Farm Stir: Farmers unions to carry out 'Tractor Parade' in Delhi on Republic Day

Protesting farmers will carry out a tractor parade in the national capital without causing any disruption to the Republic Day parade, Swaraj India's Yogendra Yadav announced on Sunday.

They have been protesting near Delhi since November 26, 2020, demanding scrapping of the three new farm laws, which have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country. However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

"Farmers will carry out tractor parade with national flag on Outer Ring Road of Delhi on Republic Day. No disruption will be caused to the official Republic Day ceremony," Yogendra Yadav said.

Meanwhile, Krantikari Kisan Union chief Darshan Pal alleged that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun registering cases against those who are a part of the farmers' movement or those who have lent their support to it. "All farmer unions condemn this. We will fight this in every way possible," Pal said.

So far, the government has held nine rounds of formal talks with 41 farmer unions but has failed to break the logjam as the latter have stuck to their main demand of a complete repeal of the three Acts.

Considered an open forum where the world's most influential and open societies are brought together



for close-knit discussions, the Group of Seven or G7 constitutes UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK. This year, the coronavirus pandemic is likely to dominate the discussions.

“As the most prominent grouping of democratic countries, the G7 has long been the catalyst for decisive international action to tackle the greatest challenges we face. From cancelling developing world debt to our universal condemnation of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the world has looked to the G7 to apply our shared values and diplomatic might to create a more open and prosperous planet,” Johnson said.

“Coronavirus is doubtless the most destructive force we have seen for generations and the greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced. It is only right that we approach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future,” he said.

The UK Foreign Office notes that as “pharmacy of the world”, India already supplies more than 50 per cent of the world’s vaccines, and the UK and India have worked closely together throughout the pandemic.

“The UK was the first P5 member to support a permanent UNSC (United Nations Security Council) seat for India and the first G7 member to invite India to a G7 Summit in 2005. As current BRICS President and G20 President in 2023, India will play a key role driving in multilateral cooperation helping to build back better around the world,” reads the official UK government communique.