Will march in strength to Delhi, say farmers

Farmer groups camped at Singhu border said more agitators were joining them daily to strengthen their protests and their plan to march to Delhi in tractors on January 26.

Farmers said on Friday, the ninth round of talks also failed with the government and every failed negotiation had only further strengthened their spirit and has fuelled the ongoing agitation. Nothing less than repeal of the three contentious farm laws were acceptable to them, they said.

Dr Darshan Pal, member of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, who is also the president of Krantikari Kisaan Union, Punjab, said farmers are coming in large numbers to all the border points of Delhi.

“In Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, there are frequent tractor marches and a large number of farmers are reaching Delhi. The enthusiasm of farmers has increased due to the huge support we have received…this movement is fanning out across the nation. Under the banner of ‘Mumbai for Farmers’, the Maharashtra farmers’ organization, along with other progressive groups, are organizing a huge rally,” he said.

Pal said, farmers in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are continuing with an indefinite sit-in strike. “Kisan Delhi Chalo Yatra started from Odisha on January 15. The march will reach farmers at Delhi borders on January 21 after travelling via West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh. Kisan Jyoti March was started from Pune on January 12 and will reach Delhi on January 26,” the farmer leader said, adding that more than 500 farmers from Kerala have already reached the Shahjahanpur border.

On Thursday, protest at Singhu border continued to be peaceful with farmer groups raising slogans, carrying out marches, cooking and distributing food at langars and delivering speeches.

Manmeet Singh, a farmer from Jalandhar, who has spent almost ten days camping at Singhu border, said more people known to him have joined the protest since he left home.

“Whoever I talk to, back home, say they are ready to come. Some, who had come left for their homes in December are again planning to come with more ration and cloths. They all plan to be here before Republic Day. Not everyone will march. We plan to support them from here by continuing the movement,” Singh said.

Delhi Police continued to maintain their usual deployment with senior police officer ensuring round the clock presence at the posts that have been set up temporarily since the protests began. A senior police officer, who wished not to be named, said the deployment remained same as usual and will be stepped up as and when required. “The situation is being monitored continuously. We are also using drones for surveillance,” he said.