Chhavi Bhatia
New Delhi—The farmers’ tractor parade scheduled today is turning out to be unprecedented, taking its sheer magnitude, the support it has garnered or international media spotlight. Lakhs of tractors have already lined up on different borders of the national capital to drive through Delhi as a show of strength. Preparations are being on war footing with leaders continuously appealing for peace. The rally marks the completion of two months of peaceful sit-in against the Centre’s controversial farm laws.
Lakh and counting: Farmers from neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have reached Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Chilla border to join the procession today. Almost all of them drove their tractors for hundreds of kilometres to reach Delhi borders for the Republic Day parade whose earlier proposed route was the Outer Ring Road. The Delhi entry points were a sea of tractors, all decked up beautifully with Kisan Majdoor Ekta flags, the Tricolour and the Sikh religious flag, raring to go ahead with the march. The border areas where farmers have been sitting for two months now, was bursting at its seams on the weekend as people continued to trickle in for the event.
According to the ground report, the rough estimate of tractors at all the borders was close to one lakh while more were on way to reach by early morning. Each village in Punjab and Haryana has sent 20-25 tractors on an average to take part. A lot of farmers from places like Baghpat, Meerut have also reached. “This is a historic event and also an opportunity for all those who could not be at the border from the beginning to show their solidarity. Anyone who participates in this will be part of history,” said Ramandeep Singh Jwanda, a farmer from Muktsar, Punjab. “The government will see farmers’ power now. This is what unity looks like. Half of my village is here now, even those who earlier couldn’t come,” said Ravinder Dahiya, a farmer from Sonipat, Haryana.
Over the weekend, roads leading to Delhi mostly had tractors, trucks and trolleys. A lot of farmers even brought their tractors in trucks and trolleys to save on the fuel cost. “Driving a tractor does not come easy. A one-way trip to Delhi costs us diesel worth Rs 10000-12000. So we exercised economic prudence,” shared Harmandeep Brar, a farmer from Fazilka. That their commitment for today’s rally knows no bound can be discerned from the fact that some have decided to sleep on tractors, ready to leave at the word go.
Women Power: Women farmers from Punjab and Haryana will also lead part of the contingent, driving tractors. Villages in Haryana, traditionally patriarchal, have been training womenfolk to ride tractors, a far departure from its deeply seated patriotism. Hisar and Jind have taken the lead in putting their women on the forefront from the dress rehearsal of the parade on January 7 where they drove tractors. 62-year-old Bobal Rathal, a farmer from Hisar will pilot the women’s part of the march. Undeterred by a possible crackdown by the police, the feisty woman is all about “do or die”. “We are the backbone of this protest and nowhere inferior to men. This procession is momentous in many ways. I have told my family that if something happens to be, don’t mourn but celebrate it.”
Docs alert: Given the scale of participants and reports of a possible police crackdown, doctor volunteers have also braced themselves for the occasion. More than 60 ambulances have been pressed into service with an equal number of doctors. Thousands of first aid kits have also been handed over to farmers who will drive during the parade. “We are equipped for medical emergencies. Our ambulances will run parallel to the tractors to address any eventuality without losing any time. Besides, we have also given lessons in first-aid to farmers for maximum outreach,” said Dr Swaiman Singh of Five River Hearts Association.
