New Delhi, India (CU)_ With the Republic day’s tractor rally, the farmer’s protest in India has reached the next stage. The tractor rally protest garnered huge attention worldwide. The farmers’ union leaders in India denounced the attack during the tractor rally organized by farmers in New Delhi to demand the abolition of new agricultural laws. As India celebrated its Republic Day on Tuesday, thousands of farmers gathered with their tractors decorated with Indian and religious flags along the suburbs of New Delhi. The hashtag #PeacefulProtestsContinue started trending in Twitter on Wednesday.
The protesting farmers escaped from approved roads and started moving towards the government buildings in the center of the city where the annual Republic Day parade of troops and military hardware was going on. Some protestors also entered the Mughal-era Red Fort complex, bearing ceremonial weapons and scattering police who tried to block them from entering. Once inside, they placed their own symbol on the flagpole, where the Independence Day speech is normally delivered by the prime minister in August. One farmer was killed after hitting a barricade and his tractor was overturned, which police said was an accident.
An official statement said that as many as 86 police officers were wounded during the violence. A statement from the police said, “They have caused great damage to public property and many police personnel have also been injured”. According to a statement released by the farmer’s union, they said, “We also condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts”.
Union leader Kawalpreet Singh Pannu said, “When you attack a peaceful protest, then difficulties for the government will surely increase. This won’t stop here. Our movement and message have only become stronger”. Pannu announced that a fresh protest will take place outside Parliament on February 1, when the government releases its annual budget. Farmers’ union leaders said that they have enough resources to continue their protest for over a year, if necessary.
Amarinder Singh, chief minister of Punjab, stated that the violence was shocking. Most of the protesters came from Punjab. He tweeted, “The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It’ll negate goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers.” On Tuesday night, Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah conducted an emergency meeting to address the two months of protests against farm laws that have been the Hindu nationalist government’s biggest challenge since it came to power in 2014.
After thousands of farmers fought street battles with police and stormed the 400-year-old Red Fort, 2,000 paramilitary reinforcements were sent to New Delhi by Indian government. Police and security forces closed a number of main roads and set up barricades, which led to severe traffic jam. Near the Red Fort, riot police were deployed. Security was tightened up along the boundaries of the city, where thousands of farmers have been camping since November. Numerous metro stations in New Delhi were closed for a second day, and internet services were shut down in several areas.
