Laddoo bhangra blood donation mark farm law protest anniversary at Singhu border
New Delhi Nov 26 PTI Punjabi and Haryanvi celebratory music filled in the air at the Singhu border protest site on Friday as farmers danced atop their tractors bedecked with lights and posters and took out symbolic marches to mark one year of the movement against the three farm laws the government is set to withdraw formallyFarmers flaunting colourful turbans sunshades long beards and twirling moustaches danced on the roofs of tractors distributed laddoos and hugged each other to mark the occasion that seemed like a festivalThousands of them flocked to the site over the last few days buoyed by the governments announcement to repeal the farms laws to mark the completion of one year of a dogged protest that saw a long dusty patch of the Delhi-Karnal road between the national capital and Sonepat turning into a makeshift town with bamboo huts and all basic amenities one could think ofChildren and elderly men and women carried flags of their farmer unions and raised slogans of victory Inquilab Zindabad and Majdoor Kisan Ekta Zindabad amid passionate non-stop beating of drumsThe assembly area near the centrestage saw a large gathering like the early days of the protestThe attendees included businessmen professionals lawyers teachers among others belonging to families of farmersSarender Singh 50 from Pataila spent six months at the protest site managing crowd near the centrestageIt is a special day It is like a festival being celebrated It is after long that such a large number of people have gathered here We also have Punjabi singer Babbu Mann among us he saidThe special day also called for a special foodAaj jalebi pakode kheer and chole poori bane hai Sarender said enthusiasticallyOn Friday morning farmers held special prayers to pay tributes to those who died during the course of the protestA notice board outside a tent served as a grim reminder of the sacrifices made during the protest 732 people have died in the last one year it readLakhan Singh 45 from Barnala in Punjab was protesting at the Delhi-Haryana border when he lost his father early this yearIt would have better had he been here today But I know his soul will be at peace now he saidBhagwan Singh 43 from Mavi village in Patiala lost his friend Najar Singh 35 in the seventh month of the protest and burst into tears remembering himMy friend the sole breadwinner of his family left behind three small daughters and elderly parents We miss him he saidFarmers remembered how they walked and cycled for days to reach the site of the protest a year ago and kept the fire burning despite the government trying to scuttle the movementKirpal Singh 57 who reached the Singhu border in December last year showed an injury mark on his right leg which he got from police batonBatons barricades treats nails nothing could stop us we won he saidHarpreet Kaur 45 and her husband brought their specially-abled son to the Singhu border in a wheelchairHe has been here twice We could have left him with his grandparents but it would not have been the right thing He cannot convey his feelings in words but I know he is happy Kaur from Ludhiana saidNear the centrestage a group of farmers celebrated the farm law protest anniversary by donating bloodSukhdev Bhullar 42 from Anantpur Sahib said farmers have nourished the protest with their blood My blood is a tribute to all of them he said Ajeetpal Singh 40 had walked to the Singhu border from Ropar in December last year and started a shoe polish service here I am not directly related to farming I came here to do sewa service I thought I would return after a few days but the pain of farmers held me back he said On loudspeakers farmer leaders and activists could be heard asking people not to slackenCelebrate the win but do not get carried away with it We wont move an inch until all our demands are met farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka said reiterating the demand for legislation for MSP law and compensation to families of the 732 farmers Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chadhuni said more than 700 people would have been alive here had Prime Minister Narendra Modi rescinded the farm laws earlierPTI GVS SRY
New Delhi Nov 26 PTI Punjabi and Haryanvi celebratory music filled in the air at the Singhu border protest site on Friday as farmers danced atop their tractors bedecked with lights and posters and took out symbolic marches to mark one year of the movement against the three farm laws the government is set to withdraw formallyFarmers flaunting colourful turbans sunshades long beards and twirling moustaches danced on the roofs of tractors distributed laddoos and hugged each other to mark the occasion that seemed like a festivalThousands of them flocked to the site over the last few days buoyed by the governments announcement to repeal the farms laws to mark the completion of one year of a dogged protest that saw a long dusty patch of the Delhi-Karnal road between the national capital and Sonepat turning into a makeshift town with bamboo huts and all basic amenities one could think ofChildren and elderly men and women carried flags of their farmer unions and raised slogans of victory Inquilab Zindabad and Majdoor Kisan Ekta Zindabad amid passionate non-stop beating of drumsThe assembly area near the centrestage saw a large gathering like the early days of the protestThe attendees included businessmen professionals lawyers teachers among others belonging to families of farmersSarender Singh 50 from Pataila spent six months at the protest site managing crowd near the centrestageIt is a special day It is like a festival being celebrated It is after long that such a large number of people have gathered here We also have Punjabi singer Babbu Mann among us he saidThe special day also called for a special foodAaj jalebi pakode kheer and chole poori bane hai Sarender said enthusiasticallyOn Friday morning farmers held special prayers to pay tributes to those who died during the course of the protestA notice board outside a tent served as a grim reminder of the sacrifices made during the protest 732 people have died in the last one year it readLakhan Singh 45 from Barnala in Punjab was protesting at the Delhi-Haryana border when he lost his father early this yearIt would have better had he been here today But I know his soul will be at peace now he saidBhagwan Singh 43 from Mavi village in Patiala lost his friend Najar Singh 35 in the seventh month of the protest and burst into tears remembering himMy friend the sole breadwinner of his family left behind three small daughters and elderly parents We miss him he saidFarmers remembered how they walked and cycled for days to reach the site of the protest a year ago and kept the fire burning despite the government trying to scuttle the movementKirpal Singh 57 who reached the Singhu border in December last year showed an injury mark on his right leg which he got from police batonBatons barricades treats nails nothing could stop us we won he saidHarpreet Kaur 45 and her husband brought their specially-abled son to the Singhu border in a wheelchairHe has been here twice We could have left him with his grandparents but it would not have been the right thing He cannot convey his feelings in words but I know he is happy Kaur from Ludhiana saidNear the centrestage a group of farmers celebrated the farm law protest anniversary by donating bloodSukhdev Bhullar 42 from Anantpur Sahib said farmers have nourished the protest with their blood My blood is a tribute to all of them he said Ajeetpal Singh 40 had walked to the Singhu border from Ropar in December last year and started a shoe polish service here I am not directly related to farming I came here to do sewa service I thought I would return after a few days but the pain of farmers held me back he said On loudspeakers farmer leaders and activists could be heard asking people not to slackenCelebrate the win but do not get carried away with it We wont move an inch until all our demands are met farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka said reiterating the demand for legislation for MSP law and compensation to families of the 732 farmers Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chadhuni said more than 700 people would have been alive here had Prime Minister Narendra Modi rescinded the farm laws earlierPTI GVS SRY
