Farmers Movement Archive

How the farmers’ protest lost its way

There are different interpretations of the chaotic events that unfolded in parts of Delhi on Republic Day as farmers who have been camped at the Ghazipur border for over two months now entered the city, apparently in violation of the agreements between the police and farm union leaders. While some observers said the young farmers lost their way on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway in the absence of any barricades, others said the idea of going to the Red Fort has been brewing for some time among the younger protesters who grabbed the chance presented to them. Others also point out that a section of farmers, tired and restless of waiting at the border for more than 60 days now, wanted to make a larger point which the leadership failed to take into account. Senior sources in the Bhartiya Kisan Union felt hoisting the flag of a particular faith at the Red Fort was against the spirit of the protest movement and it would bring the farmers down from the high moral ground they had held vis-a-vis the government. The events have also raised questions on the leadership in charge of the protest at the Ghazipur border. Rajvir Singh, BKU State vice-president, said all was well in the morning and the farmers were supposed to take the route decided on Monday night after the official Rajpath parade was over. “But some of the farmers who had arrived in the last couple of days and were stationed on the flyover suddenly decided to start before the scheduled time after ostensibly they got information from the Singhu border to march towards Delhi. I admit some of our members were also among them and it is definitely a failure of our volunteers,” he said. He added many of them were not well versed with the exits on the expressway and in the absence of any police, kept driving and once they reached the ITO cut, realised it was an opportunity to drive to the Red Fort. Delhi police head constable Pradeep Kumar, posted at the Ghazipur post, said they didn’t have orders to stop tractors on Tuesday. “But the leaders failed to keep them on the route they agreed upon on Monday night,” he said.

The Hindu

2021-01-27

January 27 2021 00:00 IST