Farmers Movement Archive

Singhu roars again on Shaheed Diwas

Shaheed Diwas brought back the lost cheer and spirit at the Singhu protest site on Tuesday. People, especially youth, reached the Delhi borders to participate in the agitation to mark the martyrdom of the freedom fighters. Three huge photographs of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev adorned the main stage at the protest site. The crowd wore yellow, orange and green pagdis . A call was given in Punjab and Haryana villages for the youth to join the protest. “All those wearing yellow pagdis signify youth. This whole protest is essentially for them and their present and future,” said a member of the stage management committee. Soil collection Soil collected from various historical places — revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha’s village Sarabha, Bhagat Singh’s village Khatkar Kalan, Hussainiwala Border, Anandpur Sahib, revolutionary Udham Singh’s village Sunam, Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, and Sirhind — was also kept on the stage. It was collected by youth and student organisations and brought to Singhu and Tikri borders. Tractor shows and several langars which had lately vanished also came alive. ‘Govt. will have to bend’ Women also gathered at the Singhu border on Tuesday said that no matter what happens, they’ll continue to protest. Preeti (23), from Haryana’s Sonipat who had come with a group of women, said that the government will have no other option but to bend. A 22-year-old fashion designer from a private college, a resident of Delhi, said that she has spent the last one month here as part of the exam on human rights, she recently wrote. “I have conducted a deep study here and it is not Punjabis here, there are people from across States and all walks of life — those who believe in the cause,” she said. Two wheelchair-bound men also came to Singhu from Fatehgarh Sahib to join the protest. Lakhwinder Singh who has been on the wheelchair since 2015, said that he belongs to a labour family and there has been a growing anger over the farmers’ issue. “Shaheed Bhagat Singh has taught to fight for our rights at all costs and that’s what we are doing,” said Rao Varinder Singh who has been on the wheelchair for the last 10 years, following an accident in the fields. ‘Fighting our people’ Drawing the crowds, Punjabi singer Ravinder Garewal sang for nearly two hours. He said, “Shaheed Bhagat Singh did not know that we’ll have to fight our own people for the freedom, and our own people will become like the British. People ask me about the dwindling numbers at the protest site, and I tell them that this is not the only protest happening. There’s a protest inside every household,” he said. However, those managing the protest also realise that the spirit seems to be going down. “Strategy needs to change. This cold wave cannot continue and is not good for the protest,” said a committee member. Shaheed Bhagat Singh has taught us to fight for our rights at all costs and that’s what we are doing Rao Varinder Singh Protester

The Hindu

2021-03-24

NEW DELHI