GHAZIABAD: The farmers’ agitation at UP Gate has been on since nearly two weeks now, and it’s the langars that have sustained it.
On an average, about a dozen langars, or community kitchens, have been feeding 5,000 to 7,000 people daily. From rice, chapatis to curry and mouth-watering vegetables, everyone at the spot – the protesters, visitors, policemen, journalists and street children – are usually invited to partake in the free meals, served on the roads that were once a busy expressway.
Sikhs affiliated to several gurdwaras have taken the lead. “It is the sewa bhav (spirit of service) with which we feed people, irrespective of whether they are protesters or cops,” says Bhupinder Singh Bhullar, executive member, Sikh Gurdwara Committee.
When asked how they have been managing it for such a long time, Bhullar says, “Everyone chips in. The bulk of food is prepared at the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara and is ferried to the protest site. We have also set up mini kitchens where we prepare all meals, from breakfast to dinner.”
While there are pakoras and tea in the morning for breakfast, farmers from nearby districts can also be seen distributing fruits like bananas and laddoos.
“We start preparing for lunch early, which usually includes rice and chapatis, along with vegetables. Sometimes we offer curry-rice or pooris. We also ensure that the menu is repeated. Our volunteers — one shift usually comprises 50 — look after the cleaning and chopping while another group prepares it,” Ganendra Singh, a volunteer, tells TOI.
Singh adds that there was no dearth of commodities or of intent when it comes to feeding people “who have come a long way and have made the flyover their home for more than 12 days”.
On Friday, while the food was being prepared, some children started performing acrobatics. They were not allowed to leave the place disappointed.
“I have come to perform after someone told me that food is being provided for free at the protest site. We entertain the farmers and they are kind and provide us with food,” says Isha, an eight-year-old girl.
Farmers say the one question that irks them is how their meals are being funded, and by whom.
“As we said at the very onset, this is langar. It’s organised on a daily basis in various gurdwaras and it’s free. We provide food to anyone who needs it. This is considered pious and people should stop asking us these questions,” says a visibly annoyed Bhullar. “No one asked us these questions when we organised langars during the lockdown. There is no political motive behind it,” he adds.