Farmers Movement Archive

Awesome clicks with Nihang Sikhs at Singhu

NEW DELHI: Dressed in blue tunics, decorated turbans and armed with swords, a group of Nihang Sikhs camping at Singhu border have been the cynosure of all eyes with people queuing up to take selfies with them. Sitting near the police barricading, the Nihang Sikhs or “Sikh warriors” have been readily obliging people approaching them with photographs and selfies. One of the group members, 60-year-old Gursewak Singh from Chandigarh, said, “It feels great to see excitement and respect among people to meet us and get pictures clicked with us.” Another Nihang, Lakhwir Singh, who was holding a licensed gun along with a sword, said, “Our senior leaders are sitting inside the tent, while a few of us are guarding it. Besides, other members are camping in other parts of Singhu border. We are here to show support to the farmers’ protest. We are happy with the love and admiration that we are getting from visitors.” The Nihangs demonstrating horse riding skills drew a huge crowd with people clicking pictures and recording videos of it. Hitesh Kumar, a college student who clicked a selfie with them, said, “I met Nihang Sikhs for the first time.” Meanwhile, right from a 21-year-old paralysed student from Haryana to a three-month-old girl from Delhi’s Preet Vihar, there were scores of people from the non-farming community who were at the border on Sunday to extend their support. The visitors from Delhi, Punjab and Haryana were there for just a day. They said they would be back the next weekend. Holding placards, many families took out a march to show their support. Indrajeet Singh, a businessman from Panipat, said he wanted the children in the family to understand the ground reality. “We want our children to understand the plight of farmers and the role they play in our society as there will be no food without them,” he added. He was accompanied by three children aged nine months, five years and 10 years. Wheelchair-bound Amrit Pal, a BA student from Ladwa in Kurukshetra district in Haryana who was at the protest site with his friends, said, “I have been reading news about the protest. Even though I’m half paralysed, I couldn’t stop myself from coming here to express my solidarity with them. I will return home in the evening, but will come back again.” Bhupinder Kaur, a 63-year-old who was on her third visit to the border with her family members, including a three-month-old granddaughter, said, “I’m sad that a large number of farmers are being forced to stay in the cold weather to fight for their rights. We will keep coming here to build pressure on the government to listen to their demands.”

The Times of India

2020-12-21

Delhi