Several groups of farmers from Punjab and Haryana set out on Saturday in their tractor-trolleys and other vehicles to take part in the proposed tractor parade on Jan. 26 in Delhi.
Carrying some ration, mattresses and other essentials, cavalcades of tractors left for Delhi to press the Centre to accept their demands.
Tractors carried the flags of the unions, some sported the tricolour, and also posters with slogans of ‘Kisan Ekta Zindabad', ‘No Farmer, No Food' and ‘Kaale Kanoon Radd Karo'.
Farmer unions protesting the Centre's three farm laws had said they would go ahead with their tractor parade in Delhi on Republic Day.
They had announced the tractor parade will make its way via the Outer Ring Road in Delhi.
Farmer leaders said that the tractor parade would be peaceful.
“Over 30,000 tractors and trolleys today moved from Khanauri (in Sangrur, Punjab) and Dabwali (in Sirsa district, Haryana) to join the tractor parade in Delhi,” said Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan on Saturday.
They are expected to reach the Tikri border on Saturday night.
Farmers conducted a tractor march as a rehearsal of Parade that they have declared to do on 26 January 2021.
January 8, 2021
🙏🏻 Abki Baar Kisan Parivar 🙏🏻 #26JanDelhiTractorParade #TractorMarchDelhi #ट्रैक्टरमार्च pic.twitter.com/g0kkeLBoDbSome farmers even mounted tractors on trailers and a few even towed their tractors in order to save diesel, said the farmer leaders.
“Some loaded their tractors in trailers and some even towed their vehicles in order to save fuel,” said Kokrikalan.
Similarly, a cavalcade of around 1,000 tractors left from Phagwara area and 150 tractors from Hoshiarpur in Punjab to become part of the parade, said the farmer leaders.
A farmer leader in Barnala said they were getting a very good response to the call for joining the tractor parade.
“Youth and elders are going in their tractors towards Delhi in a peaceful manner,” he said.
A batch of tractors and other vehicles from Fatehabad in Haryana also left for Delhi to join the parade, they said.
Many farmers from Karnal and other districts would leave for the national capital on Sunday.
Independent lawmaker from Dadri in Haryana, Sombir Sangwan, who recently withdrew his support to the Khattar government over farmers' issue, told reporters on Saturday that the Centre will have to agree to farmers' demands.
Sangwan, who had gone to meet protesting farmers at the Haryana-Rajasthan border near Rewari, also told reporters that farmers should be freely allowed to take part in tractor parade on Jan. 26.
Kirpal Singh Moosapur, Vice-President, Bharati Kisan Union (Doaba) in Phagwara, Punjab, said, “More farmers with tractors will leave tomorrow as well. We expect over 5,000 tractors from Doaba region (in Punjab) alone to reach Delhi for the parade.”
Moosapur slammed the Centre for not accepting farmers' demands.
“Farmers have been agitating at Delhi borders for the last several weeks but the Modi government has turned a deaf ear to their demands,” he said.
The women and Daughters of farmers from Haryana and punjab villages will also be joining the tractor parade on 26th January, Republic Day.
January 23, 2021
#26JanDelhiChalo pic.twitter.com/LsqtbGxNxnBefore heading for Delhi, many farmers got their tractors inspected from mechanics for any fault so they can have a hassle-free journey, said the farmer leaders.
At many places in Punjab and Haryana, tractor marches were taken out on Saturday to mobilise more people for the tractor parade.
Meanwhile, some women in Bathinda said they have asked their male members who are at the Delhi borders not to worry about homes.
“We are taking care of the farm and other works. We have told our male members to stay put until the demands are met,” said an elderly woman in Bathinda.
Nation is excited to watch #TractorParade at National Capital.
January 23, 2021
Finally Farmers were successful to convince Police to hold #TractorMarch on Republic Day.
Peace, Patience & Determination.#FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/qrjQaJJ1pnUnions Say Delhi Police Has Allowed Rally
The Delhi Police on Saturday gave permission to protesting farmer unions to hold their tractor parades on Jan. 26 in the national capital, farmer leaders said.
The tractor parades will start from the Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri border points of Delhi, but details will be finalised tonight, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said after attending a meeting between the unions and the police.
Kohar claimed that the Delhi Police has given its nod to the farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day in the national capital.
Talking to reporters, another farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said that as thousands of farmers will participate in the parade, there will be no single route.
Farmer leader Darshan Pal said that barricades set up at Delhi border points, will be removed on Jan. 26 and farmers will proceed with tractor rallies after entering the national capital.
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