NH-1, the Jat stir-hit ‘highway of horror’
WE CAME ACROSS ABOUT 50 AGITATING JATS WHO HAD PUT BAMBOOS AND TREE BRANCHES ON THE HIGHWAY. MY SWEET TALK FAILED TO DO THE TRICK AND THEY LITERALLY CHASED US AWAY
Hitting National Highway No 1 on Sunday to highlight the plight of thousands of people stranded due to blockades by agitating Jats, I had not imagined that I would rema in on the “highway of horror” for two days and as many nights.
Within minutes of a smooth drive of about two-and-a-half hours from Chandigarh to Karnal, I and my photographer colleague saw severalkilometre- long queues of vehicles. Most of the people we met told us how they had got stuck and were unable to reach their homes or offices.
Then we came across about 50 Jats who had put bamboos and tree branches on the highway and were squatting on durries (mats) at Ganjwad village
bordering Karnal and Panipat. As I engaged them in talks, one of them noticed my colleague’s camera and shouted: “Isna andar daal le, thari apni TRP
se, hamari koni” (put it inside; you may have your TRPs, we have none).
A couple of them, wielding lathis, kept shouting at the photographer. My sweet talk failed to do the trick and they literally chased us away. Finding a hotel room in nearby Karnal was an uphill task for us as well as others.
Waking up on Monday to happily learn that NH-1 had been cleared by the army, we headed towards Delhi to cover the stir which was still going on in other parts of Haryana. But we were again shocked to get stuck among hundreds of hapless people barely 2 km short of Sonepat as protesters had also blocked the highway at Larhsoli.
After hours of waiting, we spotted several trucks of the Haryana police and the army. An hour later, several ambulances joined them. Danger loomed large when several youths riding motorcycles started ‘patrolling’ the area, shouting “ib gandase chalenge” (now, axes would be used). Some of them slapped a youth who tried to make a video on his mobile phone.
Soon, out of the blue, we heard gunshots and saw dark smoke billowing above the village skyline. Bike-borne youths shouted at motorists, telling them to go back. We saw a few vehicles returning at high speed with their window panes shattered. The sight compelled us and others to make a quick retreat.
Many ran terrorised, huffing and puffing. One Virender Singh begged for a lift from the HT team (and we obliged) to rush to his vehicle parked about 2 km away.
The U-turn and the subsequent drive took us to Gannaur, where I saw people with fear in their eyes. Amid horrifying tension, many had still put on a brave face, but some could only wonder for how long this anarchy would continue.
We took the first available hotel, only to spend a tense night remembering the harrowing time people were facing.
Next morning, on learning that NH-1 had finally been cleared, we moved towards Sonepat. On the “highway of horror”, we saw dozens of charred vehicles and property.
On our way back on Tuesday evening, we spotted some motorists, but they were far less compared to the usually unending stream of vehicles. As the day progressed and the highway traffic increased, its chaos and cacophony brought a sad smile on my face.
