For some farmers, reaching protest site in itself a herculean task

For many of the thousands of farmers camping on the roads and braving the cold at night to press for their demands, reaching the Singhu border point between Delhi-Haryana to join the peasants’ agitation was in itself a major challenge which they surmounted with hard labour and ingenuity.

Kawaljeet Singh (28) and Dalbir Singh Tong (36) along with eight other farmers arrived at the demonstration site two days ago close to midnight, from Amritsar district.

They said they had to "move earth" and "push boulders" to overcome the obstacles that have been created on the way to Delhi from Punjab.

"Roads have been dug up at a few places across the highway in Haryana, so deep that no vehicle can pass through it. But we are farmers, we don't give up. We used our strength and ingenuity ('kisan ki taqat aur dimag'), to reach here," Kawaljeet said.

The farmer from Beas area said he and the accompanying farmers filled the troughs on the road with earth dug up from the nearby fields to make a passage for their four-wheeler.

"At other places, huge boulders were put up in the middle of the highway to block the path. The local farmers in Haryana helped us. Someone brought their JCB machine to move the boulders to allow us to move forward," said Dalbir.

Tarlochan Singh Safri, 54, sporting a bright blue turban and a flowing white beard, echoed Kawaljeet. "Efforts were made to obstruct paths on the highway so that not many farmers could reach the protest site at Singhu Border,” he alleged.

"We had to take detour at some places and at other places, local farmers of Haryana helped us. They even allowed us to drive our vehicles over their farms. One Kisan always stands for other Kisans," Safri told PTI.

Saturday was yet another day of protests at the Singhu and Tikri border areas, even as farmers’ leaders held another round of talks with the government representatives to find a way out of the crisis.

The hardships faced in reaching the protest site and the common demand of repealing of the new farm laws have galvanised the farmers with a tremendous sense of solidarity and camaraderie.

Several farmers from Haryana, wearing the trademark green 'pagdi' (turban), sat in circles around a traditional hukka that was being passed around, as they too sought complete repeal of what they alleged was a "naya kala kanoon" (new black law) that will “wreck” the lives of farmers.

Babu Ram, a farmer from a neighbouring district in Haryana, sat at the Singhu border and appealed to the others to join the protest.

"This country had been made with the blood and sweat of farmers and labourers, and today this government has brought them in the streets. Is this the worth of farmers in our 'krishi-pradhan desh'? Farmers coming from Punjab had to face so much of obstruction," he rued.

Naunihal Singh of Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, rode from Patti in Tarn Taran district in Punjab, about 500 km from the Delhi border, on a tractor, accompanied by about 20 other farmers, including a Sikh Nihang warrior.

"Our route on the highway was obstructed at several places with boulders and the road was dug up to not allow us to pass through. We farmers jointly pushed the boulders. At some places local Haryana farmers sent help with JCB machines and at others we found other indirect ways through friends,” the farmer said.

“It was very tough, but we left home to achieve our goals, not to return like cowards. We are farmers from Punjab," he said.

At the protest site, fiery speeches, fluttering flags of Bharat Kisan Union and other peasant bodies, and spirited 'langars' that invited everyone to join in, added to the charged atmosphere.

Cries of 'Saada Haq, Aithe Rakh', 'Jo Bole So Nihal' and 'Kisan Union Ekta Zindabad' rent the air throughout the day, as the coloured turbans of protesting farmers added vibrancy to the scene of the agitation.

Devendra Singh, 39, a farm labourer from Ludhiana, hitch-hiked all the way to the Singhu border. On Saturday, he carried a board hung over his body with pro-farmer slogans in Punjabi.

"I took lift from various people, on a truck, tractor, two-wheeler and walked on foot too. I had started at 12:30 PM from Ludhiana on November 27 and reached the same day close to midnight. I had Rs 350 in my pocket, some of which I’ve used to buy a pair of socks and get internet (on phone) recharged,” he said.

Asked how long he intended to stay at the protest site, the labourer said, "Till the farmers' demands are met".