Farmers Movement Archive

Thousands turn up for R-Day protest rehearsals in Hry

Ambala/Jind/Hisar: To mark the protest against the Centre’s three agri-marketing laws and the 76th death anniversary of Sir Chhotu Ram, thousands of farmers from Ambala, Hisar and Jind districts on Saturday held rallies and rehearsals for a protest tractor “parade” to be carried out in Delhi on Republic Day. Farmers held two rehearsals in Ambala — in Ambala city and Naraingarh town. Actvists in about 5,000 tractors took out the rally in response to a call given by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Haryana (Charuni), said union leaders. In Jind, farmers paused their protest to allow candidates to appear for the gram sachiv exam at 1pm. Earlier, farmers started their march in the morning from several villages of Uchana assembly seat, represented by deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, and reached the outskirts of Jind at 12.30pm. They stopped the rally for about half an hour to avoid a jam-like situation. A protester in Jind, Suresh Kumar, said their cavalcade comprised thousands of tractors and knew that the candidates would be affected if the protest entered the city before 1 pm. “We are seeking support from every section of society, how can we create an uneasy situation for the future of our country?” said Azad Singh Palwa, a key member of the protest going on in Jind. In Hisar, a rally was organised at the Chaudharywas toll plaza. Activists in Ambala started gathering at New Grain Market on Ambala-Hisar highway in the morning and took out a rally through Baldev Nagar, Jandali, Prem Nagar, Model Town and back to New Grain Market. In Naraingarh, farmers came in tractors at Kadasan village on National Highway (NH) 344 and took out a rally to Shahzadpur and back. Protesters raised anti-government slogans, including against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. They also put a garland of shoes on the effigies of these leaders and beat them with shoes. Both rallies were peaceful and tractors remained in a single lane and did not disturbing traffic. BKU Haryana (Charuni) Ambala district president Malkiat Singh Sahibpura led the rally at Naraingarh. “About 2,000 tractors attended the parade in Naraingarh, which is just a trailer. The main rally will be huge in Delhi,” he said. The union’s Ambala district vice-president, Gulab Singh, led the rally at Ambala. “About 3,000 tractors attended our rally,” said Gulab Singh. After the rally in Hisar, farm groups announced the strategy for the Replublic Day agitation when they would take out a rally at Mahabir Stadium, which is the venue of Hisar district administration’s Republic Day celebrations. They said effigies will be burnt in every village of the district on January 13 in protest against the laws. Women’s Day will be celebrated on January 18 at the district level. A protest will also be held on January 23 too to mark Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary, they said.

The Times of India

2021-01-10

Chandigarh