Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers' Republic Day parade: A trail of tractors to Delhi borders

NH-44 AMBALA TO SONIPAT: Vehicles on Sunday touched bumper to bumper on all roads leading to Singhu-Kundli and Tikri Haryana-New Delhi borders to participate in the much publicised tractor march on Republic Day. With songs on farmers strike being sung by popular Punjab singers blasting and flags of farmer unions fluttering, the tractor trolleys could be seen moving towards the borders. Unlike November 26 and 27, when Haryana Police had put up lots of obstructions, this time round, the police could be seen regulating the traffic at some of the bottleneck points of Karnal, Panipat and Sonipat districts. Panipat police had planned the diversions on the under repair road stretches between Panipat and Sonipat district. Police in districts falling on the route had already issued advisories to locals to avoid use of NH 44 from Saturday to Monday. Mohra in Ambala has emerged as first assembly point for vehicles coming from Punjab and Haryana. “In a bid to ensure smooth traffic we had started in the midnight from Jalandhar. But to our surprise, there were still a lot of vehicles,’’ said Zorawar Singh of Mithapur village of Jalandhar. Zorwar was driving the tractor, carrying 15 people from his village. “There was hardly space for vehicles beyond Murthal, hence the traffic for other states was diverted much ahead of Murthal. Only tractor trolley or media vehicles are moving beyond Murthal to Kundli,’’ said Sonipat superintendent of police, Jashandeep Randhawa. Notably, the tractor trolleys had started arriving in a group of two and more since Saturday and the flow continued on Saturday night as well as on Sunday throughout the day. Selfie pointsFoot overbridges in Kurukshetra, Karnal and Panipat have emerged as ‘selfie points’ for the locals as well those coming out on roads to see the farmers’ tractor trolleys. Men and women of all walks and all ages could be seen taking selfies. “We could not go to the border due to work commitments. But our support is with them,” said Navneeta and Gagan, executives working in Karnal. They had come to see the tractors pass by. Similarly, Harvinder and his newly-wed wife Gunjeet could be seen taking selfies and waving to farmers from the foot overbridge. Farmers try to cut costs while fuelling protests, groups at tolls to stay putIn a bid to save fuel, farmers have arttached three to five tractors or trolleys to each other. In some places, tractors or modified jeeps could be seen on trolleys attached with the tractors. “When we all have to reach the same destination, then why not one tractor pull the rest? This will save fuel as well. We are doing this by turns. This is quite cost effective,” said Harbhajan Singh , a young farmer from Chamkaur Sahib. The farmer groups who are camping at toll plazas of Dappar, Bastara, Panipat, Sonipat and Makroli Kalan will be having tractor marches of their own. “Our tractor trolleys have already left for borders. Now, the remaining shall participate here. We cannot leave these venues as we have to take care of those returning from borders as well,’’ said Harinder Singh at Dappar toll plaza. While at Bastara toll plaza of Karnal, a group of farmers too were planning to organise a tractor march at toll plaza and city as well. “Since farmers will not be entering the city, we shall have our own parade,’’ said Alambir Singh, one of the coordinators there.

The Times of India

2021-01-25

Chandigarh