There will be no programme by protesting farm unions within the national capital on Independence Day, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders said at a press conference on the Singhu border protest site on Wednesday. They will carry out rallies carrying the National Flag in block and district headquarters, they said.
R-Day tractor rally
They were briefing journalists on decisions taken at an SKM general body meeting on Tuesday. The announcement comes in the wake of last week’s comments from Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait that a tractor rally “is not a bad thing”, indicating that such a parade would be held on Delhi’s roads on August 15. This had given rise to concerns of a repeat of Republic Day, when a tractor rally by farmers in Delhi had spiralled out of control and led to chaos and violence.
“Let me be very clear. Samyukt Kisan Morcha will not enter Delhi on August 15, there will be no programme in the capital on Independence Day,” said Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh leader Abhimanyu Kohar at the press conference.
SKM urged farmers to carry out “tiranga yatras” at the tehsil, block and district levels between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on August 15, tying the National Flag to tractors, cycles and other vehicles.
With regard to the BJP’s own ‘tiranga yatra’ in Haryana, SKM reiterated its decision not to oppose it, although the protesting farmers had been boycotting all other events of the ruling party for several months. “We have all respect for the National Flag and we do not want to give the BJP any fodder for propaganda that the farmers have disrespected the flag. So we will not oppose their yatra,” said Ravi Azad, a BKU leader from Haryana.
