Previous Delhi stir experience comes in handy for farmers

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, February 13

Experience from the previous Delhi agitation coupled with that of the annual pilgrimages came handy for the agrarian community in organising such a mass transportation of protestors, ration and goods for the “Dilli Chalo” march at a short notice.

The protest march was announced by farmer unions at Jandiala Guru on January 2. Making arrangements for Delhi march were not much difficult for them as visiting far-off religious places on tractor trolleys is a frequent affair for the farming community.

The local agrarian community attends three annual congregations at Anandpur Sahib (Hola Mohalla), Muktsar (Maghi) and Fatehgarh Sahib (Saheedi Hafta). Tractors-trolleys are sent from each village during the pilgrimages. This experience had helped the community during the previous Delhi Morcha when they did set up community kitchens and tents within no time.

“For organising annual pilgrimages and even this agitation, every village works as an independent unit and tries to do more than the other villages in making arrangements. Every village gurdwara has large utensils required for cooking and other utensils for serving food. The custom of collecting rations from the community for langars also came as a help,” said Harman Singh of Chauhan village.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee having the strongest support base in Majha could easily be credited for large number of farmers attending the protest.

“While the farmers already use trolleys for long distance travel, these vehicles only require fitting of necessary items as roof, lighting system, invertor battery and other items that people had started doing during the first week of February,” said Gurnam Singh, a farmer from Jhabal in Tarn Taran.