Farmers' protest: 'More joining from other states'
New delhi/gurugram: About 20 kilometres away from the main Singhu border are about 100 tractors called as the "starting point" of the farmers' protest. Farmers from various parts of Punjab and Haryana are at the protest site. "We have been here since November itself. On January 24, the crowd was too large and there were hundreds of people here. But now more people are coming," pradhan of a Jalandhar farmer union Ranjeet Singh told Millenium
Post.
The protest site is comparatively silent as compared to the main site which is brimming with activities, music and speeches all the time. There are hundreds of people at the "first protest site".
"This is the starting of the protest site and from here we move towards the main protest site. We keep on moving to and fro from the main site as well," a farmer said.
The site also has no washroom facility compared to the main protest site. "We have made a place for people to take a bath while we go to a nearby hotel to relieve ourselves," another farmer from Ludhiana added.
The protest site which is located at Sonipat's Rai is opposite to Ashoka University and has blocked the middle highway. "Most of us could not get a space for our tractor at the Singhu site and as the line is too long, we came here," Rajveer Singh from Patiala said.
Tents have been set up for the protesters while many buses and tractors coming from Punjab stop by at the new site. "We all are part of the same protest and are fighting this together. We won't move from here until all three farm laws are not repealed," Singh added.
As vehicles pass by from the protest site, the farmers are still resolute in continuing their agitation. "We have food, a roof and other basic facilities. Although it is not easy, we are determined," a young farmer added.
Meanwhile, facing prospects of abrupt ending of their protests post the Republic Day rally violence, crowds continue to swell along the Haryana-Rajasthan border at Shahjahanpur protest site.
Despite some of the farm unions backing out, major chunk of supporters of Rakesh Tikait are now major participants in Shahjahanpur border. A large number of farmers from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Western Uttar Pradesh continue to camp at Shahjahanpur border demanding that the three farm laws be
withdrawn.
Substantial number of farmers vacated from Rewari have also joined their counterparts at Shahjahanpur border. With a large number of people gathered at the border point, several leaders from opposition parties are also pouring in and encouraging farmers to fight for their cause. The Haryana Congress had announced that it will be holding several rallies and marches from February 3 to February 5 in the state to garner support for
farmers.
"The BJP government is now trying to malign farmers and show its ego by not repealing the farm . This is democracy and by taking back farm laws will not let the stature of the Centre down," said Kumari Selja, president Haryana Congress Pradesh Congress Committee.
(With inputs from Piyush Ohrie)
