Live Blog: Lakhs of Farmers Waiting at Delhi Borders, Govt. Scrambling for Control

Telangana High Court on Monday accorded permission to farmers' vehicles to parade in Hyderabad on Republic Day. Farmers organisations had to approach the court as the state police earlier denied permission for the parade.  Farmers will begin the rally at Saroor Nagar stadium in the city at 1 PM. A large number of people are set  to join the parade on tractors, autos and bikes.

Members of Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and Telangana Jana Samithi parties will be supporting the farmers' rallies demanding the scrapping of new farm laws enacted by the BJP-led Central government.

Farmers organisations have planned tractor and vehicle parades across all district headquarters in Telangana on this Republic day.

There are reports of police teargassing of farmers in Chilla, as per NDTV. . Further details awaited.

Teargas has also been reported from Ghazipur border, according to reports. Further details awaited

Tikri Border | After some confusion in the beginning, the Tikri Border kisan parade finally takes shape as envisioned by the SKM — volunteers manning the protesters, tractors with flags of the respective unions and the national flag fluttering on top of them.

The Left Democratic Mancha (LDM) a conglomeration of different political parties including CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) organised an oath-taking programme under the Indian flag on Republic day in Guwahati.

 The participants pledged to firmly stand together with the agitating farmers till the farm laws are repealed. They also vowed to save the Constitution, to resist the assault on democracy.

Reports of police lathicharge on farmers near Karnal bypass and Delhi's Mukarba Chowk, as per NDTV. Details awaited

The tractor rally from Palwal to Badarpur will start at 11 AM. Police forces have agreed to move the barricades before that. Around 2000 tractors have arrived from MP, UP, Haryana and Punjab. More than 10,000 farmers from MP, UP, Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Orissa have arrived. Jhankis have been prepared. 

All India Joint Secretary of All India Kisan Sabha Badal Saroj told Newsclick, "Even after two months of huge and peaceful struggle, why is the government not ready to budge? The government knows that if people's movements are successful in influencing policy making, they will not be able to implement any of their policies in the country. Their loyalty to the corporates is so strong that even if the people of the country die and continue to struggle, they will not pay any heed to them. They will continue to pay attention to the corporates. And so, this fight will not be restricted to the tractor march. The farmers of this country are taking out the tractor march only to show that this is their republic and that the people of this republic are capable of protecting it. This fight will continue. After the tractor march, the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha will decide the next phase of the struggle. This fight will continue till these laws are repealed."

Tamil Nadu | The rallies have been rescheduled across the state. The rallies will take place after 3 PM. The police have served notice to tractor owners to refrain from participating in the rally. But they have resolved not to yield. DMK leadership has announced that their farmers wing will also participate in the rally.

There are reports of tear has shells fired at farmers trying to proceed towards Delhi's Akshardham from Uttar Pradesh. Also reports of lathicharge near Bhalswa at farmers from Haryana, say reports. Further details awaited

After an insistence by protesting farmers to move forward towards the national capital, the Delhi Police just made an appeal at Nangloi to the marchers to “stick to their planned route.

Farmers of Bhavnagar district in Gujarat were denied permission to take out a march till the collector's office. They were not even allowed to gather at a spot to protest in solidarity with the tractor parade of farmers in Delhi. 

A student activist, Ajay Tiwari, from Rewa said, "Our fight is for the repeal of the three kaale kanoon (black laws) and a guarantee to bring the MSP under the ambit of law. Today, on the occasion of Republic Day, our clear message is that our demands should reach the public. That is why we are celebrating this day through the tractor parade with great zeal and in a peaceful manner. The youth like us are happy that even though we were not part of the freedom struggle, we are ready to participate wholeheartedly in this second freedom struggle. Our aim today is to win the hearts of the people of the country and in Delhi, and to present our demands for the repeal of these laws to the public." 

Farmers march ahead from Gazipur border breaking police barricades. 

Palwal | Neena Sharma, State President, Madhya Pradesh, AIDWA: “Today on Republic Day there is a massive tractor rally taking place. Women are also participating in it in large numbers. It is a historic day, and is one for women too. During the struggle for Independence, women played a crucial role, they are playing a crucial role the same way today in the farmers' movement. There are still many challenges women are facing. They need to overcome these and participate in this movement as the three farm laws are going to affect their lives adversely too.​ Seventy percent of the women in the country are working in the agricultural sector. Participating in such movements will also address inequality in the country. That is why this movement is a movement to save the country and that is why till the three laws are repealed the participation of women in this movement will continue to increase.”

The Uttar Pradesh Police in Baghpat lathi-charged farmer union members who were moving towards the national capital to participate in the Tractor Parade on Republic Day. However, protesting farmers broke the police barricades at the Delhi-Saharanpur border on the morning of January 26.

Farmer leaders allege that the police tried to stop some tractors but failed as they were heavily outnumbered. In the Baraut region, several barricades were broken as thousands of tractors made their way through.

Similar reports of incidents are coming in from Gautam Buddh Nagar, where another group of farmers have broken barricades. Farmers have entered Delhi from these two border points. 

Kavitha Kuruganti from Samyukta Kisan Morcha said the group of farmers, which breached the barricades at Mukarba Chowk and defied the pre-decided route of the parade, remains to be identified. She added, "Except for one group that has proceeded on the Outer Ring Road beyond Mukarba Chowk, our news is that all parades are happening on the pre-decided routes along with the police.”  

Shahjahanpur Border | Farmer leaders have said they have decided to have a martyr's altar in memory of the farmers who have lost their lives in the front leading the parade. They also said that more than a hundred farmers have attained martyrdom till now. 

A march by farmers on foot began from the Tikri border in the morning. The farmers have broken police barricades at Nangloi and are proceeding into Delhi. The tractor march led by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) is proceeding on the route assigned. 

West Bengal | The Burdwan tractor rally will start at 2.30 PM. The rally will be felicitated by common people in nine places on the way. 

The Murshidabad tractor rally will be held on January 27 along with picketing programmes in all BDO offices.

Palwal: The situation is tense at the Palwal Faridabad border with lathicharge on farmers reported. More than 1,000 tractors have left Palwal border towards Badarpur. Haryana Police near Gadpuri Chowki reportedly started the lathicharge.