Video shot during 2022 Baisakhi fair in Punjab falsely linked to farmers’ protest

By: Anurag Baruah
February 20 2024

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Screenshot of Facebook post claiming to show farmers’ moving towards Delhi to participate in the ongoing farmers’ protest, evading police barricades. (Source: Screenshot/Facebook/Altered by Logically Facts)

What is the claim?

A video depicting a tractor with an elongated trolley traversing a water body has gained traction on social media. Claims suggest it showcases 'unstoppable' farmers en route to Delhi, bypassing police barriers by navigating water bodies, to join the ongoing farmers' protest.

We found multiple posts on Facebook in the Indian regional language of Assamese, alongside others in Hindi and English on X and YouTube, erroneously linking this footage to the farmers' protest.

Screenshots of posts in Assamese on Facebook and YouTube. (Source: Screenshots/Facebook/YouTube/Altered by Logically Facts)

Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav also shared the video on his official X account, highlighting the current farmers' protest and attacking the BJP government. Here is an archived version of the post. 

Screenshot of the X post by Akhilesh Yadav. (Source: Screenshot/X)

What did we find?

While reviewing the video, the marking 'P A W' on the side of the trolley caught our attention. A Facebook search led us to the 'New Plaha Agri Works BILGA -P.A.W' page, a Punjab-based agricultural equipment manufacturer. 

Screenshot from viral YouTube video. (Source: Screenshot/YouTube)

A review of their content revealed a similar tractor trolley in a video from April 3, 2017, marked with 'Cheema Agro Farm' alongside a spade and rifle emblem. This particular Facebook post referred to ‘TalJinDeR SinGh CheeMa’ as the trolley owner. 

Comparison between screenshots of viral video and video uploaded by Plaha Agri Works (PAW) Facebook page. (Source: Screenshots/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

Next, we searched on Instagram for the name cited as the owner of the trolley and found that the viral video was posted from Taljinder Singh Cheema's account on December 8, 2023. 

Cheema also clarified to Logically Facts that the video, recorded in 2022 during the Baisakhi Mela at Anandpur Sahab, Punjab, was unrelated to the ongoing farmers' protest. It depicted a cleansing ritual for tractors near Kiratpur Sahab.

Supporting this, we found photographs from Alamy captured by Ravi Batra of Sipa U.S.A. showing a similar scene during the Hola Mohalla Color Festival on March 17, 2022, illustrating the Sikh community's skills and prowess with a farm tractor.

The ongoing farmers’ protest

Tractors have fast become a symbol for the ongoing farmers' protest, with thousands utilizing them for the journey to Delhi since February 13, 2024, showcasing their significance beyond agricultural uses.

The verdict

Logically Facts found that the video, originating from a 2022 festival in Punjab, holds no relevance to the recent farmers' protest. Thus, the claim is marked as false.