At Singhu protest site, a battle of two factions
Fresh barricades and restrictions by the police, heightened security arrangement by farmers, a determination to continue their agitation at the border, an all-pervading sense of distrust between two key factions, and grief over two horses killed allegedly during the tractor rally, marked the protest site at the Singhu border on Wednesday — a day after the farmers’ tractor rally unleashed widespread violence and vandalism in several parts of Delhi.
Tuesday’s violence was the topic of discussion among most farmers at the venue, and the only subject of speeches delivered by their leaders from stages set up at the site.
The larger Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the smaller Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (Punjab), two factions of farmers protesting here from separate stages, blamed each other for being involved in the violence. But their anger had two common targets — actor Deep Sidhu and activist Lakha Sidhana, whom both sides accused — one of leading the farmers to Red Fort, and the second for misleading the protesters.
The SKM blamed both Sidhu and the KMSC for the violence. “The government joined hands with them to sabotage our movement...sidhu insulted the national flag and hurt the sentiments of ours and the entire country,” said Balbir Singh
Rajewal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal).
“Deep Sidhu led away many farmers from the Outer Ring Road to the Red Fort. He felicitated the man who hoisted the flag from Red Fort. He was the cause of all the trouble,” said Savinder Singh Chautala, senior vice president of Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (KMSC).
Singhu is the most prominent location of the farmers protest sites. The rally took off from here before other sites; the first violence was initiated by farmers from here; and it was mostly protesters from the Singhu rally who stormed Red Fort.
On Wednesday, most farmers said that while they regretted the violent turn of events, it would not deter them from continuing their agitation. “None of us who has been camping here for long is leaving. The only ones who went back are those who had joined us exclusively for the tractor rally. In fact, we have asked more farmers from our villages to join us,” said Chautala.
Several farmers who were agitating at Singhu for two months had planned to return home for a few days after the rally, a plan that has now been postponed, said Dharmendar Singh, a volunteer and an SKM member. “We would be labelled as traitors and cowards if we returned without victory,” he said.
ANGER AGAINST SIDHU AND SIDHANA
On Wednesday, Sidhu and Sidhana were the primary targets of the farmers’ ire.
“Deep Sidhu Murdabad, Lakha Sidhana Murdabad,” rang chants from the SKM stage. Some groups took out marches shouting slogans in which they called Sidhu a “traitor”.
The farmers accused the two of taking control of the SKM stage on Monday evening, and instigating farmers to march onto the Outer Ring Road rather than the pre-decided route. “From the stage, Sidhu asked the crowd what they wanted. The crowd said they wanted to go to Ring Road. He then instigated them to go right ahead,” alleged Dharmendar Singh, who claimed to have witnessed it.
There was also a video purportedly showing Sidhu fleeing from the Singhu site on Wednesday. While several farmers claimed to have witnessed the scene, HT could not immediately authenticate the veracity of the visuals.
Sidhu’s phone number was switched off when HT tried to reach him for response. Sidhana, told news agency PTI that he was not involved in the incidents at the Red Fort.
But some of the farmers who actually stormed Red Fort said that their only aim was to hoist flags on the monument.
“For two months we have been sitting here peacefully, but we were frustrated. We were determined to enter Delhi. But we did not begin the violence. When police began caning us, we fought back,” said Mandeep Singh, a farmer from Jammu
SECURITY INCREASED AMID DISTRUST
Farmers said they have increased the security to prevent any mischief mongers from taking to the stage. “Earlier we had two layers of security. Now, there are three,” said Dharmendar Singh.
Volunteers on the SKM side took care to keep away Kmsc-affiliated farmers away from their protest site. “We won’t allow without proper verification anyone who are not directly associated with us,” said Singh.
At a press conference organised by SKM, Swaraj India founder Yogendra Yadav questioned why KMSC was allotted a separate space and stage by the police beyond the barricades, and blamed them for being hand in glove with the violators.
The police, too, set up fresh barricades at the site and barricaded the entrance to the Singhu village, which was used by motorists to enter Haryana.
“The violence has changed the situation. The trust factor is lost,” said a police officer about the change in police’s attitude.
While farmers spoke about many of them being injured in the violence, they also grieved the deaths of two horses who were killed, allegedly on Tuesday. “One horse was killed by tear gas at the first point of conflict. The other horse which belonged to me was killed by police’s gunshot inside Red Fort,” said Daman Singh, a Nihang Sikh, while loading his dead horse on a tractor.