Wounded Acharwal farmer pens poems on struggle
Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Singhu, December 24
“Inquilabi khande di dhaar naalon tikhi, mehnat kash lokan khatir larna paina ae, Madho Das to Banda Bahadur Singh banna paina ae, chup kareyan ton nahio sarna,” (Revolution is sharper than a sword. We have to fight for the workers. We have to become Banda Bahadur Singh from Madho Das. Silence won’t help) chants 61-year-old Jugral Singh as he nurses a wound on his right hand’s little finger.
Caused by a tear gas shell that brushed past his hand on December 26, the day residents of his Jattha village reached the Singhu border, the wound hasn’t deterred Jugral, who has been busy penning poetry from his new abode in a trolley.
Among the first farmers to reach at the Singhu border, Jugral comes from Acharwal village, which is known for its martyrs.
Reading poetry from his pocket diary, Jugral says, “26 tarik, 1.30 vaje, etthe sanu rokde si. Asi rukde nahi si – pani dian bocharana vi chaddiyan, athru gas vi chaddi. Ik gola hath te dig ke zakham kar gia gutt vi sujj gaye si. Teeke davaiyan kitiyan nu aram hai. Jinna chir mangan nahi dindi, roti nahi dindi onna chir asi sangharsh karde rahange – geet onnan de virudh bolange. (On November 26th at about 1.30 pm they tried to stop us. We didn’t stop. They used water cannons and tear gas shells. One of the shells brushed past my hand and left it wounded. I received medication. Now it is better. We will keep struggling and singing songs until the government doesn’t meet our demands, livelihood isn’t secured.”
Meanwhile, poet Jangan Singh (85) from Jhorda village in Ludhiana is also busy writing poetry at the Singhu border. He says, “Pehlan tote ch painda si, sathiyan keha gaddi ch pao – buzurg banda. Haar ke menu pakki rajai banak e diti.” (I was sleeping on tattered rags. But my union made a warm quilt for me. Now I live in a tent.) “I am not moving from here as long as they don’t meet our demands,” he signs off.
