Farmers’ leaders in a spot as tractor rally goes off track

NEW DELHI: Farmers’ leaders stepped back as the tractor rally called in protest against central agriculture laws went out of hand on Tuesday and they were in no position to control the situation.

When the route for the rally was finalised on Sunday, a group of farmer leaders had expressed unhappiness over the new routes suggested by the police rather than the earlier plan to hold the march on the Ring Road. Nonetheless, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) appealed to all participants to carry out a peaceful parade and follow the prescribed route. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), one of the unions, had made it clear to the SKM that it would carry out the march on the Ring Road. Confusion persisted till late night on Monday and many unions went ahead with their plans.

“We went by our plan to do the parade on the Ring Road. I regularly appealed to those farmers who went to Red Fort to come back to Kundli border,” Sarvan Pandher, general secretary-Punjab unit of KMSC, told ET. According to people aware of the matter, a much larger crowd had gathered at Delhi’s borders than the farmer unions had expected.


Sardar VM Singh, national convener of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (RKMS), had said on Monday that his union was unhappy with the route suggested by the administration. “Yes, we were unhappy with the route and the police officers had taken us to the route late in the night on Monday. We were satisfied and today our union followed the route as suggested by the police,” Singh told ET on Tuesday. “It seems the government had instigated some farm unions and planted them in the 40-member SKM.”

Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait put the blame on Delhi Police for everything that happened.