Farmers Movement Archive

After langar, dhaba on Delhi border starts flour mill

BATHINDA: Owner of a dhaba near the Kundli-Singhu border, which has been closed from November, when farmers’ protest started here, has opened a flour mill to provide flour for farmers. The flour will be given in packings of 25 kilogram each at all farmer protest sites. A few days ago, Ram Singh, 40, started providing water, for which he purchased 11,000 campers. His dhaba, Golden Hut, was closed for commercial purposes when the farmers’ protests started. Thereafter, it was being used to run langar (community kitchen) for protesters. Many of them spend nights on the dhaba premises. Rana used three acres of land to set up eight machines for making flour. His is a rags to riches story, which took another turn when farmers reached Delhi borders. “Despite belonging to a small farming family, I was running a tea kiosk around 16 years ago and somehow set up a small dhaba. Since I was on the highway to Delhi, I started getting good number of customers. Sales reached up to Rs 3 to Rs 4 lakh a day. When the farmers’ protest started I decided to support them and closed the dhaba for customers to start langar,” he said. He added, “Sometime ago, farm leaders Rakesh Tikait, Gurnam Singh Charuni and Abhimanyu Kohad asked me to start water service and I went a step ahead, asking them to ask farmers to bring wheat and I put up a flour mill to turn wheat into aata.” It is learnt he has spent nearly Rs 4 crore on the farmers’ struggle and categrorically denies underlying political ambitions or monetary considerations. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Abhimanyu Kohad said farm leaders are impressed by the selfless service provided by Rana. He not only preferred to close the dhaba but has been running langar from Day 1 of the protest. “Rana is giving yeoman service to protesting farmers. He never cared for his business and fully devoted himself to the cause of farmers for over five months,” said Charuni.

The Times of India

2021-05-02

Amritsar