Farmers Movement Archive

Delhi: Protesters seek visitors’ opinion for a better stir

NEW DELHI: A group of farmers from Punjab is receiving suggestions from protestors and visitors to the farmers’ protest site at Singhu border on how to make the movement more efficient or what they think about the issue that the tillers have been agitating about since last November. Started a week ago, the small desk with a notice saying ‘Please write your opinion about the farmers protest’ has received over 130 reactions from people from 13 states. On Tuesday, some visitors from Jharkhand wrote: “The demand for law on MSP should emphasise on punishment to those who purchase crops at lower prices.” The same day, some farmers from Punjab noted, “The fuel stations at Singhu border have helped us a lot and all farmers should purchase fuel for their tractor-trolley from them.” A common complaint jotted on the notebooks at the desk relates to lack of water in the government-provided mobile toilets. A few respondents suggested that the protest orators should be careful when expressing their views, though most have written encouraging words for the farmers. A group of people from Kerala who visited Singhu border for a few days to express solidarity with the agitators wrote that they were “proud to be part of this historical protest”. The organisers said when the campaign to have three agri laws repealed ends, they will publish a compilation of these opinions. Manjot Singh, a farmer from Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, said, “After coming to the border last week, I see people from many states joining the protest but returning home without getting an opportunity to give a speech. That is why I thought of requesting people to give us suggestions or express their opinions would be of help to us.” In a similar step, Delhi-based Prabot Singh, seeing many people not getting a chance to share their views from the main protest stage, came up with the ‘Meri Awaaz Suno’ platform on social media. He uploads recorded videos of farmers and visitors speaking their mind about the three farm laws and the campaign against them on the platform. Prabot Singh, who started the desk near the main stage on January 30, said, “We ask people to express their opinions on the protest and we make a video of it. We share the recorded videos on our page on social media platforms. It helps in creating awareness about what the farmers are demanding.” He revealed that 70 videos had been recorded so far.

The Times of India

2021-02-10

Delhi