New Delhi, (Samajweekly) The protesting farmers and the Delhi police have agreed to a lengthy list of guidelines to be strictly followed during the tractor rally on Republic day.
The Delhi police have made it clear that if any deflection from the agreed set of over three dozen guidelines is seen, the permission for the tractor rally would stand invalid. This has put the onus on the farmers and the volunteers to peacefully conduct the tractor rally and return to the designated spot once the rally is over.
According to the consensus reached by the two sides, not more than 5,000 tractors and 5,000 people would be permitted to take out the rally in the national capital on Republic Day. The farmers’ proposed tractor rally would start after the end of the Republic Day celebrations. The timing for the rally is from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Delhi police had told the media on Sunday that volunteers from among the farmers would assist the rally and would ensure that law and order is maintained.
The Delhi police have made it clear that the permission is strictly limited to holding of tractor rally on the permitted routes and should not be construed as permission for holding any dharna, demonstration or sit-in protest enroute the rally.
Also, the organisers have been asked to ensure that the entire stretch of the road is not blocked for vehicular movement. The organisers shall also abide by the directions of the police to maintain pace.
The police have also asked the organisers to follow the guidelines issued by the DDMA and GNCT for the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, the organisers shall not use metal rods for flags, banners, but wooden sticks not more than 2 metres in length may be used.
It has also been conveyed that during the tractor rally, no objectionable flag, banner or poster of any kind will be displayed or carried by any of the constituents of the rally.
Meanwhile, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has also issued guidelines for the rally and instructed the participants not to carry any kind of weapon or use any provocative slogans.
The SKM said that the rally will be led by the vehicles of the farmer leaders and everybody has to follow the instructions of the traffic volunteers, who will be deployed at every junction.
“Only five people, including the driver, will be allowed on a tractor. No one will be allowed to sit on the bonnet, bumper or roof of the tractor. All the tractors will be driving in a line. No one will race with each other and no one will be allowed to go ahead of the vehicles of the farmer leaders,” the SKM said in the guidelines.
Also, heavy police force would be deployed to ensure smooth movement of the tractor rally under the supervision of senior officers.
