Even as farmer organisations protesting at various border points of the national capital against the new farm laws are planning a tractor rally on Republic Day, as many as 18 left organisations are organising a tractor rally in the district headquarters of Burdwan (East) – the state’s rice bowl on 26 January in solidarity with the peasant community demanding the dismissal of the three contentious laws.
Krishak Sabha – the peasant front of the CPI-M has convened the rally in which, according to the organizers: “At least 400 tractors with farmers on board will be taking part in the protest march.”
The Congress earlier had held a protest rally at Ullhas crossing on the NH 2 with a meagre 40 tractors taking part and the ruling Trinamul Congress also organized some sporadic protest dharnas’s on the issue but the tractor rally at the rice bowl, according to the Krishak Sabha leaders, “is set to send a strong message to the Centre.” Krishak Sabha office-bearers Syed Hossen and Annadaprasad Bhattacharya, and CPI’s All India Kisan Sabha secretary Mohammed Ali Mondal, and AIFB’s Agragami Kisan Sabha secretary Tapan Bag held a joint press conference in Burdwan town this afternoon. “The Prime Minister and his party have come to Bengal and are trying to woo the farmers but in Delhi they don’t dare to face the agitating famrers just because they know that they are sitting there with their justified demand,” the farmer leaders said. On 2 February, Manik Sarkar – the former Chief Minister of Tripura is scheduled to visit Burdwan where he’s likely to address a farmer’s convention.