Sportsmen from Punjab and Haryana — both current and retired — take turns washing an estimated 2,000 pairs of clothes 12 hours every day at a humble laundry set up by them near the exit of a vacant, slightly decrepit shopping mall on the fringes of the farmers’ agitation at the Singhu border.
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Consisting of just two washing machines and aided by over half-a-dozen plastic water tubs that are used for soaking garments before and after being machine-washed, the collective also provides everything from hair oil and toothpaste to undergarments and shawls to the protesting farmers from their open camp at the Kessel Grand Mall, technically located at the beginning of Kundli in Sonepat, Haryana.
“How do you like our set-up,” asked Nishant Singh, a young kabaddi player in charge of receiving garments for a wash and handing them over in the same plastic bag bearing their owners’ name and numbers. “We also have mosquito repellent coils, creams and hair oil,” he said. “Shawls, socks, blankets, mattresses, biscuits and, of course, bottles of mineral water — we try to provide every seva (service) to make the farmers’ stay as convenient as possible, especially that of the senior ones,” said Telu Bhatti, a former kabaddi player.
According to Prabhjot Singh Jhaj, a kabaddi coach from Phagwara, the collective has been offering its services for the last five days.
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Individuals from among the scores of farmers, demanding that the farm laws be repealed, and occupying over an estimated 3 km of National Highway 1 between Sonepat and Delhi’s Singhu Border, he said, walk over to the camp, write their name and number on packets of clothes, which are washed and kept waiting for them the next day. “Ours is the only laundry here so far. A few days ago, sportsmen from the rural part of our State [Punjab] and Haryana — hockey, kabaddi and the like — spoke and decided to do something to help the farmers, who set camp here over 12 days ago and we have been here since,” Mr. Jhaj said.
“Both machines work non-stop for 12 hours each and so do we. Our service will continue till the agitation continues,” he also said as he squeezed excess water from a shirt in a water tub.
Gurdeep Singh Deepa, also from Phagwara, said players from different sports took turns to offer their services at the camp. “We have sportsmen — both current players and formers ones from each State — taking turns to do seva here. We took different career decisions but what binds us with together with the agitating farmers here is that our fathers were farmers just like them,” Mr. Deepa said. says, “These laws will destroy the average farmer in ways that are irreversible. We can’t watch that happen. We have represented our State and sometimes even the country in the name of pride and honour. This time we are here for the farmers’ honour, even if we just clean their dirty clothes.”
