India / Haryana farmers move to Delhi borders after khaps' call to assemble

New Delhi: The escalating tension at Ghazipur and Singhu protest sites has ensured that a large number of farmers from Haryana are now moving to Delhi borders to bulwark the ongoing farmers’ agitation at these dharna spots.

Several khap panchayats in the state held meetings at different places in Haryana Friday to discuss the fast-changing developments. They gave a call to farmers to move to Delhi in large numbers from Saturday. Even on Friday, farmers moved to Delhi from Jind, Rohtak, Charkhi Dadri and other districts of Haryana.

There were protests too at several places in Haryana Friday, with the Jind-Chandigarh national highway being blocked at two places in Jind and Kaithal.

The same highway was blocked Thursday night too after the authorities tried to remove farmers from Ghazipur border.

A feeling has gained ground among farmers that now more efforts would be made to remove them from protest sites and to prevent these efforts, the number at these sites should be increased.

Probably that’s why more farmers have started sitting at toll plazas too where the protesters have managed free passage of vehicles for the past one month. After violence in Delhi on January 26, the agitators were on a backfoot with many leaving dharna sites at borders of the national capital. But efforts to remove protesters from Ghazipur apparently proved counter-productive with farmers from Haryana villages coming out in support of Rakesh Tikait, who is leading the protesters at Ghazipur border. Not only this, farmers see the conflict between agitators and “locals” at Delhi borders as an attempt to remove them from dharna sites.

“Such tactics won’t work as the farmers understand why they are being attacked at borders despite their peaceful protests. Everybody knows at the behest of whom the farmers are being attacked at borders,” says Dayanand Poonia, a farmer leader from Bhiwani district.

After a meeting of Kandela Khap in a Jind village, social outfit head Tek Ram Kandela said, “Farmers have already started heading to Delhi as they are upset with the efforts to remove them from dharna sites forcibly. The only solution of the agitation is repealing of three farm laws.”

Notably, Kandela belongs to the ruling BJP, but has been actively supporting the farmer agitation since beginning.

“We condemn the incident at Red Fort, but farmers have nothing to do with it,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, a group of youths from Pabra village of Hisar district Friday moved to Ghazipur border on feet to offer water to Rakesh Tikait.

“Tikait has announced that he will have water only if the same is brought from villages. A group of 21 youths from our village will reach Ghazipur mainly covering the distance by running. A car and tractor will also be taken with them as it is like Dak Kanwar Yatra,” said Kuldeep Kundu, a resident of Pabra village.