriously effecting more than 9000 micro, medium, and large companies. Allegedly, transportation is also adversely impacted, causing the commuters, patients, physically challenged people and senior citizens to suffer due to the heavy congestion on roads.
“There are also reports that people have to travel long distances to reach their destinations due to the ongoing farmers’ agitation and barricades have been put on the borders. There is an allegation that there is breach of the corona protocols by the agitating farmers at the protest site. There is further allegation that the inhabitants are not being allowed to move out of their houses due to the blockade of the passage,” the statement said.
The rights panel issued notices to the Chief Secretaries and heads of police of the four States, calling for ‘action taken’ reports.
Since the agitation involves the issue of human rights, the right to agitate in a peaceful manner is also to be respected. The Commission needs to take care of various human rights issues,” the statement read. The Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) has been requested to examine the adverse impact of the farmers’ agitation on industrial and commercial activities/production and disruption of transport services on commercial and normal consumers, including inconvenience and additional expenditure, etc. and to submit a comprehensive report in the matter by October 10, the NHRC said.
The NHRC said it had also sought reports from the National Disaster Management Authority, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Union Ministry of Health on the adverse impact on COVID-19 protocols at the protest sites. “The National Disaster Management Authority, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health, Government of India, have been asked to submit reports with respect to the adverse impact of farmers agitation on various aspects and observance of Covid protocols at the protests sites,” it further said.
In the case of alleged gang rape of a human rights activist at the protest site, no report was received from the DM, Jhajjar regarding the payment of compensation to the next of kin of the deceased, the statement claimed. A fresh reminder was issued to the DM to file the report by October 10, it read.
Delhi School of Social Work, University of Delhi has been requested to depute teams to conduct a survey and submit the report assessing the disruption of livelihood, lives of people, impact on the aged and infirm due to protracted agitation by farmers, it added.
Farmers from various states have been protesting at Singhu Border and Tikri Border of Delhi-Haryana and Ghazipur border of Delhi-Uttar Pradesh, and have camped there since November 25 last year, seeking repealing of the three new agricultural laws.
(Manas Dasgupta)
