We are used to harsh weather: Farmers unfazed | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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We are used to harsh weather: Farmers unfazed

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
Jan 04, 2021 01:31 AM IST

Harmeet Singh Kadian, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kadian), said the farmers’ union arranged more waterproof tents on Sunday. “We are also trying to arrange more blankets and mattresses for the protesters particularly for the elderly,” he said.

Muddy roads, waterlogged tents, wet mattress and blankets ---farmers protesting at Delhi borders braced it all amid heavy rainfall and the cold on Sunday. Despite continuous spells of showers, the spirit of the ongoing protest at different sites did not get dampened with many farmers saying that “rain is a sign of prosperity” for them.

Farmers walk on a waterlogged road during their ongoing protest after heavy rainfall at Singhu Border, in New Delhi.(PTI)
Farmers walk on a waterlogged road during their ongoing protest after heavy rainfall at Singhu Border, in New Delhi.(PTI)

Sitting outside her waterlogged tent at the Singhu border, Kawalpreet Kaur, 75, a farmer from Gurdaspur district in Punjab, said she woke up to thunder and lightning on Sunday morning. “At around 6 am, water started coming into our tent and within minutes all the mattresses were soaked. The water did not come from the top since we have a waterproof tent. It entered after tent after the road got waterlogged. I was shifted to a trolley by a group of youngsters… The rain has caused some inconvenience but we are farmers and we are used to living in harsh weather conditions.”

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Water also entered into the trolleys of many protesters where protesters had kept their clothes and mattresses. Tonnes of wood, which is being used for cooking and bonfire at the protest sites also got soaked due to rain. “Around eight quintals(800 kg) of our firewood got wet. It will take days to dry it and make it usable. We are using LPG cylinders for cooking today. Some of the farmers who don’t have LPG are sharing the cooking space with us. We are all brothers here and will help each other in every possible way,” said Gurjeet Singh, 58, a farmer from Bhatinda.

Harmeet Singh Kadian, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kadian), said the farmers’ union arranged more waterproof tents on Sunday. “We are also trying to arrange more blankets and mattresses for the protesters particularly for the elderly,” he said.

Read more| Free bus service for farmers who want to join protests at Ghazipur-UP border

Despite the chaos caused by the rains, the protesting sites remained lively throughout the day on Sunday with farmers seen gathering around the stage, shouting slogans against the three new farm laws and singing songs of resistance. The agitation at Delhi’s four key borders – Singhu, Tikri, UP Gate, and Chilla – entered its 39th day on Sunday.

Harpreet Kaur, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) women’s wing, who is protesting at the Tikri border, said rains and harsh weather could not affect their determination. “Maybe many of us will catch cold and infections and fall sick. Some people might succumb to the chilly weather. But if these three farm laws are implemented by the government, we all will die eventually,” she said.

At the Ghazipur border, protesters, especially women, said they fear that their kids might fall sick. “All our mattresses and blankets are wet. We do not know how we will sleep or make our kids sleep. But, we know that we are not stepping back. We are ready to brace for even harsher weather conditions. After all, we are farmers and rain is a sign of prosperity for us,” said Ranveer Kaur, a farmer from Uttarakhand.

KABADDI AT SINGHU

Earlier in the day, as many as eight kabaddi teams from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab arrived at the Singhu border and played a match to uplift the spirits of the protesters. The players placed mats and also tied ropes to make a makeshift kabaddi ring.

Amarjeet Sindhu, an organiser, said, “Our farmer brethren have been sitting here for over a month now. We decided to organise a tournament here for their entertainment. We also wanted these young players to have a first-hand experience of this ongoing historic protest.”

Meanwhile, later in the evening, farmer union leaders held a press conference at the Singhu border and announced to celebrate Lohri at the protest site by burning the copies of three new farm laws. “We will celebrate Lohri here on January 13th and burn the copies of the three black laws,” said farmer leader Manjeet Singh Rai.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Fareeha Iftikhar is a Special Correspondent with the national political bureau of the Hindustan Times. She tracks the education ministry, and covers the beat at the national level for the newspaper. She also writes on issues related to gender, human rights and different policy matters.

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