Protesting farmers head home after a year; aircraft showers petals

Singing, dancing and cheering, farmers on Saturday headed back home from Delhi borders on their tractor-trolleys after dismantling their tents and other structures at the end of a year-long sit-in against the Centre's agri laws and were accorded a rousing welcome in the neighbouring states with sweets, garlands and showering of petals from aircraft.

Emotions ran high as the farmers performed ardas (prayers) and havan to thank the almighty and started their 'victory march' from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur protest sites to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in convoys of tractors, bedecked with colourful flowers and lights and blaring songs of jubilation.

By Saturday evening, most farmers cleared the Singhu border protest site spread over 5-6 kilometers, leaving behind some tents.

Similarly, at the Ghazipur border, the process of dismantling shelters was in full swing, but one of the protesting farmers said the site will be completely vacated by December 15.

At the Tikri border also, the protest site was almost cleared.

A senior police officer from outer district said the process of removal of barricades has started.

People gathered at many places on the Delhi-Karnal-Ambala and Delhi-Hisar national highways as well as other routes, welcoming and honouring the farmers with garlands and sweets.

An aircraft showered flower petals on farmers at Shambhu border (Punjab-Haryana border).

According to a farmer leader, the aircraft was said to have been arranged by a Non-Resident India (NRI).

Their furrowed faces now lit with smiles, the protesters said they can finally unite with their families.

"My children are very excited. We will finally get to meet each other after a year... I am very very happy. Over the phone they would always say 'Papa, ghar kab aaoge? (Papa, when will you come home?)'," 40-year-old Bhupender Singh said.

"But the fact that I am heading home after victory is something I am particularly proud about," said Singh, while on his way back to his home in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district on a tractor-trolley with other villagers who were on a sit-in at Ghazipur border.

Because of the large convoy of tractor trolleys and other vehicles, traffic jams could be witnessed at many places on Delhi-Haryana national highway and other roads.

Two farmers from Punjab's Muktsar district were killed when the tractor-trailer was hit by a truck in Haryana's Hisar while they were returning home from the protest site at Tikri border.

Police said one farmer was seriously injured in the accident at Hisar's Dhandoor village.

Addressing farmers at the Ghazipur protest site, Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav equated the four Hindu 'dhams' (holy sites) with the four border protest sites --- Tikri, Singhu, Ghazipur and Shahjahanpur (Delhi-Jaipur border).

"Now we will not speak but books and history will speak. This entire nation will speak. Today is just the day to remember that since last one year, the meaning of 'four dhams' has changed in our country.

"People from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu used to come and say they wanted to do yatra of four places... Singhu border, Tikri border, Ghazipur border and Shahjahanpur border....These (protest sites) had become the four dhams of this country," Yadav said.

Although these dhams will be emptied in the coming two-three days, they will always stay in the hearts of the people, he said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to praise the farmers for their effort.

"There is no substitute for patience, courage and unity. Only by mutual brotherhood and unity, the country move forward. This unity of farmer brothers was their biggest strength. My salute to the strong will and vitality of the farmer brothers who are returning home from today with a historic victory," he said.

Many locals including shopkeepers who suffered due to the blocking of roads were also feeling a sense of relief.

Small-time scrap dealers at the Singhu border had a field day with a huge quantity of bamboo poles, tarpaulin sheets, plastic and wood pieces left behind at the protest site.

Preparations to welcome farmers have been made at different toll plazas and other places along the national highways.

Youths and women performed Punjab's folk dance 'bhangra' to the beats of 'dhol'. At Khanauri near Punjab, villagers burst firecrackers amid a celebratory mood.

Villagers and others who supported the agitation carried farmer bodies' flags and showered petals on peasants as they assembled on the roadside of the highways to welcome them.

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal was felicitated at the Shambhu border upon his return and he congratulated the farmers for their victory.

At the Singhu border protest site, the headquarters of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) that was the nerve centre of the agitation was deserted on Saturday.

The SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farm unions, was born out of the anti-farm law protests with prominent farmer bodies of Punjab, Haryana and UP joining it.

On November 29, a bill was passed in Parliament to repeal the laws, one of the main demands of the farmers.

However, the farmers refused to end their protest, demanding that the government fulfil the other demands that included legal guarantee on MSP and withdrawal of police cases against them, forcing the Centre to a give written assurance.

As the Centre accepted the pending demands, the SKM, at its last meeting at its headquarters, decided to suspend the farmers' movement and announced that farmers will go back home on December 11 from the protest sites on highways at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur after taking out 'Victory March'.

"Singhu border had become our home for the last one year. This movement united us (farmers) all as we fought together against the black farm laws irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

"This is a historic moment and the victorious result of the movement is even bigger," said Kuljeet Singh Aulakh, a farmer from Moga in Punjab, as he embraced his fellow farmers before starting his journey back home.

Jitender Chaudhary, a farmer at Ghazipur border, was busy preparing his tractor-trolley to go back home in Muzaffarnagar of western Uttar Pradesh.

"We are fortunate that we participated in a historic movement against the three farm laws imposed on us by the central government. We have made new friends and gained a different experience here during the agitation," Chaudhary said.

WATCH: Farmers take down their settlements at Singhu border 

Tractors sporting the national flag and the flags of farmer bodies were playing Punjabi songs of victory while frequent chants of 'Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal' rent the air.

The vehicles were loaded with cots, mattresses, utensils and other belongings that the farmers had carried with them during the agitation.

However, it was a sad farewell for many poor kids and slum dwellers who ate food at langars (community kitchens) set up by protesting farmers at the Haryana side of the Singhu Border.

WATCH: Farmers return from Tikri border

Kajal, who is 12 years old and works as a ragpicker, said, "I have been regularly coming with my friends here since the agitation started. This agitation site was not only our bread and butter but it was also a place where we played and shared our joy with our friends."

Farmer leaders said that they will again meet on January 15 to see if the government has fulfilled their demands.

Parliament passed a bill on November 29 to repeal the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and the Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 that were enacted in September last year.