India General Elections 2024: A day in the life of a popular protest

(Left) Tea being served to people at the protest site

Thousands of farmers protesting at the borders of Punjab and Haryana are enduring the soaring heat with remarkable resilience and community support. They have established a makeshift village of trolleys and huts, creating a self-sustaining environment. mid-day visited the Shambhu border on the Haryana side and found some key aspects of their survival. These include langar (community kitchens), seva (service) and the unity among the villagers and protesters.

Langar (community kitchen)
Langar plays a crucial role in providing daily meals to the farmers. This free community kitchen is supported by donations and efforts from nearby villages. The food prepared in these community kitchens is also called langar.

Langar being served to people at the protest site

Local support
Villages from the districts regularly supply food and sweets to the protesters. This network ensures a continuous supply of essentials.

Milk, water and ice
Around 300 villagers in the vicinity take on the task or providing milk, water, and ice, which are essential for preparing tea and juices, helping the farmers stay hydrated and refreshed.

Cooling arrangements
To combat the extreme heat, farmers have installed air conditioning units in some of their trolleys. This innovative solution helps them rest and recover from the intense weather.

Around 100-200 litres of milk is supplied to the protest site daily from nearby villages

Music and other activities

Music and other community activities, from celebrating Eid to days of the Gurus and birthdays of farmers, everything is done that is vital for maintaining morale and a sense of solidarity among the protesters. Through these combined efforts and the spirit of cooperation, the farmers are able to sustain their protest despite the challenging conditions.

Speaking on the unity among the farmers and how the agitation has been kept alive for more than three months, Tejveer Singh, spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said, "It is almost 107 days since the protests began along the border. The unity among the farmers is what has helped them survive. Punjab has a history of villages or gurudwaras sending langar to those in need and helping out during disasters and flooding. In the case of the farmers, they are fighting for their rights, so donating or sending anything is seen as a ‘seva' (service to humanity)." According to Singh, a 5 km stretch of road has 300 trollies and 150 huts with more than 4,000-5-000 farmers on normal days. "Many more join in on protest days."

Ice is used to chill water and juice

He added that perishable essentials like milk are provided by the nearby district as they have less shelf life. "We have 300 villages across the nearby district. We ask 10 villages per day to arrange for 100-200 or more litres of milk per day. If every person gives just one or two litres, 100-200 litres can easily be made available. This means that each village would have to provide milk only once a month… and it's not a big deal for them as it is seen as seva. Meanwhile, food grains are being donated from several districts, as per requirement and availability. For example, now that wheat farming has been concluded, people from various districts have sent wheat in large quantity."

Singh further stated that music and other observances are an essential part of the protest as the demonstrators have to face many challenges. He said there are days when they celebrate while on others they are emotional because of the death of a farmer. "We celebrated Eid, the different days of the Gurus, freedom fighters and activists, to keep the movement going. It's teamwork that has provided support and kept the protest for our rights alive," Singh said, adding that they have also formed a team to coordinate with the 10 villages where help would come from each day. "Every person has a different task and they do the needful."

Ashok Balhara, president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, said, "Langar is the foundation of the protest. It's Punjab's culture that represents and shows the collective efforts that have kept the protest going. We are receiving support from villages in Punjab and Haryana, be it food grains and commodities or monetary help. A team spirit on the ground and the devotion among villagers towards the cause have kept the movement alive. The same help and efforts kept the protests going in 1907, which went on for six months."

According to Balhara, as it is cultivation season, many demonstrators leave the protest ground for farming. But they visit the site and mark their attendance accordingly. "Everyone has an important role to play in the protest for the farmers' rights," he added.

Mahesh Choudhary, media coordinator, Kisan Majdoor Morcha, said, "The mechanism set to manage things overall is working. There are different unions that look into fixing dates for each village to donate milk. No one is forced and we actually see people waiting for their turn to come. People also come for seva. Music is a morale booster and many use the freedom fighters and motivational songs to overcome the emotional struggles they face as they protest for days along the border. Each day is different, bringing in both good and bad experiences and these stories are shared among all. These also include raids on places belonging to the leaders. But it is ensured that these raids don't hamper the protest and the morale of farmers."

107
Approx no of days farmers have been protesting