BKU (Bhanu) to Lead 'Tractor Trolley Yatra' From Chilla Border to Lucknow on Jan 6

Lucknow: As the seventh round of meeting of the farmer leaders with the government remained inconclusive on Monday, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) group, along with a few other farmers' unions, threatened a more aggressive agitation against the Centre's three agriculture laws. They said they will hold a "tractor trolley march" from Chilla border to the state capital, Lucknow, on January 6. Similar demonstrations will be organised in every district of Uttar Pradesh, it said. 

Farmers, who are protesting against the Centre’s new agriculture laws at the Chilla border between Noida and Delhi, have warned that they will block all roads to Lucknow if authorities prevent them during their march on January 6. They will reach the state Capital on Thursday via three highways as part of their “Lucknow Chalo’’ march. 

The government and the farmer leaders on Monday held talks at Vigyan Bhawan. The talks remained inconclusive and the next round is slated to be held on January 8. 

Addressing the media here, Yogesh Pratap Singh, the UP unit chief of the BKU-Bhanu, joined by scores of supporters, including the union's national president and his father Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh, announced the ‘Tractor Trolley March’.

"Farmers across the state, under the banner of BKU-Bhanu, will gherao all the district headquarters with tractor trolleys on January 6 to press their demands,” Singh said.

He told NewsClick that their ‘tractor yatra’ was not just a message to the “adamant government” but also to build more pressure on the Central government to withdraw the new agricultural laws.  

Singh said farmers from the state capital and its adjoining area would reach Lucknow with tractor trolleys to extend their support to the farmers. “If they are prevented from entering the Lucknow, they would start a sit-in protest as they have successfully done at the different border” he said. 

He reiterated that the farmers will not agree to anything less than the repeal of three farms laws. "We will discuss only MSP issue and repeal of laws," he added. 

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police is maintaining detailed records of all tractor trolleys and other vehicles at the district borders besides keeping a headcount of those planning to march toward Lucknow .

The farmers' leaders claimed that UP Police was making a list of farmers who have tractor trolleys to prevent them from joining the protest in Lucknow.

Rajveer Singh, a farmer who said he is all set to go to Lucknow, alleged that the police has been "harassing" farmers by seizing their tractor trolleys to stop them from joining protests against the Centre's new agri laws since the very beginning which is why farmers at UP Gate near Ghazipur were not able to join the movement.

"State governments should not intervene in our agitation and should stop trying to create hindrance with the help of police as it will prolong our protests," Singh said, alleging that UP Police was going “village to village” to find out who has a tractor trolley and was writing down their names and mobile numbers. 

The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has also deputed senior IAS as nodal officers for hearing out the grievances of farmers, monitor paddy procurement, ensure that there are no complaints and manage cow sheds in each of the 75 districts of the state. However, some farmer unions have alleged that the idea behind the move was to keep a close watch on those farmers who are planning to join the ongoing protests on Delhi’s borders for over a month against the three farm laws.

Read Also: UP: IAS Officers Deputed to Address Farmer Grievances, Leaders Say Move Aimed at Thwarting March to Delhi

Around two hundred BKU (Bhanu) members, some of them belonging to Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr and Ghaziabad along with few other farmers' organisations are camping at the Chilla border since December 1 while those belonging to the BKU (Lok Shakti) have been staying put at the nearby Dalit Prerna Sthal.