Disaster and crisis can bring the best out of us but also it can set inspiring examples about human nature – the same can be seen in many Punjab villages during the ongoing farmers protest when people of all spectrum of life have forgotten their personal differences, professional rivalries etc, and have joined hands to help their fellow farmers.
Hundreds of thousands of farmers are braving the Delhi’s freezing temperature to impress upon the Center to repeal the three farm laws.
The village gurdwaras have became the central place to hold meetings, formulate strategies on how to help each other, to assign duties to different people and to share each other’s problems and issues especially when the patriarch of houses are at ‘border’.
The village people this farmers movement as a battle for their rights and secure the future of Punjab from the impending agrarian crisis if the farm laws are not scrapped.
Young Gurmilan Deep Kaur proudly says that her father has gone to Delhi border while her uncle, neighbourers, and other villagers were looking after their family and their daily needs. “My father has gone to fight for his rights and it is good, everyone is helping each other here,” she said. Her uncle harvested her father’s crop while other villagers were extending every possible help, she said.
The families are thus seen helping each other as they feel their members are on a ‘big mission’.
Ranjit Singh said his nephew Sukhdev Singh had gone to Delhi with farmers jatha for a ‘battle’ with the Center government. “I told him not to worry about his farms or other household works, we are here to help each other and I am sure there will be no problem even if it will be a long drawn battle with the Center government” he said.
Another trend is being seen now in Punjab’s villages to support the farmers who are at the protest at the national capital New Delhi, for their rights.
Announcements are made by the local Gurdwara in the villages, appealing to extend support to the famers in kind or in cash.
This has been a traditional way used by villages to share any information.
When activists of different farmers’ organizations go to villages, an announcement is made from the local gurdwara’s to extend every possible help in cash or kind so they could generate resources for the farmers sitting on ‘dharna’ on Delhi borders.
Transparency in accounts are maintained at all cost and committees are formed to count every single penny and other donations received from people.
The vice president of Kisan Mazdur Sangarash Committee Ranjit Singh said that their focus was on the farmer’s struggle and to generate resources for them so they were not short of anything. Stating that people from all walks of life have openly come out to help the farmers, he said, “The crisis has brought them all together and inspired to extend a helping hand to each other.”
At Majwind in Majitha assembly constituency, Joginder Singh, a union leader said that they go from one door to another, be it poor or rich, and never returns empty-handed. “Every one willingly extends help as par their status,” he said.
Balwinder Kaur said she was doing her bit to help the farmers and would continue to do so. Echoing teh sentiment Balbir Kaur, whose two sons are in the Indian Army and are serving the nation at different borders said, “We will do whatever is possible for our farmers sitting on Delhi’s borders.”
Former sarpanch of Majhwind Sukhdeep Singh Sidhu is of the view that the farmer’s struggle stemmed from the soil of Punjab. “Like every village, in my village also the meetings are being held in the gurdwara , announcements are made from gurdwara’s public address system to help each other,” he said.
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