Farmers’ protest: Thousands take out ‘rehearsal’ tractor rally  

Thousands of protesting farmers have started marching with their tractors from the three protest sites outside Delhi in a ‘rehearsal’ of their January 26 parade. Farmers from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders started their tractor rally on January 7 morning in a rehearsal of the planned protest on Republic Day to further intensify the ongoing protest against the three farm reform laws.

The farmers announced last week that if their demands were not met, they will march in their tractors at Rajpath on Republic Day, where India’s annual military parade and cultural programme is held on January 26.

Bharati Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan said that farmers participated in the march with over 3,500 tractors and trolleys. According to the protesting farm unions, this is just "rehearsal" for their proposed January 26 tractor parade that will be move into the national capital from different parts of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh

Thousands of farmers started the tractor march around 11 am on Jan 7 and moved towards Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway amid heavy deployment of Delhi Police and Haryana Police personnel.

Earlier, the seventh round of talks between the government and representatives of protesting farmers remained inconclusive on Jan 4, with both parties refusing to budge from their stance. While the farmers stuck to their demand for the repeal of three farm laws, the government tried to discuss the laws clause-wise and have suggested a panel to end the deadlock.

In an attempt to end the stalemate, the farmer representatives and the government will hold next round of talks on January 8.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will be hearing a batch of pleas challenging the new farm laws on January 11. The top court had earlier issued notice and sought the Centre's response on a batch of pleas against the three farm laws passed during the Monsoon session in September 2019.