Father at Singhu, son prepares for Olympics in Ludhiana

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 22

On the one hand, Arpinder Singh, Asian gold medallist in triple jump, has been preparing to get an Olympic medal for the country, but on the other hand, his father has been protesting at the Singhu border for over a month now.

Arpinder says he is a proud son of a farmer and is moved by his father’s grit and determination to have participated in the protest given his health problems.

Arpinder Singh, who is presently training in Ludhiana, said, “I also wanted to protest along with my father but I am preparing for a medal in the Olympics. I am proud of him because he is fighting in extreme weather conditions.”

Arpinder, who hails from Harsha Chinna village in Amritsar, said it was tough for his family because his father was the one who was managing everything at home. However, the family, including him, never complained about the sacrifice his father was making for the genuine cause.

Singh said, “Mann hai sanu bapu te (We are proud of our father). However, the government should consider the demands of farmers immediately. We all are worried about their health.”

Meanwhile, Jagbir Singh, father of Arpinder Singh, who had come to Singhu last month, said being a small farmer, it was his duty to fight against the three farm laws to save the agriculture sector. Jagbir Singh said, “The farmers’ protest is now gone beyond any individual or union. If we don’t fight against these today, tomorrow will not be safe.”

Talking about difficulties during the protest, Jagbir Singh said, “When it rained for two days continuously in the first week of January, it was very tough. All the food and clothes were drenched.”