On home stretch, cheers, garlands greet farmers

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Rajpura, December 11

It is 11 am on Saturday. Jagdish Singh Garcha has driven back to Punjab, but instead of a smooth passage, he is stopped by hundreds of farmers at Shambhu, the gateway to Punjab on the Delhi-Amritsar national highway. “We will not allow anyone enter Punjab without garlands, flower petals and loads of selfies. You are true warriors,” the crowd cheered as he got off his tractor on a bed of flowers.

Minutes later, Garcha, along with his fellow villagers, is greeted warmly, and served hot tea, samosas and jalebis with religious hymns playing in the background. An emotional Garcha says the victory is a tribute to all farmers who lost their lives over the past one year of struggle.

As hundreds of tractor-trailers entered Punjab, farmers on the Haryana-Punjab border erected gates and decorated these with flowers and flags, ready to welcome the hundreds who braved the cold, hot and rainy weather to raise their voice in support of farmers. As tractors continued to enter Punjab, huge traffic jams were witnessed on both sides of the highway all throughout the day.

“In our village, everyone talked about the protests. It was a do-or-die situation. Now it is time to celebrate,” said 30-year-old farmer Rajinder Singh.

With traffic snarl-ups stretching to several kilometres on both sides of the national highway, the commuters felt harassed as there was little the police could do to divert traffic. “We will finally be in our farms and in the comfort of our homes. It has been a long struggle,” said farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal.

Meanwhile, a thanksgiving recitation of Guru Granth Sahib was started at the Golden Temple by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. The bhog of

the path will be held on December 13, the day farmers are scheduled to return to Amritsar.

Plane showers petals over returnees

A plane showered flower petals on the farmers returning home. The plane made a few rounds overhead near Shambhu and showered rose petals. “We are overwhelmed by this welcome. Finally, after over a year of struggle, the win feels good,” said a farmer.

11 kin get job letters

Chandigarh: The Chief Minister accompanied by Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Randeep Singh Nabha handed over appointment letters to 11 family members of the farmers who lost their lives in the movement against the three ‘black’ laws. TNS

(With inputs from Amritsar)