With the talks between various farmer unions and the Centre yielding no positive outcome so far due to the maximalist stance of the unions and their leaders, a ‘trailer’ of the ‘tractor parade’ was held on Thursday along Delhi’s borders by the protesting farmers.
The farmers plan to intensify their agitation in the upcoming days and are gearing up for the ultimate blitzkrieg on 26 January, which is the country’s Republic Day. Thousands of tractors and farmers are expected to jam the roads of the national capital on the all-important day, despite the annual security red flags surrounding the festivities being raised.
Already, the farmers who are of the misinformed opinion that corporate houses led by the Ambanis and Adanis will come rushing to Punjab and Haryana to usurp their land due to the three farm laws passed by the Modi government are excessively hassling the citizens of the National Capital Region (NCR) by blockading roads at three crucial points.
On Thursday, the farmers conducted a dry run of the tractor rally, in which thousands of tractors participated. Needless to say, their show of strength on Republic Day will be much grander, with unionists already saying that while the Indian state will parade its tanks on 26 January, the farmers will face them with their tractors.
As such, the tractor parade of the farmers poses a serious security threat in the national capital region, and the government must take all measures to ensure that the misinformed farmers are not allowed to conduct their stunt on Republic day. Not only this conduct of the tractor parade will be a major security threat, but will also pave the way for the farmers to enter Delhi and blockade multiple roads and points in the national capital, which the Centre will then find very difficult to deal with.
The tractors for the purported parade on 26 January will be called in from Punjab and Haryana and perhaps from other states as well. The tractors and trolleys currently blockading the roads leading to Delhi will not be used, as that would weaken the township-like arrangement of the farmers.
Instead, new tractors are being called in, and this increases chances of extremist elements making their way into the ‘parade’ to vitiate the atmosphere of the national capital on Republic Day. Already, there have been umpteen instances where Khalistanis have been seen spreading hatred under the shroud of farmers’ protests.
In light of the extraordinary circumstances, and a threat to the national capital on an important day of nationalistic commemoration, the government will be well advised to disallow the farmers from parading around in Delhi with their tractors.
Just like elaborate security arrangements are made prior to 26 January every year and citizens in the national capital are subjected to extra checks, the farmers too must be treated in a similar manner, and not let New Delhi be taken for a ride by them.