DNA Exclusive: When agitating farmers hold national capital roads to ransom on Republic Day

New Delhi: India displayed its military might and vibrant cultural heritage on Rajpath on the 72nd Republic Day here on Tuesday (January 26) with the ceremonial event this year being drastically scaled-down in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a handful of people tried to play with the nationalist spirit of people in the name of their democratic right to protest on the roads of the national capital. 

The nation belongs to 135 crore people and no one can be granted the liberty to play with the pride of the country, therefore, the DNA report poses a question whether you want to see the Republic Day parade of India or the tractor parade of farmers–one is symbolic of the country’s military might and vibrant cultural heritage while the other grew out of the seeds of hatred. 

The report would also like to show two different pictures–one is from August 16, 1947, when India got independence from the British and the tricolour was hoisted on the Red Fort while the other was witnessed on Republic Day when the raging crowd hoisted a religious flag. The twin pictures depict India’s journey that started with the tricolor but now got associated with the flag of a particular religion.

When India became independent, there were hundreds of princely states in the country that posed a big challenge in the path of unity to the country. It was stated that India would face an uphill task to unite these states and the pictures today showed that those things are still close to reality.

Whatever some people did in the name of farmers’ protest inside the Red Fort is really unfortunate for the nation and that too on the Republic Day, which is celebrated like a festival across the country. 

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The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950, but it is unfortunate that some miscreants tried to play with the sentiments of over 130 crore people of the country on this day. Those involved in such acts can never be the farmers protesting for their democratic rights. 

Notably, the first tractor in the world was built in America in the year 1894, with the purpose to make farming easier, but the same vehicle is being used to sow the seeds of hatred. The tractor parade organised in the national capital has embarrassed the Republic of India.

Delhi Police had set three routes for the protestors to take out tractor parade, and the farmer leaders also agreed to that, but when it started, some people entered other areas of Delhi and removed the barricades erected on roads in different part of the city, causing a lot of damage to public property.

Although farmer leaders stated that their tractor parade will be peaceful, what happened on the roads of the national capital was witnessed by the whole nation. They also promised that the tractor rally would increase the pride of the country, but the pictures of the same have ashamed the country. 

The farmer union leaders also promised that if the rally was peaceful, they would have moral victory over the government. On the contrary, the protesters turned violent and also attacked police personnel. Despite the promise to follow the fixed route, the farmers failed to stick to their words.