Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers reach Singhu on tractors

Gurgaon: Thousands of farmers from across the state took out tractor rallies and marches on Sunday to mark the 75th Independence Day. While farmers from Ambala and Karnal reached Singhu border and joined the protesters camping there, farmers in Jind and Hisar took out rallies at the block and tehsil levels. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had urged farmers to take out rallies and mark this Independence Day as ‘Kisan Mazdoor Azaadi Sangram Diwas ’ in an attempt to infuse fresh steam into their movement that began last year. In Sirsa, Rewari, and Jind, farmers took to the streets with tableau, farm machinery and charkhas. “At the border protest sites also, farmers organised padayatras (marches). In Haryana and Punjab, the call for the yatra has received an overwhelming response and it has strengthened the protest and the farmers’ resolve to fight,” said Manjit Thakral, a member of Jai Kisan Andolan. In Jind, more than 20,000 farmers in over 5,000 tractors took part in the rally on Sunday. “This year, Independence Day is more special for two main reasons. Firstly, we celebrated 75 years of freedom and recounted the sacrifices and struggles of our freedom fighters. Secondly, the farming community stands together, stronger than ever. The roads in Jind were flooded with tractors, many of which were driven by women,” said Virender Singh Sindhu, a member of Starol khap in Jind. The rally taken out from Rewari culminated at Shahjahanpur border where farmers have been camping for several months. A group of farmers also marched for about 9 km from Tankri Rewari to Shahjahanpur border. Protesters carried soil from their fields and water from their villages. Once they reached Shahjahanpur, they placed the soil and the water in front of a memorial built to pay respects to those who lost their lives while taking part in the farmers’ agitation.

The Times of India

2021-08-16

Gurgaon