Tractor march to Delhi continues, unions peg 1 lakh from Haryana, 80,000 from Punjab

The motion of tractors from Punjab and Haryana to Delhi borders that started Friday for the January 26 ‘tractor parade’ continued on Sunday with greater than 10,000 farm autos taking on the highways to the nationwide capital.
Farmer leaders from Haryana mentioned they’re anticipating motion of over one lakh tractors from the state to Delhi whereas one other 80,000 from Punjab have both reached the nationwide capital’s borders or are on the best way.
The numbers, nevertheless, are disputed by the intelligence officers who estimate motion of round 50,000 tractors to Delhi from Haryana and Punjab. They confirmed large site visitors jams on nationwide highways, state highways as hundreds of tractors from Punjab too entered Haryana on solution to Delhi.
On Sunday, a 60-km cavalcade of tractors was noticed between Delhi’s Tikri border and Haryana’s Rohtak on Delhi-Hisar nationwide freeway. Officials imagine the farmers are more likely to occupy 70 km lengthy stretch of this freeway between Tikri border to Rohtak in subsequent two days. The farmers have already unfold within the space of virtually 40 km. Similarly, they’re more likely to occupy nearly 50-km stretch on Delhi-Ambala freeway in subsequent two days with the agitators already sitting on a 20-km stretch in the direction of Panipat from Singhu border.
In an official communication despatched to the Haryana authorities, Sonipat deputy commissioner Shyam Lal Poonia admitted presence of round 45,000-50,000 farmers from Punjab and Haryana solely at Singhu border. “Almost 20,000-22,000 of them are youth while 450-500 are Nihang Sikhs with their traditional weapons who are with their 65-70 horses. From them, the farmers on 9,500-10,000 tractors will participate in the tractor parade,” Poonia mentioned within the letter including that the variety of autos and farmer supporters might improve in coming days. The deputy commissioner has appointed 46 obligation magistrates to keep up legislation and order apprehending the anti-social components might attempt to disturb the site visitors and legislation and order throughout the stir.
Meanwhile, union leaders from Punjab mentioned that a lot of the tractors left for Delhi on Saturday, adopted by extra on Sunday. The tractors, sporting union and the nationwide flags moved out of Punjab from Bathinda-Dabwali, Khanauri-Jind, Sardulgarh-Fatehabad, Lalru-Guhla Cheeka and Shambhu- Amabala borders.
“Punjab has more than 12,000 villages and our union is sending approximately 40,000 tractors from nearly 1,250 of them. Of these, nearly 30,000 left on Saturday, and 7,000 on Sunday while another 3,000 will be leaving on Monday morning,”mentioned Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, common secretary BKU (Ekta Ugrahan).
Satnam Singh Pannu, president of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), mentioned, “Around 5,000 tractors reached Singhu on Saturday-Sunday and we are expecting another 1,000 on Monday. People are coming on their own”.
All India Kisan Sangrash Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) member Jagmohan Singh Patiala mentioned “around 30,000 tractors will reach Singhu and Tikri borders”. “Many are delayed as all roads are clogged with tractors marching towards Delhi,” mentioned Jagmohan Singh, who can also be BKU (Dakaunda) common secretary.
Tractors are additionally transferring in from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Manjinder Singh Kang, who give up the BJP in solidarity with farmers final 12 months, is in Madhya Pradesh the place he’s mobilising farmers from Gwalior, Ashok Nagar, Morena, and Shivpuri to participate within the tractor parade. “ More than 1,000 tractors are on way to Palwal border from Madhya Pradesh. Nearly 500 tractor-trolleys are already stationed there for more than a month now. On January 26, more than 10,000 tractors will take part in a parade in Gwalior. The farmers from Madhya Pradesh will be extending support to the Delhi march from Gwalior,” he mentioned.
Another farm activist Harkirat Singh mentioned farmers from Rajasthan below the banner of Ganganagar Kisan Samiti have reached Haryana’s Daruhera on Sunday afternoon. They hail from Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Boondi, Barah, Kota and Gharsana districts. “We will be part of the tractor parade on January 26 in coordination with Sanyukta Kisan Morcha. Tractors have reached Shahjahanpur border too from Rajasthan.”
There is overwhelming response to the decision of tractor parade from Haryana villages with the farmers equating the continuing agitation towards three farm legal guidelines with “freedom struggle”.
There was site visitors jam like state of affairs at many locations on Ambala-Delhi freeway due to motion of tractors to Delhi from Haryana and Punjab. A BKU chief from Karnal Jagdeep Aulakh claimed a cavalcade of 20,000 tractors have moved to Delhi from Karnal on Sunday. “Almost 50 km long cavalcade of tractors from Karnal has moved to Delhi via Ambala-Delhi highway. We plan to halt near Murthal. From there we will move to Delhi on Tuesday. We expect one lakh tractors from Haryana, which has around 7,000 villages. We have reports of movement of 10,000 tractors from Kaithal district, 5,000 from Panipat, 7,000 from Ambala and 5,000 each from Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar districts,” Aulakh claimed.

However, a police official claimed that solely 293 tractors may be accommodated in a single km stretch of highway because the farm autos are, on a mean, almost 3.4 metres lengthy. “Only 15,000 tractors can be accommodated on 50 km-long road. If they make formation of four queues, then 60,000 tractors can be accommodated. A tractor needs at least five feet space to move on the road,” added the official.
Farmers from distant districts of Haryana like Fatehabad, Bhiwani, Sirsa and Hisar have already moved to Delhi Sunday whereas these from neighbouring areas like Rohtak, Panipat, Sonipat and Jhajjar plan to maneuver to the nationwide on Monday and Tuesday. Heavy rush of tractors was witnessed on Jind-Delhi freeway too on Sunday.