New Delhi: A farmer rests at Singhu border during an ongoing protest against the new farm laws, in New Delhi, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021.
More than two lakh tractors are set to participate in the January 26 'kisan parade', for which nearly 2,500 volunteers will be deployed. According to farmer unions opposing the Centre's new agri laws, the number of volunteers can be increased, depending on the crowd, and a control room has been set up to look into the arrangements. The tractor parades will be taken out only after 12 pm, after the Republic Day parade on Delhi's Rajpath concludes, according to the protesting farmer unions.
Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, after attending a meeting between the unions and senior police officers on Saturday, claimed that the Delhi Police has given permission to the farmers' tractor parade on January 26.
The tractor parade will start from the Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri border points of Delhi, but the final details of routes are yet to be finalised, said Kohar, who is a senior member of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of the agitating unions. However, Delhi Police Additional Public Relation Officer Anil Mittal said, "We are in the final stages of talks with farmers."
Meanwhile, top sources with the Delhi Police have shared the route for the scheduled 'kisan parade', as provided to them by the farm unions. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Commissioner has asked all officers and men, as well as CAPF and other force deployed for Republic Day Parade security, to remain in ready position to move at short notice for law and order arrangement in connection with the Kisan tractor rally.
The sources have said the parade will not pass through Ring Road Central Delhi. The 'kisan parade' is expected to pass through the following routes
- From Singhu Border to Narela to Bawana to Achuandi Border
- From UP Gate to Anand Vihar to Dasana (Ghaziabad) to KMP Expressway
- From Tikri to Gehvara Asauda to KMP Expressway
- From Chilla to Ghazipur and Palwal to Ghazipur
- From Jai Singh Pur Kheda via Manesar to Tikri Border
Since November 28 last year, farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting against the laws at several Delhi border points, including Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, and demanding the legislations be repealed.
Kirti Kisan Union president Nirbhai Singh Dhudike said, "We will have around 2,500 volunteers who will part of the tractor rally on Republic Day. In case, anyone needs assistance or help during the rally, these volunteers will assist them. They will be responsible to ensure smooth movement of tractors in an organised and disciplined manner."
The volunteers will also attend to emergencies if any, the farmer leader said.
"Each volunteer will be given badges, jackets and identity cards. They will follow the tractors on jeeps. Some of them might even join farmers on tractors if required. They will also help in the distribution of essential items like water and edibles if needed. Each tractor will have a group of four-five farmers on it," he said.
