Sandeep Singh: No One Slept Through The Night As Preparations Underway For The Farmer March Into Delhi
There is clearly excitement in the air as farmers prepare for the long-awaited march into the capital for Republic Day
Sandeep Singh
Jan 25, 2021 | 1.5 min. read
No one slept through the night, as morning arrives in Delhi.
There is clearly excitement in the air as farmers prepare for the long-awaited march into the capital for Republic Day. It was announced earlier from the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh committee stage that the march will begin at 8 am IST. Farmers at the Singhu border have stayed up all night as a result, sitting in their tractor seats, anticipating what will be a historic night.
The iconic trollies, which have defined a large part of the protest to date, are being left behind as requested by union leaders.
I ask some if they fear anything - the reply is consistent, “we are the children of Guru Gobind Singh, we stay in chardi kala because our Guru marches with us.”
The fearlessness that I witnessed on the long march from Punjab continues to be unwavering. Many opponents of the movement have been waiting for farmers to break, but it has not occurred. Instead, morale only grows with each passing cold day.
There is a lot happening at once. This is the busiest I have seen the protest sight since Delhi Chalo broke through barricades and reached the outskirts of the city. Langar has been prepared, packed, and loaded all through the night and early morning.
Victory is won with food, sevadars say smiling.
The government and authorities have been busy as well, installing new barriers along the anticipated route for the farmers’ march.
One man sticks out as I walk through the protest site.
70-year-old Gurbachan Singh, holding a large kirpan, sits in his tractor beaming with a smile and absolutely fearless. His tractor is close to the United Farmers stage, and first in line to cross the barricades.
The youth have also been standing around in small groups all night and early morning speaking about Lakha Sidhana and Deep Sidhu being added to a new 5 person committee to represent them and talk to farmer union leaders. They also feel the moment as well, a chance to speak about a Punjab and future beyond just the protest.
Sidana, to his credit, has emphasized the need to stay peaceful, sharing the same feeling as Gurbachan Singh - Punjabis need to win hearts on Republic Day.
No one knows what exactly will happen next, but the confidence in success is undeniable.
Sandeep Singh hails from Machhiwara, Punjab. As an independent journalist, he has worked with many prominent Indian news organizations. Sandeep has been following the farmer’s protest in Punjab since its onset and traveled with them to Delhi. He spends most of his time at the Singhu border protest site. You can follow Sandeep on Twitter @Punyaab
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