2021 Delhi Republic Day violence

File:SFI leaders at Kisan Republic Day Parade, 2021.jpg

SFI leaders at Kisan Republic Day Parade, 2021.

Kisan Gantantra Diwas Parade 2021 (lit. Farmers' Republic Day Parade, 2021) also Kisan Parade (Farmers' Parade) is the name of the protesting parade with tractors and trolleys that the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the United Front of farmers of India, had in Delhi on 26 January 2021, the 72nd Republic Day, to protest against the decision by Narendra Modi led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to implement three farm acts. The decision to hold the parade with tractors and marching contingents, in Delhi was announced on 2 January 2021, by the leadership of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha. Darshanpal, President of BKU (Sidhupur) said, similar 'Kisan-Parades', "shall also be held in all state and district capitals". 26 January 2021 has been chosen, according to the SKM leaders, because it coincides with the two-month anniversary of the farmers' protest and because "the Republic Day represents the supremacy of the people". Advisory about the event was issued on 25 January.

However, on 26 January, a section of the tractor rally turned violent as the protesting farmers clashed with the police. Some of the protesters deviated from their pre sanctioned routes permitted by Delhi Police and breached the barricades. Some protesters reached central Delhi and resorted to vandalism and damage to public property. Some protestors reached Red Fort and hoisted Nishan Sahib (Sikh religious flag) and farmer union flags on the mast on the rampart of the Red Fort.

As on 28 January, the Delhi Police stated that it has filed various criminal cases on the incidents of violence and arrested several people.

Dress rehearsal

On 7 January 2021, Samyukt Kisan Morcha organized the dress rehearsal of Kisan-parade for 26 January 2021 on the 270 kilometres long the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway that rings Delhi. 5000 Tractor participated in the tractor-trolley parade held between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. IST. The 'parade' had four columns, each with its own start point, which were: Singhu, Tikri, Gazipur, and Rewasan. A fifth farmers' column, with start point Dhansa, was added on the morning on 7 January. Each column is under a leader, with volunteers to ensure good order, after traversing the designated route and distance returned to the start point by evening. The tractor-trolley-parade was the cause of much enthusiasm and was deemed a success by the organizers. The farmer's tractor columns from Ghazipur and Palwal were mainly from Uttar Pradesh(UP), Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh(MP), and farmers in the columns from Singhu, Tekri, and Dhansa, were mostly from Punjab, and Haryana. The rehearsal-parade passed off without major incident. There were, however minor skirmishes between farmers and policemen in Bulandshahr and Gautam Buddha Nagar. Iraj Raja, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Ghaziabad said no permission was sought for the rally but "the administration was in no mood of confrontation as long as there is no law-and-order problem." The farmer's column from Rewasan, Nuh district, was prevented from participating by the police. Its leaders Ramzan Chaudhary, president of All-India Mewati Samaj, was detained on January 7 by Narendra Bijarniya, Superintendent of police of Nuh district.

Simultaneous Kisan- Parades were also held in many districts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, as well as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Bihar Andhrapradesh , Telangana.

Government response to the Kisan Gantantra Diwas Parade 2021

The Indian government has opposed the farmer's protest, as well as the 'Kisan Parade'. The Indian government response to the Farmer's protest, as well as the planned Kisan Gantantra Diwas Parade, which it opposes, has been coordinated by Amit Shah, the Home Minister. In opposing the Kisan-parade, the government apart from deploying large bodies of police, and Ministry of Home Affairs' heavily armed paramilitary forces against the farmers, has used its ministers and members of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to malign, and demonise the farmers' nonviolent movement. The farmers, and their unions, have been accused by government and sections of the media, which the farmers call the Godi-media, of links with hostile foreign powers such as Pakistan and China of harbouring Maoism, Naxalites, urban-Naxals, terrorists, tukde-tukde gang, Khalistani, anti-nationals, who are unable to comprehend the many virtues of the farm bills and being a front for a political party such as the congress. The government attempt to demoralise the movement, undermine its unity and self-confidence, erode its growing mass base and support, however, seems not to have succeeded. Ministers, and BJp party workers, who have made these baseless allegations which remain a profound source of resentment and anger are: Piyush Goyal Commerce and Industry Minister, and member of Government delegation engaged in talks with the farmers, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The Government has opposed the farmers plan for Kisan Gantantra Diwas Parade on grounds of security, law and order, threats to nations prestige and 'global image'. On 11 January, for the first time Government revealed that it has intelligence to back up its accusation that farmers were indeed harbouring Khalistanis. The government in an attempt to get the supreme court to ban the Kisan Parade from Delhi, ordered the Delhi Police, which comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, to submit an application to the Supreme Court of India to prevent the farmers from holding their tractor parade on Republic day. Delhi Police in its application claimed that the 'Kisan parade' on Republic Day, which has 'constitutional as well as historical significance', was bound to cause " a massive law and order situation and will cause an embarrassment to the nation, " and that the right to protest can never include "maligning the nation globally". On the same day KK Venugopal, the Attorney General for India, informed the Supreme Court of India that the government has a dossier prepared by the Intelligence Bureau to confirm its allegation that the movement has Khalistani links, and that "We will file an affidavit in this regard and place the IB records" before the supreme court. SKM leadership disappointed with the accusations by the Government have dismissed the allegations as baseless and intended to malign and demonise the farmer's movement. Balbir Singh Rajewal, the senior SKM leader has warned farmers to beware of Government attempts to malign the increasing popular movement through ‘dushprachar’ (false propaganda). He accused the "anti-farmer forces and government agencies" of trying to scuttle the peaceful agitation of farmers and common people.

Timeline

2 January 2021

Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders announce the decision that in case their core demands of the repeal of the farm laws and legal guarantee to implement MSP are not met by 26 January they will hold a 'Kisan Gantantra Diwas Parade’ (Farmers Republic Day Parade) 26 January 2021, to coincide with the annual Republic Day parade, in which the country showcases it tanks, missiles, and military might. Yogendra Yadav of Jai Kisan Andolan issued an appeal to all "farmers from adjoining areas of national capital to be prepared" for the ‘Kisan Gantantra Diwas Parade'. Before the main tractor-parade on January 26, SKM leadership reveals it will be preceded by a rehearsal on January 6, 2021.

SKM outlines a succession of nation-wide events called "Desh Jagriti Abhiyan" starting from 6 to 20 January to draw attention to farmers’ distress. These events include rallies, conferences and ‘dharnas’, picketing Raj Bhavans, rehearsal for the Jan 26 tractor-parade, observing ‘Kisan Sankalp Diwas’ by burning the copies of the three farm laws, on Lohri on January 13, and celebrating January 18 as ‘Mahila Kisan Diwas’. January 23, the birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s will be marked as Azad Hind Kisan Diwas with protests' outside governors’ official residence in all state capitals. In addition, it was announced that "goods and services of Ambani (Reliance Group) and Adani (group), including their products, malls and petrol pumps," will be boycotted."

4 January 2021

The 7th round of talks between the Farmers’ Unions and the Government at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, ended, like the sixth, with no progress on the core issues of repealing the three laws, and implementation of the law on MSP. The first meeting was held on 14 October 2020

5 January 2021

Women in Haryana learn to drive tractors in preparation for "Kisan Parade" on 26 January

7 January 2021, 43rd day

Samyukt Kisan Morcha dress rehearsal passes off peacefully.

8 January 2021

The 8th round of talks between the SKM at the Government at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, ended without progress. After the talks Joginder Singh Ugrahan, the union leader said "We do not want anything less than the repeal of laws," and that "we will not bow down". Adding, "It seems we will have to spend Lohri and Baisakhi festivals here at protest sides." Hannan Mollah another Kisan leader said tractor parade will go be held as planned on 26 January. Balbir Singh Rajewal, reiterated that the government had no constitutional right to legislate on agricultural marketing since it was a state subject. The consensus amongst the farmer coalition seems to be "Bill wapsi toh ghar wapsi (Repeal the laws and we return home)", a slogan coined by Rakesh Takait, the leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait).

11 January 2021

The MHA through Delhi police applies to the Supreme Court to bar the Kisan parade on grounds of security from entering into the National Capital Region Territory of Delhi. Attorney-General KK Venugopal tells the supreme court that with the impending Republic Day ceremony, "any disruption or obstruction in the said functions would not only be against the law and order, public order, public interest but would also be a huge embarrassment for the nation". The SC not convinced by the Attorney general's appeals notes that it was within the powers of the police to control the Kisan march, including finding out if the protestors were armed.

Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana cancelled scheduled rally in Karnal after Haryana police action that included the use of lathis, water cannons and tear gas shells, failed to disperse the protesting farmers. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee claimed that farmers had 'assembled to peacefully registering their opposition'.

January 15, 2021

Balbir Singh Rajewal, senior SKM leader tells farmers that the whole world was watching and that the farmers' movement has become a national mass movement. He warns farmers to beware of "false and unfounded inflammatory propaganda and rumor mongering" and ‘dushprachar’ (false propaganda). He accused the "anti-farmer forces and government agencies" of trying to malign and scuttle the peaceful agitation of farmers and common people.

January 17, 2021

In an attempt to intimidate the leaders of the farm movement, National Investigation Agency (NIA), the police agency under the MHA, issued notices to farm leaders. The FIRs were registered against 40 farm leaders on Dec 15, 2020. The NIA's move is widely perceived as a method to de-legitimizing the farmers' protest and demands for repealing the three farm acts, and lending traction to its accusation that Khalistani were aiding the farmers' movement. They have no proof Gurmeet Singh of BKU (Dakaunda) said. Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal called the NIA notices an attempt "intimidate farmer leaders & supporters of KisanAndolan by calling them for questioning by the NIA& ED. They aren't anti-nationals. And after the failure of talks for the 9th time, it's absolutely clear that GOI is only trying to tire out farmers," his tweet read.

The farmers wrote to Delhi police to seek permission to hold rally at the Ramlila ground.

January 20, 2021

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) during the tenth round of talks with SKM proposed suspending the three new farm laws for one or one-and-a-half years. SKM leader said will consult all the 500 farm organizations on January 21, before taking a final decision on the government proposal. During the talks, the farmers asked the government to withdraw all the cases registered against the farmers. "The government said they will look into the matter," Hannan Mollah, general secretary, All India Kisan Sabha, said. The SKM after discussion with the union members turned down the proposal, saying that whatever the outcome of 22 January talks the farmer unions will continue with their peaceful protest and will go ahead with the tractor rally on Republic Day.

The government withdrew plea to SC seeking a ban on the Kisan Tractor rally after the Supreme Court said "it is a police matter" and that "We are not going to tell you what to do." SKM announces it will go ahead with the peaceful tractor -Parade which will cause no disruption to the planned military parade on Rajpath. "Several women will also drive tractors on January 26," Harinder Kaur Bindu, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) vice president, said.

January 23, 2021

SKM volunteers detain a man who confesses in front of the media cameras that he is member of a team of assassins, and agent provocateurs, whose mission is to disrupt the farmer rally, assassinate four farmer's leaders and cause a firefight between the farmers and the police on 26 January. He says that the police planned to recruit and arm a 'team' of ten, including two women, to infiltrate the movement to serve as agent provocateurs and potential assassins. Part of the team was to undercover dressed in jeans and turbans, while a different portion appeared in police uniforms. Kulwant Singh Sandhu alleged that "Attempts are being made by agencies to disrupt the farmers' agitation."

On January 23, the man in the police custody claimed that he was beaten by some of the protesting farmers who also forced him to drink alcohol and coerced him to give a false statement to the media during the press conference or he will be killed.

Delhi Police accords permission, with several conditions, to the farmers to hold their republic Day parade in Delhi. Farmer leader Darshan Pal says the barricades and barriers that Delhi Police had placed between the farmers and Delhi, will be removed by the police before January 26, 2021. Similar parades will be held in all villages, and districts of India.

January 24, 2021

Dependra Pathak, Special Commissioner and head of intelligence Delhi Police, following the sanction by the Delhi police on Kisan Gantantra Diwas Parade 2021, briefs the media. In his briefing, he said that Delhi Police has intelligence that Pakistan has plans to disrupt the parade. To support the assessment on Pakistan plans he said 'Intelligence' from 'various other agencies' was that '300 Twitter handles created in Pakistan from January 13 to 18 to disturb farmers’ tractor rally'. SN Shrivastava, the Commissioner of Delhi Police has issued an order that Delhi Police, Central Armed Police Force and 'other force deployed for Republic Day Parade security, should remain in a ready position to move at short notice for law and order arrangement in connection with Kisan tractor rally'.

According to Police briefing, 12 -13,000 tractors are estimated to participate in the Kisan tractor parade. The Kisan-parade will start after the end of the parade on the Rajpath. The schedule, the route, have been decided by the police. The route has been limited to routes ‘away from the arterial points around Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders’. Yogi Adityanath (Ajay Mohan Bisht) Chief Minister of UP, has ordered orders petrol pumps in UP not to sell diesel to the farmers participating in the Republic Day parade.

January 25, 2021

Samyukta Kisan Morcha announces that farmers will march on foot to the Sansad on February 1(First day of the budget session). Protest in support of the farmer movement was held across several states.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha, to ensure orderly, nonviolent Farmers' Republic Day Parade, issued detailed instructions for preparation and conduct of the tractor rally.

January 26, 2021

On 26 January, the tractor rally turned into a violent protest as the protesting farmers drove through the barricades and clashed with the police. At around 8 am, a few hours early from the permitted time, farmers started to gather separately at Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri borders. The tractor rally commenced from the Singhu border and was designated to follow a decided route. However, as the rally progressed, it deviated and marched towards other routes and the protesting farmers clashed with the police forces. The protestors instead of rallying on the pre-decided route, chose to march towards ITO metro station and the city centre meanwhile breaking through the barricades. This prompted the Delhi Police to resort to use of tear gas and baton charging. The agitating protestors vandalised a DTC bus and police vehicles. According to the police, the protestors used sticks, iron rods, pelted stones, while some Nihang protestors rode on horses fully equipped with deadly weapons like swords, kirpans and fursas and some protesters even used their tractors to run over the police. Some protesters driving their speeding tractors rammed barricades and attempted to mow down the policeman on duty. One person reportedly died after he lost control and his tractor overturned on him. Likewise, the postmortem also ascertained the cause of death as "shock and haemorrhage due to anti-morten injuries". They further reached and forcefully entered the historic Red Fort of Delhi and hoisted religious flags from the ramparts and climbed up the domes of the fort. One of the farmers was seen climbing a flagpole in front of the fort and hoisting the religious flag Nishan Sahib on the flagpole. The clash between police and farmers also caused damage to facilities inside the fort. 394 policemen and thousands of farmers were reported injured, 30 police vehicles were destroyed and internet services were suspended for hours in several parts of Delhi and the NCR region. The police succeeded in vacating the fort premises after continuous announcements and use of force. A high-level meeting was taken by Amit Shah in which decision was taken to deploy additional paramilitary forces in Delhi and to take action against those found violating protest rules. The President of India Ramnath Kovind condemned the incidents of violence and the religious flag hoisting and called it an "insult to the national flag and Republic day".

The farmer unions blamed actor turned activist Deep Sidhu and gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana for instigating riot and hoisting a religious flag on Red Fort.

January 27, 2021

The names of Darshan Pal, Yogendra Yadav and 35 other farmer leaders have been mentioned in the FIR registered at the Samaypur Badli Police Station. The FIR, registered at the Ghazipur Police Station in East Delhi, named Rakesh Tikait and other farmer leaders for instigating protesters. After the violence, the farmers called off the march to the parliament on February 1 during the budget session.

Investigations

Post the violent protest, the Delhi police detained over 200 protesters on various criminal charges and lodged 22 FIRs under multiple IPC and CrPC sections, which included charges of rioting, causing hurt by dangerous weapons, obstructing police from doing their duty and charges of attempt to murder and culpable homicide. The FIRs also named 37 farmer leaders.

As on 28 January, the Commissioner said that the Delhi Police have filed 25 criminal cases on the incidents of violence and arrested nineteen people. Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and gangster Lakka Sadana were also booked by the police. In a preliminary investigation by the police, it said in a statement "there was a pre-conceived and well-coordinated plan to break the agreement between the Delhi Police and the leaders of protesting organizations." Delhi police filed an FIR under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and sedition against the personal and farm leaders involved in the rioting.

A day after the protest, Twitter suspended over 500 accounts including those belongs to Khalistan supporters for spam and platform manipulation.

See also

• 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest
• Samyukt Kisan Morcha
• Delhi Republic Day parade
• Republic Day
• 2021 Republic Day Red Fort Incident

External links

• People's Archive of Rural India (PARI)