Flowers from aircraft showered on farmers

Chandigarh: Farmers from Punjab and Haryana were on Saturday accorded a rousing welcome with sweets and garlands, and showered with flower petals from an aircraft on their return journey for the “victory” of their protest against the central farm laws which were later repealed.

Families of farmers along with fellow villagers at many places on the Delhi-Karnal-Ambala and Delhi-Hisar national highways along with other state highways enroute honoured the peasants coming in tractor trolleys with garlands, ‘ladoos’, ‘barfi’ and other sweets.

The supporters of the farmers’ agitation carried flags of various farmer bodies and showered petals on the peasants as they assembled on the roadside of the highways to welcome them.

National Highway Authority of India project director (Haryana) Virender Sharma said all the four toll plazas located between Chandigarh and Delhi will be functional within two to three days. The farmers had staged ‘dharnas’ at the toll plazas, thereby not allowing them to function for over a year. Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal was given a warm welcome at Shambhu border upon his return and he congratulated the farmers for their victory. “I congratulate all the Punjabis and the countrymen. A big battle has been won... Also thanks to those who supported it (agitation),” he told reporters. We have won the ‘morcha’... the central government was forced to bow down, he said.

Rajewal also remembered the sacrifices of farmers in the fight against the Centre’s farm laws and paid tributes to them, adding that more than 700 farmers laid down their lives.

A small aircraft showered flower petals on a cavalcade of farmers when they reached near Punjab-Haryana border, Shambhu, said Ambala Bhartiya Kisan Union president Malkit Singh. The aircraft was stated to be arranged by a non-resident Indian.

A family came all the way from Chandigarh to welcome the farmers near Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border.