Vendors cash in on farmers’ protest

Gaurav Kanthwal
Tribune News Service
Mohali, January 22

Airport Road in Mohali these days is dotted with yellow and green flags sold by roadside vendors. For mere Rs80, one can proudly express his or her support for the farmers agitating on the Delhi border.

And there are a sizable number of supporters, at least going by the number of flags on SUVs, cars and two-wheelers plying in the tricity.

The road stretch from the Sohana gurdwara to the Airport light point in Zirakpur is dotted with countless roadside flag sellers. A majority of flag sellers said they were selling 25-30 flags each per day for a price ranging from Rs80 to Rs120 per piece. The sale goes up considerably on weekends or holidays whenever there is any related event lined up in the vicinity.

Daily wage earners, their wives and idlers form the bulk of these sellers who pocket Rs500-600 by evening without breaking a sweat. All they have to do is patiently wait for customers on the roadside.

Delhi-bound farmers on their tractor-trailers also take this road for their journey to the protest site. Jasvir Singh of Thaska village in Mohali could not resist the temptation to deck up his tractor.

Residents of Hanumangarh Balmukund, 24, and Sushant, 22, too, stopped over to give a dash of yellow to their swanky SUV. A fluttering flag in front of the windshield can be a big distraction and may hinder the view, but he doesn’t mind it as, “Farmers’ cause is bigger than anything else. I am the son of a farmer. If I will not support him, who else will?”

The canvas for making these flags is brought from Patiala, Amritsar and Ludhiana. Local printers, too, are cashing in on the opportunity by offering on-the-spot delivery of the material.

Bumper stickers, badges and banners are also available with the roadside sellers, but the flag still remains the ultimate symbol of farmers’ protest.