NEW DELHI: The tractor parade by agitating farmers on January 26, like the Republic Day parade at Rajpath, will feature tableaux depicting themes related to the protest against the new farm laws. According to the organisers, these tableaux from across states will also provide glimpses of the village life, history of the farmers’ movement in India, the role of women farmers and farming practices followed in different states.
According to a farmer leader, directions were issued to all organisations participating in the protest to prepare tableaux for the parade. About one-third of the tractor-trolleys participating in the parade will have tableaux, he said. Children from Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region have also planned a tableau on farmer suicides. While tableaux from states like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand will show how fruits and vegetables are cultivated in the hilly regions, participants from Punjab and Haryana will showcase traditional and modern farming technology.
Each tractor will carry a tricolour and there will be folk music and patriotic songs. A war room has been set up at each protest site to ensure effective coordination during the parade. There will 40 members, including doctors, security personnel and social media managers, in each of these rooms, according the a member of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha. Around 40 ambulances will be stationed along the route for any medical emergency.
Another farmer leader said around 2,500 volunteers have been deployed to ensure that the parade remains peaceful. The volunteers have been given badges and identity cards.Only five people will be allowed on a tractor and strict vigil is being maintained to thwart any criminal activity. A team of ex-servicemen will keep an eye on the security situation.