Farmers Movement Archive

At Singhu, farmer bounds himself in chains to protest

His tall body bound by heavy metal chains and his fists clenched all through from morning to evening for the last 18 days, a farmer from Fazilka in Punjab has been standing facing the main stage at the Singhu Border agitation site while portraying himself as the symbol of the “slavery” that the farmers have been fighting. The metallic chain, a medium-sized lock and a few iron nuts and bolts attached to them weigh around 5.5 kilos, said the 42-year-old farmer, Kabil Singh. He said he has been standing at the same place and in the same position from 7am to 7pm everyday for the last 18 days even as farmers and other visitors to the site flock to take selfies with him. “I’ll take this position until the black farm laws are repealed or until I drop dead,” said Singh, his fists still clenched. He said that he decided to be the symbol of a silent bound farmer amidst the loud speeches being delivered in front of him from the stage located about 100 metres from him. Singh said that he purchased the chain, lock, nuts and bolts from his hometown in Rukanpura during one of his visits to his home amidst the protests. It takes him about 10 minutes to deck his body in the chains every morning and lesser to remove them every evening. “I just stand this way. I don’t feel anything. The farm labour in real life is much harder than standing with a filos of metals on my body,” said the man decked in clean white kurta-pyjama, a light brown jacket, a green turban and a neat set of shoes. The chain went around his neck and bound his two hands and one ankle. His teenage daughter had passed away last year to a disease and he is left with a 13-year-old son. “My ancestors were farmers. I am a farmer. My son will be a farmer after me. But I don’t want him to be a slave in the guise of a farmer. My sacrifice is for the future farmers like my son,” he said while asking curious onlookers to wait till be got free to pose with them. Aruna Deshpande, a protesting farmer from Aurangabad district in Maharashtra, who was waiting to take a selfie with Singh, said that she was fascinated on seeing him standing in the same position day after day. “His form of protest is unique,” said Deshpande. Singh does quit that standing position a few times a day, through. “When I have to eat or visit the toilet, I am absent from here for a few minutes every day,” he said.

Hindustan Times

26-12-2020

Delhi