Farmers Movement Archive

Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur: Black flags mark the day

New Delhi: Wednesday marked the completion of six months of the farmers’ protest at Delhi’s borders. Designating it the day of resistance, huge crowds gathered at the Singhu Tikri and Ghazipur borders, wearing black clothing and holding up black flags. Reports aid black flags were also put atop houses and on vehicles in villages in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. In spite of the raging wave of Covid infections, hundreds of farmers from Punjab and Haryana joined the protests. At Singhu border, farmer Satpal Singh said the protesters did not plan to cause any disruptions in the lives of Delhi’s citizens but will silently protest at the borders to express their dissent with the central government’s three new farm laws. “We promised earlier that we wouldn’t go anywhere till the repeal of those laws and we are doing precisely that,” said Satpal. “We were here when the pandemic gripped the country and will stay here till everyone is satisfied by the steps that the government takes.” Harman, 25, accused the Centre of trying to defame the farmers and blaming them for the spread of the coronavirus. “The people in government are the ones who are unable to control the pandemic. When they are unable to find a plausible excuse, they blame the farmers, who have been sitting here, not roaming all over,” said Harman. “We have said this over and over again and will say it one more time: we will not budge till our basic demands are met, no matter what pressure the government brings on us.” The number of protesters, of course, is significantly lower than earlier, but the fervour and zest haven’t diminished. Said Baldev Singh, 50, “We come from a community that will take a bullet for a stranger. Since the very beginning of these protests, there has been no dearth of food or other comforts at any of these border protest sites, and I am sure it will continue to be the same. So, if the government feels that we will tire out or feel defeated and go back to our villages, we won’t.”

The Times of India

2021-05-26

Delhi