Farmers' tractor rally meets chaos in Delhi border on India's Republic Day

Though the farmers marched past the Tikri border breaking the police barricades, they were tear gassed at the Delhi-Haryana border, also known as Singhu border, while on their way to the national capital.

The Delhi Police on Sunday allowed the protesters to carry on with their rally but with one condition, that they can't disrupt the Republic Day parade in Delhi.

Earlier, the central government had opposed the tractor rally stating it would be an "embarrassment to the nation".

Since Nov 26, 2020, thousands of farmers have gathered at the border of Delhi, which houses the Prime Minister's residence, protesting against the three new farm laws which was enacted by the Centre through an Ordinance and later controversially passed by Parliament.

One of the Centre's new farm laws will now allow farmers to sell their produce to institutional buyers beyond the regulated wholesale market.

Though the middlemen in the wholesale markets are often accused of usurping the farmers in the earlier agricultural system, the protesters, backed by several opposition parties, fear they will have little bargaining power while selling their produce to institutional buyers, running the risk of getting exploited with the gradual destablising of the mundies.     

An end to the stalemate is yet to be achieved even after 11 rounds of talks between the representatives of the government and farmers' unions.

The matter had reached the courtroom with the Supreme Court forming a four-member panel to look into the issues.

However, the farmers have rejected such a panel terming the members as the ones who favour the farm laws.