Aircraft showers petals as jubilant farmers head back home

Farmers in droves are heading 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 agriculture laws.

They were accorded a rousing welcome in the neighbouring states with sweets, garlands and wait, they even got showered by petals from an aircraft!

The aircraft is said to have been arranged by a Non-Resident India (NRI).

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 kilometres, 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 the outer district said the process of removal of barricades has started.

Also read: Explained: Understanding the new farm laws and farmer protests in India

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).

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.

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).

“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 moves 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.

Also: What government promise of MSPs to farmers actually entails

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.

(With Agency inputs)