Farmers Movement Archive

Friendship blooms across barricades here

Across the barricades at Delhi-Haryana’s Singhu border, police officials and protesting farmers seem to share a unique relationship. They are warm and ‘like family’ thought pitched on the opposite sides in different gears. The policemen with their riot gear and the farmers with their flags. While smoking his hookah, Balwan (65), a resident of Sonipat, said the police officers are like their own children and are only doing their duty. “They haven’t done anything bad to us and we haven’t either. Some of them even eat at our langars and we welcome them with open arms,” he said. Mutual trust Sitting next to him, Dalbir Singh, another resident, said he has friends and relatives in the paramilitary forces and they understand the situation. “They also want it to end at the earliest,” he said. Making a rather hard-hitting point, Jai Kishan Sharma said: “ Kisan aur jawan ek hi chulhe ki roti khaate hain… gaon ke gharon main ek bachha agar kisan hota hai toh doosra jawan hota hai [Farmer and soldier eat from the same plate… In houses in the village, if one child is a farmer, another is a soldier]”. Both of us doing our respective jobs for our livelihood, the farmers said. Though hesitant to talk about which side the heart lies in, officers including seniors shared how the protesters have treated them in the last 15 days. “They force us to have water and tea, even if we say that we don’t need it. While serving anything at the langar , they always come and ask us,” said a constable-rank personnel, whose father is a farmer in Haryana, and who has been on border duty since November 26. Brothers in arms Another officer said that they have all been ordered not to say anything to the protesters and be cordial with them. “They are doing what they think is right and we are here to protect them,” he said. The officers who usually stand on the outside facing the protesters shared how the farmers make videos and call the officers their brothers. “It feels good,” the officer smiled. Welcome change The “good” behaviour is not limited to lower-ranked personnel. Senior police officers have also experienced the warmth. “On Friday morning itself, an old uncle wearing a turban approached us and said, ‘ Aap nahin aate hain is side isliye hum aaye hain [You don’t come to our side, that’s why we’ve come]’ and handed us a fistful of almonds,” he said. The officer said that they’re used to listening to ‘Delhi Police Haye Haye’ at protests, therefore, this comes as a welcome change. “However, there are some protesters who are not farmers but use foul words against us but thankfully, they don’t find resonance in the real protesting crowd,” he said. Another senior officer shared how a farmer once approached him and told him that their fight is with those in power and not with the police. He even invited him to eat at the langar . Even the barricades were there to restrict movement, a police officer said. And not a symbol of distrust. Despite the protests gathering steam, both sides are hopeful that their relationship stays the same till the end.

The Hindu

2020-12-12

NEW DELHI