Farmers Movement Archive

Warm support helps protesters beat winter chill

Ludhiana/Bathinda, Dec 22 The farmers’ protest at Delhi borders has received an unprecedented support from all quarters, with people and NGOs pitching in alike with all possible aid to keep it going. There is no dearth of food supplies as farmers joining in from Punjab are bringing along vegetable, fruits and other essential items to Delhi. From Ludhiana, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Kadian) members have left for Delhi with three trailers laden with food items, winter wear, mattresses, blankets and quilts among other essential items. BKU (Kadian) president Harmeet Singh Kadian, who is at the Singhu border, said several villages, including Kasabad, Jamalpir and Bahadarke, in Ludhiana had contributed whole-heartedly to express their solidarity with the farmers’ fight against the new farm laws. The BKU president made a special mention of the NRI community, which, he said, even though being thousands of miles away, was feeling the pain and anguish of the farmers and extending all possible assistance to the ongoing agitation. Several organisations across the country have also ensured farmers are well-fed and well-protected in harsh cold conditions. Voluntary services offering pizza, laundry, turban, books, foot massage and medicine langars at Singhu and Tikri borders, therefore, do not come as a surprise. In the langar, farmers are served matter-paneer, makki di roti and saag, kadi-chawal, dal, kheer, halwa, jalebis, lassi and many more items. A huge roti making machine has been installed at the protest site which can churn out 1,500 to 2,000 rotis in an hour. Besides, a volley ball court has come up at the Singhu border where youth can be seen playing in the evening. International NGO Khalsa Aid has set up a foot massage centre at the borders in order to ensure that the farmers, many of them elderly, stay healthy. Around 25 machines have been set up inside a tent and the farmers are invited for a ten-minute session each.

The Tribune

2020-12-23