Farmers Movement Archive

Police give ‘in-principle’ nod to farmers tractor rally on Republic Day

NEW DELHI/BATHINDA: Protesting farmers will enter the capital and hold ‘Kisan Gantantra Parade’ (Farmer Republic Day), driving tractors on five different routes covering around 100 km, on January 26 with the Delhi Police on Saturday finally allowing them to hold the march in a peaceful manner. Farmers will, however, not be allowed to remain in the city after their tractor march, having trolleys as tableaux, depicting state of farmers and farming in India. They will have to leave the capital and return to the border points where they have been stationed since November 26. Police will remove barricades at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders for the march on January 26. “Farmers will move inside Delhi from five different points – Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur, Palwal and Shahjahanpur – and cover around 100 km. The march will be completely peaceful. Finer points of the routes will be released on Sunday. It’ll be a historic parade,” said Yogendra Yadav of Jai Kisan Andolan after fifth meeting of farmers’ unions leaders, including Darshan Pal, Yudhvir Singh and Gurnam Singh Chaduni, with the Delhi Police over the issue. Delhi Police sources confirmed that an ‘in-principle’ approval had been given to the protesting farmers for the tractor rally on January 26. Police received a written request from the farmers late on Saturday and said they were examining it. While the exact routes have not been disclosed yet, farmers’ unions had largely agreed on not taking any route that would impact Republic Day security and law and order. Delhi Police had briefed the farmers on how the movement and security of the dignitaries will be impacted due to the rally on Ring Road as there are multiple routes including the contingency route put in place as part of the security drill. Calling it a “step towards victory”, Rajinder Singh Deep Singhwala of Kirti Kisan Union said, “It has become clear today that the people are stronger force in the country. The Delhi Police and central government had to bow down to might of the farmers. Our fight will continue till the farm laws are not repealed.” The union leaders said though police had not given a time-frame to complete the march, it may be from 24 hours to 72 hours beginning January 26. They said it won’t disturb any official function with Yogendra Yadav saying the protesting farmers will not in “any way compromise with the security and prestige of the country”. “Nitty-gritty is being worked out. All farmers coming to border points from different parts of the country will participate in the march. They will return to the border points after the march. Exact time-frame will be given on Sunday,” said Darshan Pal. The permission for tractor march inside Delhi comes a day after the farmers’ talks with the government failed to make a headway when the Centre asked them to “reconsider” its proposal of putting the implementation of laws on hold for 18 months for making further progress. Meanwhile, farmers’ unions from Punjab discussed the government’s proposal in a separate meeting at Singhu border on Saturday and reiterated their stand to reject any such offer. Although certain farm unions from Punjab had earlier wanted to accept the government’s proposal, the consensus on Saturday remained against the proposal. Unlike January 21, when 17 farm groups from Punjab rejected the proposal and 15 were in favour of accepting it, no voting took place on Saturday. A senior farm leader, on condition of anonymity, said, “No farm leader, even if they might have been in favour of accepting the Centre’s proposal, will speak about it in open as the proposal was rejected with voice vote." (With inputs from Sakshi Chand)

The Times of India

2021-01-24

India