Weather vagaries failed to dampen protesters? spirits

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, November 26

Several tractor-trailers were transformed into rooms to brave the bone-chilling cold. Later, they shifted to huts, raised structures and dug up borewells to cater to the daily needs when summer wreaked havoc.

They spent many sleepless nights when high-velocity winds uprooted their huts and rainwater entered their tents during monsoon. But they did not lose heart and stayed put at the Tikri and Singhu borders with the sole intention of pressuring the Centre to repeal the three farm laws.

Do-or-die battle

We spent sleepless nights draining out water and protecting our belongings, but adversity failed to lower our morale as we’re here for a do-or-die battle. —Gurchant, Farmer

This is the story of struggle and success of farmers who braved the odds for a year for the success they are celebrating now. They occupied several km-long stretches at the Delhi borders when the police didn’t let them enter the national capital last year. They’ve since been camping there. “It was not easy to adjust to these conditions, but then we had come with the resolve that we would not return if the government doesn’t fulfil our demands. Winter was approaching when we camped at Tikri and Singhu a year ago. We had no option but to turn tractors into makeshift rooms to protect us from cold,” says Pargat Singh, general secretary, BKU (Rajewal).

He said many farmers died amid severe cold conditions, but they continued to protest with the same enthusiasm. “During summer, new problems emerged such as water crisis, long power cuts and breeding of mosquitoes.”

“We had to dig borewells and install RO systems to address the drinking water issue. Solar plates were used to get power, while a lot of money was spent on erecting tents, many of which caught fire at night, forcing us to keep vigil to ward off anti-social elements.”

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