When thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, started on tractors from their villages in November last year to protest against three contentious farm laws, little did they know Delhi’s Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders were going be their home for more than a whole year.
Needless to say, it wasn’t a smooth ride. But the agriculture laws have finally been repealed, as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Gurupurab this November. President Ram Nath Kovind signed off on the Farm Laws Repeal Bill on December 1.
After more than a year of struggle, violence, an unknown number of deaths, a social media storm, police cases, arrests, meetings with the authorities, tractor marches, two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, a brave face against chilly winter mornings, scorching summer afternoons, and heavy rains in makeshift tents, and a few unresolved threads, farmers began bidding an emotional adieu to the Delhi borders on December 11.
They’re returning home with a written assurance from the Centre to fulfill their other demands, including constituting a committee for a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Farmers vacate a protest site after the government agreed to their demands, including an assurance to consider guaranteed prices for all produce, at the Singhu border near New Delhi, India, on December 11, 2021. (Image credit: Reuters)They lifted blockades on highways at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders and took out a 'Victory March' to celebrate the repeal of the three farm laws. Emotions ran high as the farmers set off for their homes in different states, including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, after a successful movement.
Traffic may be slow-moving in Delhi-NCR today but if people managed for over a year, they can certainly make do for one more day. After all, tractors decked up with colourful lights rolling out of protest sites blaring songs of victory, while the elderly flaunt their colourful turbans and dance with youngsters, 'langars' arrangements en route, 'kirtan' and bhangra', all at once, is not a sight you get to see every day.
#WATCH | Protesting farmers sing 'bhajan' at Singhu border before vacating the site to return home, following the announcement of the suspension of their year-long protest. pic.twitter.com/rMjgSEChxW
— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2021
"Probably it is our last breakfast here at the Singhu border in a langar. We will miss this place terribly,” Sangrur’s Sarendra Singh, 24, said as he took a bite of a bread pakora.
Kuljeet Singh Aulakh, a farmer from Moga in Punjab, tells PTI, "Singhu border had become our home for the last one year. This movement united us (farmers) all as we fought together against the black farm laws irrespective of caste, creed and religion. This is a historic moment and the victorious result of the movement is even bigger."
Gurvinder Singh of Ambala never thought it will be this hard to go back home. “We have established a deep connection with the people and the place. This agitation will be in our memories forever,” he said, while fellow farmers dismanted tents and loaded them on to tractor trolleys.
Farmers ride a vehicle as they vacate a protest site after the government agreed to their demands, including assurance to consider guaranteed prices for all produce, at the Singhu border near New Delhi, India, December 11, 2021. (Image creditL Reuters)Unlike the big protest days, like the Republic Day protest march or when the toolkit proceedings were underway, there was a thin police presence at Singhu Border today and the personnel present looked relaxed.
Meanwhile, villagers and others who supported farmers' agitation carryed farmer bodies' flags, showered petals on farmers as they assembled by the side of the highways to welcome them.
While many farmers have started their journey back home, a few of their peers have decided to stay back to continue with seva till every farmer returns home. They could also be seen cleaning the agitation sites where they stayed for over a year.
As Farmers start with their victory March many like 75 yr old Mahendra Singh & 65 yr old Iqbal Singh decide to stay back to continue with seva till every farmer returns home..Farmers are also cleaning the agitation sites where they stayed for over a year.#FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/DyMK0MWMFg
— Akshay Dongare (@AkshayDongare_) December 11, 2021
But is this the end? Will the farmers return? Maybe, maybe not. As the Centre accepted pending demands, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farm unions spearheading the stir, decided to suspend the farmers' movement. Farmer leaders have said that they will meet again on January 15 to see if the government has fulfilled their demands.
With PTI inputs
First Published: Dec 11, 2021 3:55 PM IST
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