Two farmers’ unions reject routes chosen by police for ‘kisan parade’, insist on taking alternate routes

Two farmers’ organisations– Bharat Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), stationed at Tikri border, and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, stationed at Singhu border – said on Monday that they will stick to the original demand of taking out the ‘kisan parade’ on Republic Day on Delhi’s Outer Ring Road. The members of both the groups were meeting Delhi Police to chalk out a plan.

“We will take out the rally on Outer Ring Road as was decided earlier. We will not go on the secondary route decided by the police. Ours will be a peaceful rally. Lakhs of tractors have come to go into the Capital. It is a parade of the farmers and the Capital of the country belongs to everyone and not just the police. It is within our constitutional rights to take out a rally within Delhi,” said Sukhwinder Singh, general secretary of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) - Punjab. He was undertaking a recce of the route late afternoon.

The route suggested by KMSC will begin at Singhu border, cross Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, cross Pitampura, Rohini, Rani Bagh, Mangolpuri, Wazirabad, Burari and Jaroda.

“We will go in peace just like how we have been protesting for the last 60 days. Police might spray water cannons or fire tear gas, but we are answerable to the people. We will bear whatever the police do to us. How much we can go on that route will depend on how the police treat us. We have come here to ensure the three farm laws are repealed and for that this rally is important,” said Singh.

Members of the BKU-Ekta Ugrahan group also expressed similar sentiments. “We will not be taking the route from Tikri border that the police have decided. Several thousands of tractors have joined us in the last one week in the hope of joining the tractor parade. All tractors cannot go on that single route from Tikri. There are two alternate routes which we have suggested. The talks with the police are on,” said Manjeet Singh Nial of the BKU-Ekta Ugrahan group.

He pointed out that there were more than 1 lakh tractors at Tikri border and more were joining.

On Sunday, other farmer unions which were a part of Kisan Sangharsh Committee, All India Kisan Sabha, and Samyukta Kisan Morcha had come to an in-principle understanding with the Delhi Police for the tractor rally on four routes for about 100 km but restricted to the border areas.

The farmers will begin their rally after the Republic Day parade at Raj Path concludes at 12 noon. The farmers’ unions had said that more than two lakh tractors would be a part of the ‘kisan parade’ and around 2,500 volunteers would be deployed to facilitate the movement of the vehicles. “More than one lakh tractors have arrived from Punjab on Sunday,” said Nirbhai Singh Dhudike, Kirti Kisan union president.

Police said there would be three different routes for those at the borders - Singhu border has a 62 km-long route, then Tikri border with around 60 km route and Ghazipur Border with 46 km route. Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava issued a circular and directed all officers and men, as well as Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and other forces to be deployed for Republic Day parade security to remain in position to move at short notice.

The police had said rally will start from Singhu border, pass through Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, Kanjhawala, Bawana, Auchandi Border, Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway and return to Singhu border.

From Tikri border, the farmers have been given the route which will pass through Nangloi, Najafgarh, Jharoda, Kundli–Manesar–Palwal expressway and back to Tikri border.

For farmers from Ghazipur border, they will pass through Apsara Border, Hapur Road Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway and conclude at Ghazipur. These farmers' groups will cover 46 kilometres.