NEW DELHI: Calling off the year-long protest against the farm laws, farmers at the three border points at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri were in tears on Thursday, December 9, 2021, while packing their luggage and dismantling their tents and trucks turned into makeshift cottages.
The farmers were seen taking out victory marches on their tractors and chanting slogans like, ‘Tractoron naal Delhi fatheh karli.’ They were seen distributing laddoos to the fellow farmers. The farmers had received an official letter on Thursday from the Centre with promises of forming a committee on MSP and withdrawing cases against them with an immediate effect.
One of the leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said: “Today is our 378th day and another three days are there to leave this place. We never expected that we would be able to spend this much time here.”Bhupinder Grewal, carrying a huge packet of sweets, said, “We have struggled, fought and waited for one year to finally have mithai (Sweets). A trolley full of laddoos is standing outside the stage area and soon after the final announcements are made by the leaders, we will be distributing the laddoos.”
Farmer Bapu Nishattar Singh Grewal (80) from Punjab said, “The fight is not over. We are just getting ready to leave the premises and not give up on our fight. We are happy that the government had to finally bend down on its knees. We will wait for the January 15 meeting and if things don’t go our way, then we will prepare for another protest.” Guljinder Kaur (33) from Nawa Shehr, Punjab, who had come to the Singhu border on November 26, 2020, said: “I was working with an NGO which supports poor children but I left my job and came here to serve my people. I am happy I could contribute to this protest.”
Another leader of the farmers union announcing the schedule for December 11 said: “Every farmer is requested to gather with their trolleys and tractors peacefully at 9 am to start leaving the premises. Following this, we shall all reach Amritsar to pay our tributes at the Golden Temple.”He added, “On December 15, we will have a victory march in Punjab. We will allow all the fuel stations and toll plazas to reopen which have been closed all this while.”
Jashan (28) was seen singing his self-composed victory song: “Jhandeya te jhool di kisaani aaundi hai, Babeya de nachde jawani aaundi hai…Itt teri rakhdi hilake dilliye…” He meant to convey that the flags of farmers’ protests are swinging in happiness and elderly farmers are dancing like youngsters. In the last line, he said, “We have shaken the roots of Delhi.”
CM Kejriwal congratulates India
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, said, “It is a historic achievement of the farmers’ protest. Our farmers will be returning to their homes, villages and farms after one year. The farmers have taught the whole country that the fight for justice which was started with the truth and honesty reaches its destination. Congratulations to the whole country on the victory of democracy.”