The historic Tractor Parade by protesting farmers got off to an unpredicted start today early morning, with sections of farmers veering off from the pre-decided route at several points. This happened at Singhu, Tikri, Chilla and Ghazipur borders. The main reason was that the number of farmers arriving for the rally was far greater than anticipated either by the administration or the farmers' unions themselves. At Singhu border, the line of tractors heading for Delhi stretches back nearly a hundred kilometers till Panipat. Similarly at all other points.
At Chilla (Delhi-Noida border) permission was earlier denied but farmers broke through the barricades. Police teargassed them. Currently, police has agreed to allow a parade from there.
Since enthusiasm and energy was high thousands of farmers pressed forward in an attempt to head towards the central parts of Delhi. This has led to teargassing and clashes at Mukarba Chowk, Nangloi, Akshardham Temple and near Badarpur border. Farmers have removed huge containers, dumpers and other heavy vehicles planted across roads by police to prevent movement.
Currently attempts are being made by farmers leaders to stick to pre decided routes and persuade farmers to follow them. Security personnel are out numbered.
Meanwhile farmers rallies, tractor parades and other protests are going on across the country. In several states protests will start in the afternoon.
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.
Gujarat | Farmers of 13 villages of Mahuva and Talaja taluka of Bhavnagar, affected by limestone mining for Ultra Tech cement, gathered late last night to hold a meeting as a mark of protest and support for farmers near Delhi. More than a hundred farmers from these villages have had cases slapped against them following massive protests against mining last year.
A group of farmers have broken barricades and reached the ITO area in Central Delhi, NDTV reported. The farmers also took over a bus, according to the channel. Meanwhile a group of farmers were lathicharged at Dilshad Garden
Protests have broken out in most parts of Tamil Nadu with political parties and farmers organisations taking out two wheeler, bullock cart and tractor rallies in Coimbatore, Thanjavur, Salem, Perambalur and Cuddalore districts.
While the tractor rallies were planned to be held in the evening, the farmers decided to take out the rallies in the morning itself. They also condemned the police action on the protesting farmers on the Delhi borders.
At the Tikri border, braving facing tear gas shells that were fired by the police, the farmers continue their march towards Delhi. Currently, the march has crossed the Udyog Nagar Metro Station
The police resorted to tear gas shelling and baton charge after a group of farmers broke barricades at a square near Ghazipur border and attempted to march toward Akshardham Temple.
A DTC bus was parked blocking the way. Youngsters in large number pushed the bus to a corner to make way. After they reached the square, huge police force tried to stop them from marching toward Akshardham. But not ready to relent, they broke the barricades.
As the tension began mounting, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait intervened to pacify the protestors. He also came down heavily on Delhi Police officer Sukant S. Ballabh for allegedly provoking the farmers by erecting barricades at the approved route.
A huge portion of the rally avoided confrontation and marched on the approved route.
The farmers' Tractor Parade from Singhu border is on its way towards ISBT via the Burari Bypass. Hundreds of tractors accompanied by thousands of farmers are part of the parade.
Madhya Pradesh | Farmers under the banner of Jagrut Kisan Sanghatan are carrying out a 15-km long rally from Mubarakpur to Sukhi Sewaniya in Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal.
More than 50 tractors, dozens of vehicles and bikes are taking part in the rally.
Jagrut Kisan Sanghatan convenor Irfan Jafri said that despite their repeated attempts to seek permission for the rally, the district admin denied it. But farmers came out in large numbers and joined the rally in support of the farmers in Delhi.
Similarly, three other rallies are being carried out in Raisen and Bhopal districts by the farmers.
Sikri | At Sikri, Haryana police lathicharged farmers rallying from Palwal. 40-50 people have been injured. The police also damaged a number of tractors. The farmers are not being allowed to proceed. They are now sitting on a dharna at Sikri, Ballabgarh.
Tamil Nadu farmers affiliated to the AIKSCC took out a protest rally and staged a road blockade in Salem demanding the withdrawal of the three farm laws. Farmers and trade union activists condemned the denial of permission for their Republic Day tractor parade and held a rally with two-wheelers and tractors despite the huge police presence to prevent them.
Barwani | Farmers from Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district carried out a 16-km long bullock cart rally from the district's Krishi Upaj Mandi to Anjad under the banner of Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Demanding the three farm laws be repealed and voicing support for Delhi's tractor parade, hundreds of farmers joined the rally.
Barwani district, situated on the banks of Narmada River, is an agriculturally rich district where maze, cotton, rice are the main crops.
The people of Delhi are welcoming farmers on their way as the tractors' rally is peacefully progressing towards its destination.
Men and women can be seen standing on the sidewalks with folded hands and waving to welcome the country's food growers who have been out on the road for the past 60 days, demanding the government to repeal the three contentious farm laws and a legal guarantee for minimum support price.
At different squares and intersections, many people also showered flower petals on the farmers' tractor parade. As the rally reached Sahibabad, several citizens distributed food packets, bananas, fruit juices and water bottles. "Our annadatas (food givers) are in distress. This is the least we can do for them," one of the people distributing food told NewsClick.
Another person said, "It's high time that the government leaves behind its arrogance and accepts their demands. Democracy functions like this."
"Across Telangana, thousands of farmers have reached their respective district headquarters to join the tractor parade called by the farmers organisations. In Hyderabad, farmers, trade union activists and members of opposition parties are gathering at Saroornagar stadium. The Parade will start at 2 PM from LB Nagar to Uppal Ring Road in the city. By joining in large numbers, Telangana farmers are expressing their strong opposition to the farm laws," said B Venkat, General Secretary of All India Agriculture Workers Union (AIAWU).
In the erstwhile districts of Khammam, Warangal and Nalgonda, tractor and motorcycle parades are being organised in several mandals.
The farmers who set out from the Tikri border say they are planning to stay for a while near the Madipur Metro Station. The farmers say they are waiting for those who are behind them to catch up.
Lucknow: At least 100 farmers from Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Barabanki associated with multiple farmers' unions, on their way to join the tractor parade in the national capital, have been stopped at the Lucknow-Delhi highway on January 26.
Several prominent farmers' leaders have also been put under house arrest since January 25 evening to prevent them from joining the tractor parade, farmers in the region have alleged.
“We had planned to gather at the camp office in Lucknow, from where we were supposed to move towards Delhi. But the police, led by some senior officers, arrived at the office around 6 PM and put the farmers who had arrived under house arrest,” Abhimanyu, a farmer leader told NewsClick. He claimed that UP police is using all tactics to prevent farmers from going to Delhi.
He added that despite the authorities sending notices to farmers “to curb their voices”, they “would not get scared of the government’s dictatorial policies”.
Meanwhile, farmers associated with the Bharatiya Kisan Union-Bhanu said they had planned to gherao the Chief Minister and ask him why they were not being allowed to enter Noida. “Our supporters were set to reach Noida ahead of the rally but were stopped across UP in districts like Mathura, Barabanki, Agra and Bulandshahr. In Lucknow, the district president was stopped and his tractor was seized. At many places, tractors have been denied diesel at fuel pumps,” the union's state president Yogesh Pratap Singh said.
Farmers from Trichy district in Tamil Nadu breached the barricades erected to prevent them from taking out the rally. The farmers then proceeded with the tractor rally demanding the withdrawal of the three farm laws and Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020.
Defying the threats, including that of the police or the government confiscating the tractors, the farmers participated in large numbers to press their demands.
Sikri | Farmers from MP, Chattisgarh, UP, Punjab and Haryana who had left Palwal at 11 AM are still stuck at Sikri. Rahul Tawar, District President of Bharatiya Kisan Union (A), who has been hurt in the lathicharge at Sikri told Newsclick, "They blocked the roads with big barriers and canters. We requested to go ahead peacefully but a police officer tried to grab the national flag from my hand. I tried to protect the flag and during the process, they beat me up."
Farmers have started the tractor parades in West Bengal. Birbhum is the first district to roll out the tractor parade after Delhi's Republic Day parade finished. Led by AIKS activists, hundreds of vehicles including more than 50 tractors took part in the rally in Santiniketan area of Birbhum.
The tractor parade by farmers’ organisations, which commenced from Singhu Border, has garnered immense support from the local population. The people distributed water and packets of dry food to the participants at several points throughout the predefined route. Appu Kumar, a truck mechanic who is watching the mammoth parade from a distance at Swarup Nagar told NewsClick, "I have never seen such a big rally in my lifetime. They have done a good job by taking out this parade. I hope government will wake from its slumber and accept their demands.”
Another resident of Swarup Nagar, Daljeet Kaur, who was showering flowers on the farmers, said that her family decided that they would offer their services when the parade passes through their area. Children, too, joined in solidarity by raising slogans hailing the unity of farmers and workers.
Pushed back by the police from ITO in Central Delhi, a section of the protesting farmers drove their tractors to Red Fort complex and hoisted flags from some domes of the iconic monument.
The crowd swelled at the monument as some protesting farmers and 'Nihangs' (traditional Sikh warriors) were seen entering the Red Fort and hoisting a flag from the staff from which Prime Minister unfurls the tricolour on Independence Day.
Earlier, a clash broke out between police and protesting farmers after the latter reached ITO and tried to push towards Lutyen's Delhi, leading to lathicharge and tear gas shells. --PTI
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