Ahead Of Republic Day, Farmers Give A Glimpse Of What's To Come With Tractor Rally

Thousands of farmers are holding a tractor rally on Thursday, the 43rd day of the ongoing farmers' protest along the Delhi border.

Some 3,500 tractors took part in the protest from all four borders of the national capital, according to the protest leaders.

Farmers are ready with their Tractors to rock the KMP with #TractorMarchDelhi
Lets flood the Twitter with the messages from our Farmers.#Tractor2Twitter pic.twitter.com/z3wPWFNISy

¡ª Tractor2?????? ? (@Tractor2twitr) January 7, 2021

Deferred due to bad weather

The tractor rally was originally announced for Wednesday but had to be deferred due to bad weather.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha said that the tractors would leave from the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders, and Rewasan in Haryana, for the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways, and meet midway.

PTI

Farmers started the tractor march around 11 am and moved towards Kundli Manesar Palwal Expressway amid heavy deployment of Delhi Police and Haryana Police personnel.

The tractor march, led by senior BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, moved towards Palwal.

March to be intensified in coming days

"In the coming days, we will intensify our agitation against the three farm laws. Around 2,500 tractors from Haryana have participated in today's march.

"We want to warn that if the government doesn't not accept our demands, farmers' protest will get intensified further," Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior member of Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, told PTI.

Tractor2Twitter

The tractor march started from four different points -- Singhu to Tikri Border, Tikri to Kundli, Ghazipur to Palwal and Rewasan to Palwal.

Ahead of the rally, the Delhi Traffic Police, in a series of tweets said Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, Saboli and Mangesh borders were closed for traffic movement.

"Please take alternate route via Lampur Safiabad, Palla & Singhu school toll tax borders. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba & GTK road. Please avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK Road & NH-44.

"The Chilla and Ghazipur borders are closed for traffic coming from Noida & Ghaziabad to Delhi because of farmer protests. Please take alternate route for coming to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Bhopra & Loni Borders," the traffic police said.

The chilla &
Gazipur borders are closed for traffic coming from Noida & Gaziabad to Delhi because of farmer protests. Please take alternate route for coming to Delhi via Anad Vihar, DND, Apsara, bhopra & Loni borders. @CPDelhi @SplCPTrafficDel @DelhiPolice @dtptraffic

¡ª Addl. CP Traffic, Outer Range, Delhi (@dcptrafficouter) January 6, 2021

It said Tikri and Dhansa borders are also closed for traffic movement.

"Jhatikara Border is open only for LMV (Cars/Light Motor Vehicles), two wheelers and pedestrian movement," another tweet read.

According to the traffic police, people travelling to Haryana can take the routes via Jharoda (only single carriageway), Daurala, Kapashera, Badusarai, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera borders.

Farmers tractor rally at Delhi-Meerut express way....This rally is conducted near by the Delhi-Ghazipur Border Farmers Protest site.
#TractorMarchDelhi pic.twitter.com/HuGQ6KtoCc

¡ª ?????????? ???? ?? (@Taman_Rupal) January 7, 2021

Bigger showdown on Republic Day

According to the protesting farmers, Thursday's rally is a rehearsal of the much-larger rally they have announced for Republic Day if the government doesn't repeal the three contentious legislations.

The tractor rally comes ahead of another round of talks between the farmers and government to end the deadlock.

AFP

The seventh round of talks between protesting unions and three central ministers ended inconclusively on Monday as farmer groups stuck to their demand for the repeal of three laws, while the government listed out various benefits of the new acts for the growth of the country's agriculture sector.