Farmers Movement Archive

Agra farmers leave Delhi borders, head home to celebrate

Agra: Farmers from Agra who protested against the contentious farm laws started returning home from Delhi borders on Saturday amid cheers of "Kisan ekta zindabad". They will now celebrate the repeal of these laws in their villages, said leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). The Kisan Kranti Rath, a symbol of their longstanding protest, will also be taken to different villages as part of celebrations. It is a tractor modified by the BKU Agra unit and was used at the Ghazipur border protest site. It was used as a safe space for farmers to hold meetings and accommodate the elderly. “We will now take up local issues and meetings in villages to achieve our goals. A detailed plan will be prepared to ensure that the state government takes time-bound action on various issues concerning farmers of the Agra region," said BKU Agra division president Gajendra Singh Parihar. Some farmers were seen dismantling their makeshift homes. Others were seen dancing and waving green and white flags as they rode tractors and jeeps on the way back from the capital's outskirts, where they have camped since November last year. They said they were happy and relieved to return home. "I am glad we can finally go back. The fact that I am heading home after victory is what makes this moment even sweeter," said BKU Agra's district women wing leader, Savitri Chahar. BKU Agra district president, Rajveer Lawaniya, said, “We have made friends for life and our brotherhood with the farmers of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and other states has only strengthened. Over 700 farmers who died during this movement have inspired us to never give up. We will do everything possible to maintain this comradeship.” Lawaniya said that their next move will be to focus on local issues such as irregularities related to MSP, high electricity bills, lack of arrangements for irrigation of fields, and a short supply of fertilisers. "We will aggressively pursue our long-pending demand to set up a potato processing unit in Agra. For this, meetings will be held across the district," he said. Farmers from Agra participated in many events during the protest. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait had addressed a mega rally in Agra on February 24. Dodging the police, thousands of farmers managed to reach the Delhi border. They organised tractor rallies, burnt copies of three contentious farm laws at government offices, blocked roads, and observed a Bharat Bandh to mark their protest. Cases were registered against hundreds of these farmers.

The Times of India

2021-12-12

Agra