Come rain or shine: 2,000 tractors power ahead to Shahjahanpur, covering 22 villages

Though the tractor march by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has been suspended as of now, a tractor march by BKU Ugrahan along with farmers of Haryana was organised on January 2 from Tikri to Shahjahanpur border via villages.

Their slogan was ‘Pind Jagao…Pind Hilao’, so as to reach out to more and more villages of other states of India. The march started from Tikri Saturday morning and after covering 15 villages of Jhajjar, Sonipat etc., reached Rewari toll plaza Saturday night.

On Sunday morning, despite the rain, more than 2,000 tractors powered ahead to Shahjahanpur, where they participated in a rally with Rajasthan and Haryana farmers at this border.

On Monday, most of them will move back via villages yet again. Shingaara Singh Maan, vice-president of BKU Ugrahan, who was leading the march, said, “We covered around 22 villages while going from Tikri to Shahjahanpur and an equal number of villages will be covered on the way back but we will going to different villages while coming back as the idea is to mobilise each and every villager of Haryana. Hence, our tractor route went through villages instead of going via main road.”

On Sunday morning, despite the rain, more than 2,000 tractors powered ahead to Shahjahanpur, where they participated in a rally with Rajasthan and Haryana farmers at this border.

Arun Gulia, from Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha, who hails from Bamdola village of Jhajjar district of Haryana, said, “Distance from Tikri to Shahjahanpur via highway is around 70 km but this march covered nearly 135 km in one and a half days, moving through nearly 22 villages of Haryana. Saturday night, farmers of BKU Ugrahan slept at Rewari toll plaza inside the tractor-trolleys.”

Ajay Kumar, sarpanch of village Lala Rohrai of Rewari district said, “We arranged tea langar for farmers who slept at Rewari toll plaza and few farmers from our village also joined the convoy. Everyone wants farm laws to be repealed.”

Shingaara Singh said, “Majority tractors went for march, after every 15 tractors there was a tractor-trolley with essentials. Otherwise, we had created a makeshift tent on tractors only Saturday night to sleep. There were three persons travelling per tractor and hence after including Haryana farmers as well…we were not less than 7,000 in that convoy. ”

In village Silana-Silani in Sonipat district, independent councilor Harinder Silana welcomed the convoy. “Villagers even showered flowers on the convoy to welcome them, said Arun.

The other villages from where the convoy crossed were Garhi, Matan, Masrauli, Chhapar, Aairi, Dadanpur, Khudan, Koka-Kulana and many others.