As farmers return to Punjab to sow paddy, elderly, women keep numbers up at Tikri

Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Jhajjar, June 14 

Farm organisations from Punjab have decided to raise the number of elderly people, including women, at the Tikri border to maintain adequate strength of protesters. 

The decision had to be taken following the dwindling number of protesters at the border in the past two weeks as many farmers have started returning to Punjab for sowing paddy. 

The season of paddy cultivation is on these days. Some farm leaders are also busy with work at their native places in Punjab, said sources.

Sources maintained the protesters had been asked to ensure the presence of at least one or two persons in their place at the border to keep the momentum going. Consequently, women and elderly persons in large numbers have started coming to Tikri.

“As the protest is likely to continue for a long time, a system has been devised so that farmers can cultivate paddy at their native place and the protest too can continue simultaneously with the same strength and spirit. So, we have decided to raise the number of elderly people, including women, at Tikri. Those who are not engaged in paddy sowing work are also being sent to Delhi borders from Punjab,” said Pragat Singh, a senior leader of BKU (Rajewal).

Pragat Singh is also busy sowing paddy these days at his native Talwandi Nepalan village in Ferozepur district (Punjab). “Since agriculture is the only source of earning for farmers, farming activity is also necessary to arrange two square meals for the family. The majority of farmers will start going back to Tikri by June 30 to strengthen the agitation. The number of protesters will peak again in July,” he claimed.

Denying that the number of protesters is dwindling, Singh said coolers and fans had been installed in all the huts at Tikri. Hence, the majority of farmers avoid roaming outside and take rest in their huts given the scorching heat these days.