Chhavi Bhatia

Tikri—Thousands of farmers atop equal number of tractors braved piercing cold weather as they took out a tractor march at Tikri, Singhu, Palwal and Ghazipur borders of Delhi on Thursday, a day ahead of the crucial talks between farmer leaders and the Centre. Called ‘Tractor Parade’ by farmers, the procession that stretched on many kilometres was a sort of ‘parade rehearsal’ by them ahead of Republic Day. The farmers have threatened to block the national capital on January 26 if their demands of repealing the controversial farm laws were not met.

Even as icy winds battered them, farmers from Punjab and Haryana moved ahead with an unyielding determination that has become the hallmark of their peaceful sit-in. They moved from their destinations towards the KMP Expressway and then came back in the evening as planned by the farmer unions. The farmers got solidarity from womenfolk too, some of who also drove tractors. Kisan Mazdoor Ekta flags and Kesri jhande fluttered with pride as the farmers descended on the Expressway, drowning the area in a splash of blue, green, yellow and red—all colours of tractors.

Adding to the electric atmosphere were revolutionary songs blaring on speakers fixed on the tractors. The underlying message remained one—haq le ke jaayenge(we will go back only after we get what is rightfully ours). “Our demands are not unjustified. Kisani(farming) is not a business for us, it is our identity. The government has to listen to us. We aren’t leaving till then,” said Nafe Singh, a farmer from Panipat, Haryana. “Hum kahan galat hain? Aap hamari zameen chheen rahe ho aur hum chupchaap baith jaayein? Yeh toh nahin ho sakta. (How are we at fault? The government wants to snatch our lands. We won’t sit quietly and watch it happen),” said Wazir Singh, another farmer from Sonipat. The farmers also carried langar and water with them and stopped en route to have their meals.

A large contingent of farmers from villages of Punjab and Haryana also reached Singhu and Tikri while holding a procession of their own. The objective was to support the tractor parade which, they asserted, was just a “trailer”. “This is a dress rehearsal of the upcoming Republic Day parade by kisans. The government can well imagine what will ensue on January 26. We will fight till the end,” Amreek Singh from Dera Baba Nanak said. Almost all of them have decided to now stay put and be part of the dharna.