Vintage tractors at farmers' parade

New Delhi: Bhavjit Singh's 53-year-old Soviet-era tractor swaggered along the parade route on Tuesday, matching the pace of others that just rolled out of the showroom. Singh, taking a break from his job in the IT sector in Sydney, Australia, has been running a Twitter campaign promoting the struggles of farmers in India. His family-owned 1968 model DT-14 tractor, manufactured in Russia, was one of the oldest tractors that strode up the roads elegantly during the farmers' parade against the farm laws.

"My family has been using it for the last 25 years. All its parts are original, barring the steering wheel," Singh said. Amarinder Singh's Mahindra B-275 tractor was first rolled out in 1970. "My father purchased it in 1978 when I was born. Almost everyone in my village has used it at least once," the man from Punjab's Tarn Taran district said. The paint had faded, but all its parts are in an excellent condition, he said.

On Tuesday, Amarinder gave the vehicle a bath and put a garland on its bonnet before it hit the road to Delhi. Gajraj Singh rode on its family-owned John Deere 4020 tractor, which was launched in 1964. "We have three tractors of the same company, but this one has its own style and extravagance," the 32-year-old from Punjab's Jalandhar district said. "It's hulk and can pull a bus. Though technology has changed over the years, but it was one of the most popular tractors of its time." The green-coloured tractor carried posters of Sikh gurus and freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Akalpreet Singh paraded his bedecked HMT 5911 on GT-Karnal road, as the song 'Mera Rang De Basanti Chola' blaring from the speakers mounted over it. "My father, Gurnam Singh, had purchased in it 1981. At that time, it cost him Rs 80,000.

Now, it's worth around Rs 8 lakh," the 41-year-old said. The farmer from Haryana's Ambala said he had recently sent the tractor to a workshop to prepare it for the parade. "I have literally grown up driving it. I am proud of it. I have another tractor and a car, but this is closet to my heart," he said.