Farmers at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on Friday planted flower saplings along a road stretch, saying it was their response to “iron nails” fixed in the area by the police.
Stringent security measures like multilayered barricading, concertina wires, had come up along with iron nails cemented on roads around the protest site in the wake of the January 26 violence in Delhi.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said: “The police had fixed iron nails for farmers but we have decided to plant flowers for them.” Rows of marigold flowers have come up near the barricading only in a “symbolic gesture” but a relatively bigger plantation drive was under way on a road stretch nearby, BKU media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said.
“A flower garden is being created on the Delhi-Dabur Tiraha road. This will cover the dirt lying on road stretches, and also emanate fragrance and improve the environment around,” Mr. Malik said.
Peaceful demonstration
Farmers, who are getting the flower saplings from nearby nurseries, said they were on the path of “peaceful” demonstration.
Farmers are camping in temporary tarpaulin-roofed shelters, while many have their tractor-trailers double up as their resting place that have come up on a stretch of the Delhi-Meerut highway.
