Farmers move towards Delhi, choke highways
Roads leading to the national capital were full of tractors, cars and trucks adorning Tricolour and farmer union flags
AMBALA, KARNAL, ROHTAK: Thousands of farmers from across Haryana were seen heading for Delhi’s Singhu border, where farmers have been peacefully protesting against the farm laws, on Sunday to participate in the tractor parade slated to be taken out on Republic Day (January 26).
Tractor-trailers, sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), cars and trucks adorned with national flag and posters of farmer unions have dominated the national and state highways, especially national highway 44 (NH-44), which connects several northern states to New Delhi . Tractor-trolleys, cars and motorcycles in large numbers were also seen heading towards the Tikri border. Most arterial roads, primarily the Ambala-Delhi stretch of NH-44 and the Rohtak-Delhi stretch of national highway 10, were choked with vehicles.
Though Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni had appealed farmers to only bring tractors for the parade, farmers enroute to Delhi said they were also taking the trailer along as they plan to stay put in New Delhi until the laws are withdrawn.
A farmer, Nirmal Singh of Radaur of Yamunanagar district, said, “We left for Delhi on Sunday but could not cross the Karnal toll plaza till the afternoon due to the traffic jam on the NH-44. Thousands of tractortrailers are still stuck.”
When the state government did not issue any directions to stop farmers, thousands of tractor-trailers descended on the highways at the call of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha. Women and children were also seen heading to Delhi. “I belong to a farmers’ family so I decided to take both my children to Delhi to watch the historic parade”, said Ritu Rani, who drove a tractor from Chandigarh but got stuck at the Bastara toll plaza in Karnal.
The Panipat police have issued an advisory asking people to avoid travelling on NH-44 for the next two days. Panipat superintendent of police Shashank Kumar Sawan said, “We will issue an advisory to the people asking them to avoid travelling on the NH-44 as the police is making efforts to smooth traffic ahead of Republic Day programmes.”
A long queue of tractors could be seen from Kharawar village in Rohtak to Tikri border.
Schools closed in Sonepat today
All schools will remain closed in Sonepat on Monday. The district administration has issued an advisory asking people to avoid travelling in the district on January 25.