Mutter Paneer, street play and appeal to boycott Godi media mark farmers’ protest at Singhu border

Delhi's Singhu border is a large pind (Punjabi word for village) in the making.

The only difference is that this village in making is situated along NH -44 leading to Delhi.

A sort of long cylindrical habitation with thousands of tractors and trolleys as hutments is emerging out of interstices at GT Karnal road on Delhi- Haryana border.

You are welcome to one of the largest peasants’ movements in recent times – to a rebellion against three farm laws enacted by the Modi government.

It is evening and the sun is getting milder. A perfect circular moon of Guru Poornima is waiting in the sky. As the sun sets in, the moon rises.

Loads of trucks are lined up from Delhi’s Gurdwaras for Guru Purab Langar at the abandoned toll plaza of old NH-2.

Policemen, who are otherwise seen as a sign of the state’s brutality are busy assisting protesters in carrying food items to this village in the making.

Ajay Yadav, a senior journalist with Gujarat Sandesh group is a familiar face among farmers.

He is warmly welcomed by farmers as they feel he is not from the Godi Media, a term that has become popular during the last couple of years for pro-establishment media groups.

Ajay tells us how police were firing tear shells and trying to disperse farmers’ march on the fateful evening of November 26 and how the same police force is now lending support to farmers.

“More than a hundred tear shells were fired, but these people are fearless Punjabis- not going to relent any soon,” he said.

Yes, they (Punjabis) are fearless but innocent too. Sardar Harnam Singh, an octogenarian from Fatehgarh district sitting with a couple of elderly farmers inside a tractor, says, “We do not even know where Jantar Mantar or Ramlila ground is. Even we are not aware where Delhi starts. But we know for sure that this government is against the farmers and poor.”

Vicky, a Punjab University student and an activist from All India Students Federation (AISF) redefined “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” when we approached him.

By “Jawan” he means unemployed youth. He says, “Farmers movement is very much connected with the movement of unemployed youth. Media manipulate facts. We have been continuously demanding a National Employment Guarantee Act for the unemployed youth and we had submitted its draft proposal through a Kerala MP to parliament.”

“Is this something on the lines of MNREGA?”

“Not exactly” explains Vicky, “We have named it Bhagat Singh National Employment Guarantee Act. We have made four categories and are demanding a fixed amount of money for each category based on the skill level."

A few yards away, Raman, a student associated with the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) is doing rehearsal for the play. The open space between two tractors will be used as the stage for the play.

Apart from farmers from Punjab and Haryana, youths have joined the protest en mass.

Some others are busy coloring posters. The background bears a large horizontal banner in Punjabi which features employment slogans.

On the top left corner is a small poster that says, “Savdhaan Godi Media (Beware of lapdog media)”!

As we moved in, we saw smoke rising from dozens of open kitchens. An elderly farmer is making cheese from milk in a large vessel.

A youth who was serving kheer to visitors told, “We get 2 to 3 quintals milk every day from villages. Today matar paneer will be served to protesters.”

A youth suddenly emerged from the crowd, holding a placard that said, “Boycott Zee News, Aaj Tak and Republic TV”.

He is a transporter from Gurdaspur, Pathankot district and is very annoyed at misinformation peddled by the media outlets. “The media people misinterpret our Punjabi and translate it into whatever they like. We must boycott these people.”

From the very first day, this media had started playing the Khalistani narrative.

This became the point of confrontation and farmers stopped giving sound bites to select media outlets.

On the fifth day, this boycott had become official. Even elderly farmers leaders are aware of this misinformation campaign, so they have urged in their Press Conference that any statement other than 32 farmers organisation should be taken as an individual opinion, not official.

It is already 7 pm in the evening. Lights are on now. Farmers have started lighting candles to commemorate Guru Purab. They have put candles on police barricades too. It was a wonderful sight to behold.

Almost all major Gurdwaras were serving langar, with typical Punjabi preparation of mix veg and Dal Makhni. Those not interested in a full diet had options of tea and bread pakoda. Roadside non-veg Punjabi dhabas were now opening. People had thronged to street theatre for a cultural evening. Loudspeakers were blaring.

Farmers are here to stay. They have everything at their disposal for leading a regular life on roads. As far as the threat of COVID-19 is concerned, they say the virus is part of their daily life as they sit, cook and eat on roads under the open sky.

As Ajay Yadav puts it, “Punjabi farmers have beaten COVID. Now they are up against this anti-farmer regime.”