Tikri rejoices amid chants of ‘kisan ekta’

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, November 19

Celebrations broke out at Tikri border as soon as the news about the Prime Minister’s announcement on repealing the three contentious farm laws reached the protesting farmers on Friday morning. A festive atmosphere reigned over the border as farmers distributed sweets and danced to drum beats to express their joy.

The much-awaited moment came when the farmers were getting ready to recite the Gurbani to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. The announcement brought a smile to the faces of farmers, as they raised

slogans of ‘kisan ekta zindabad’ while moving towards the main protest site for the celebrations.

On a regular day, their dharna would commence after 11 am, but today a considerable number of enthusiastic farmers reached the site at 10 am, warmly greeting and hugging each other. Farmers’ supporters from nearby villages too reached the border with laddoos, adding colour and zest to the merriment all around. “I was busy preparing the langar when my friend Hardev from my village called up and gave me this good news. I couldn’t believe it… had to switch on the television to confirm it. It’s just half-victory though, we will not go back home till the President gives his assent to the repeal after it is passed by Parliament,” said Lakhwinder Singh of Peer Mohammad village in Ferozepur.

Septuagenarian Jagmel Singh said the farmers today had the same enthusiasm that they showed on the first day of their coming to the Delhi border from Punjab nearly a year ago.

“One feels like one has won a battle. We have been fighting against a government which was not ready to feel our pain. Finally, our unity bore fruit and we succeeded,” he added.

Jaswinder from Sangrur said they were confident that the three farm laws would be repealed one day but they had no idea that the PM would announce it today.