The unseasonal rain over the past couple of days failed to dampen the spirits of protesting farmers despite the material damage it caused and the weather severity it induced. Farmers said that the water ruined the firewood and blankets that were their only guard against the cold and even spoilt food kept with them.
Fumigation drive
Volunteers from Mohali district of Punjab held fumigation drive at Singhu border to protect protesters from water-borne diseases.
“The rain has caused a lot of damage at the protest site. They have no place to sleep as their tents are waterlogged and they have nothing to wrap themselves in this biting cold as their blankets are wet. They are specially focusing on health and other logistics for aged protesters who are more prone to fall sick,” said Kuldeep Singh, a protester.
Another protester said that he waters his crops at his farms in Punjab when the temperature is around one degree Celsius. He said the cold in Delhi is nothing compared to the harsh weather in which farmers work and survive across the country and that one should come and see how farmers are braving the cold.
“The weather will not dampen the spirit of farmers who have been protesting for over a month now. We will bear it. The government is not taking us seriously, but we will not leave the site until our demands are met,” said Harvinder Singh, a protester.
Protesters claimed they also tried contacting the local municipal body for clearing the drains as the entire area was waterlogged, but they did not receive any response.
Unflinching spirit
“The protest will continue and we will not back off. People from Delhi and other States have come to our support. We will die but will not go back until the farm laws are withdrawn. We have made arrangements for tea and wood to keep the protest site warm for everyone,” said Amandeep Singh, a protester.
Maninder Singh, an associate professor at a university in Punjab, said, “In view of the ongoing pandemic situation and due to the rain, we have decided to spray pesticides to maintain hygiene.”
