Farmers make beeline for Delhi border for R-Day tractor march
KARNAL: The number of farmers at the Delhi-Haryana border is likely to increase in the next few days as farmers from Punjab and Haryana are making a beeline for Delhi to join the proposed tractor march on January 26.
Following the call by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and farmer unions for a tractor march on Republic Day, farmers from northern districts of Haryana have started towards Delhi border in tractor-trailers, SUVs, cars, trucks and canters.
Farmers are also taking combine harvesters and earth-movers to Delhi as they said that the heavy vehicles will be the centre of attraction at the parade.
Movement of farmers on NH-44 is also being considered as a pressure tactics by farmer unions before the crucial meeting between farmer leaders and Union ministers scheduled for January 22, as the government has given a proposal to withhold implementation of the laws for one-and-a-half year.
Manjit Sangwan, a young farmer from Bara Gaon in Karnal, said, “Most farmers are going towards Delhi on tractors, but we have decided to take combine-harvesters for the parade as combine-harvesters are considered the Rafale of farmers.”
“We should join the protest as our leaders have made the call. We are making arrangements to take 300 tractor-trailers from our villages for the January 26 parade,” said a farmer from Gagsina village.
A BKU (Charuni) leader, Jagdip Sigh Aulakh, said that around 20,000 tractor-trailers from Karnal will leave for Delhi on January 24. Farmers en route Delhi are getting all support including food and shelter from other farmers and gurdwaras located along the highway. Farmers from Punjab are also praising farmers from Haryana for their support to farmers going towards Delhi.
We have come from Gurdaspur but are feeling at home in Haryana as people are providing all support. We will join the parade to showcase our strength to govt.
CHARANJIT SINGH, farmer
“We have come from Gurdaspur but are feeling at home in Haryana as people are providing all support. We will join the parade to showcase strength of farmers to the government,” said an elderly farmer Charanjit Singh at Bastara toll plaza.
“Our local workers are collecting donations from farmers and the money is being used to provide food, vegetables, shelter and other facilities to the protesting farmers,” said Hoshiar Singh Gill, a BKU leader from Kaithal.