Farmers dismantle structures built over the months at the Singhu border protest site on Friday. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha) At the Tikri protest site, farmers spent most of Friday morning dismantling their makeshift tents, packing their belongings, and taking stock of items that had to be donated to the poor. Some farmers from Punjab’s Mansa district also decided to take memorabilia from their year-long protest that ended on Thursday — soil packed into tiny plastic jars and protest pamphlets safely tucked away into bags.
To the surprise of many local shop owners in the area, farmers also handed out ‘thank you’ notes and apologised for the disruption caused due to their protest. “Sache dil se sorry bola. Andolan mein unhone bhi saath diya. Hum yaad rakhenge (We apologised from our heart. This was a movement and they supported us. We will remember),” said Gurmeet Singh (32), a paddy farmer from Punjab’s Bathinda district.
The sight played out across Tikri as farmers thanked local store owners for letting them use their toilets, kitchens and lending them lights and essential material when they first arrived at the protest site.
Most farmers who were from far-away districts of Punjab and Haryana had left the protest site — some in a tractor waved at onlooking policemen as they left. Only a handful of farmers from Haryana who hail from nearby areas remained, waiting for the December 11 deadline to vacate the premises.
Some, like 14-year-old Balraj Singh (14), arrived on Friday morning to help their families pack their belongings. “My father has been sick, so I came from Punjab with my relatives. I have come to the protest site multiple times, and it feels good to taste victory,” Singh beamed.
Farmers said bigger structures like the main stage area will take one-two days to be dismantled completely. Those organising the langars will be the last to leave. (Photo: Abhinav Saha) Nearby, the humdrum of machines chipping away at the tents’ foundations was drowned out by Punjabi music, while 10 men huddled into the back of a tractor-trailer fitted with a plush bed, floral pattern wallpapers, and a small air-conditioning unit.
Attar Singh (42), a rice farmer from Punjab, said, “The trailer was custom-made by us. We will not change a single thing. It will be given to a local mela for children when we get home. But at a word’s notice, it can be used for a protest if at all our services are needed again.”
Others went around to bid farewell before they headed home. “I heard those returning home are showered with petals and served fruits and kheer. I am looking forward to that,” said Kamal Brar (32), who sat on a cot soaking up the afternoon sun while sipping tea. He had spent over five hours dismantling two tents. After packing most of his belongings onto his tractor, he exchanged hugs with several farmers as he headed home to Haryana’s Fatehabad district.
Surender Dalal, (48), a paddy farmer from Haryana’s Chiri village, too felicitated farmers who protested along with him and said he plans on recreating the tent they made near his home as a reminder of the one year spent in Delhi. “Our elders tell us that our Maharaja Surajmal took a door from Lal Qila ages ago in a fight. We will recreate this tent which was destroyed three times this year. We will teach our children the sacrifices we made. This tent will serve as a powerful testimony of what we achieved in Delhi,” he said.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
