India
Tractor march: Farmers break police barricades at Tikri, Singhu
Hundreds of farmers knocked down police barricades at Tikri and Singhu border points on Tuesday morning pushing themselves into Delhi, where they are slated to hold a tractor rally. Delhi Police, while permitting the massive march, had clearly said farmers could start their rally only after the iconic Republic Day parade ends. They were also asked not to disrupt the celebrations. Here's what happened.
Background: Farmers planned tractor rally to express disdain toward laws
Farmers, who have been camping at Delhi's borders for nearly two months now, planned a tractor rally to coerce the government into rolling back three farm laws which they opine will be detrimental to their livelihoods. After it failed to convince farmers to drop the idea, the Delhi Police granted the permission on Sunday. They also decided the path for the rally.
Some farmers held the tricolor, others rode tractors
Despite the instructions, some farmers refused to wait today and entered Delhi before the slated time. The visuals from the Tikri border showed uniformed personnel standing close to barricades, asking farmers to stay put. However, protesters didn't pay attention and climbed on barricades instead. Some farmers were seen carrying flags of their organizations as well as the tricolor; many rode tractors.
Security personnel tried reasoning with farmers, but to no avail
As the visuals show, security personnel attempted to placate the farmers reminding them that their tractor march can't start until the main parade concludes. The pleas, however, went unheard. "Some groups of farmers did not relent and started moving towards the Outer Ring Road breaking police barricades," an official told PTI. In fact, barricades were also knocked down at the Ghazipur border.
The visuals from the chaos can be viewed here
#WATCH Protesting farmers break police barricading at Delhi-Haryana Tikri border
— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021
Farmers are holding tractor rally today in protest against Centre's three Farm Laws#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/3tI7uKSSRM
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee's members broke barricades
A member of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha — the umbrella body of 41 unions steering the protest since November — said those belonging to Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee broke the barricades. Meanwhile, the member assured their parade will start as per the police's schedule. Yesterday, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee announced it will hold the tractor rally on the busy Outer Ring Road.
On R-Day eve, President Kovind reached out to farmers
With the farmers' protest taking center stage, President Ram Nath Kovind reached out to them in his address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day. Saying that strides were taken in several sectors, he added that the path of reform may lead to "misapprehensions" in the beginning. He asserted that the government of India is "singularly devoted" to the welfare of farmers.
'Every Indian salutes our farmers'
"Every Indian salutes our farmers, who have made our vast and populous country self-reliant in food-grains and dairy products. Despite adversities of nature, numerous other challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic, our farmers sustained the agricultural production, (sic)" the President added.
