NEW DELHI: In yet another instance of the ongoing farmers’ protest attracting solidarity from across the globe, a non-resident Indian (NRI) from England has come all the way to Ghazipur border to support the movement.
Rohit Ahlawat said from the beginning he was supportive of the farmers’ demands. He made a decision to fly to India after farmer union leader Rakesh Tikait in last week appealed to protesters to bring water from their home as the district administration had cut water supply to the protest site. It was then Ahlawat, who owns a franchise of a popular food joint in Reading, London decided to make his support visible.
“I am coming from a farming background. I am the son of a farmer, and tears of the farmers shall not go waste. The government is not listening to the protestors, instead it is ridiculing them. The government is trying to defame the protestors and trying to create division among Indians by saying protestors are against the rest. It is my duty to support the agitation by offering water from my home in London,” said Ahlawat who brought water from the Thames river in London to the protest site.
After meeting Tikait, the NRI businessman said, “I I brought water from Thames because we use the same water in our London house.” Ahlawat said he has been living with his wife and a four-year-old son in England for the last 11 years.
Ahlawat is not alone. Scores of non-resident Indians have been coming to Ghazipur and offering water to Tikait after the video in which the farmer leader is seen breaking down alleging that the government was using force against peaceful protestors. Meanwhile, Congress leader from UP Acharya Pramod along with a few other seers visited the protest site.
Additional forces withdrawn from borders
Police withdrew on Monday its additional force who were deployed across the borders in Delhi during the farmers’ tractor parade. According to an official order, the entire staff will go back to their respective districts or units with effect from Tuesday