Faridkot farmer cycles 400 km to reach Tikri border with poem of 'Pash'

Armed with hope and a revolutionary poem by ted Punjabi poet 'Pash', a farmer cycled nearly 400 km from Fardikot to Tikri border here to join massive protest by peasants against new farm laws.

Wearing a kurta-pyjama with a sleeveless warm jacket and sporting a bright green turban, Pal Sandhu, a resident of Rameana vill in Faridkot district of Punjab, on Monday listened intently to speeches me by farmer leers at protest site near Delhi-Haryana border.

His cycle, a new model decked up with cardboards displaying poem 'Sab Ton Khatarnak' ( most dangerous ) in Punjabi by Avtar Singh Sandhu or 'Pash' as revolutionary was famously kwn, attracted attention of protesters and passers-by, many of whom took pictures with him.

"I felt restless back home," 45-year-old said.

"I could t control myself after kwing about condition of my fellow farmers who are braving chilling winter and so many difficulties for a common goal. My bror h come a few days ago in a tractor-trolley, which is parked at Tikri border protest site. I decided to leave too and rode till here on a bicycle," Sandhu told PTI.

Faridkot farmer said he h started from his home on December 19 at 8 AM and rode till 6:30 PM that day before resting.

" next day, I started early at 6 AM from mid-way, and n reached Tikri Border protest site at around 6:30 PM yesterday. When one is pumped up with a spirit of shared struggle, tiredness doesn't come. We are farmers, hardship is our life," he said.

Asked how he mand to get food for two days to sustain his long journey, Sandhu, who has a wife and son back home, said, "sab Guru ki kripa se ho gaya (it was mand with blessings of Guru)".

"On way, people saw Bharat Kisan Union flag planted on my cycle and y gave me food and hot water. Many more people are travelling every day to join protests at Tikri and Singhu borders. re is a feeling of solidarity among people right w," he said.

Reing aloud revolutionary poem by 'Pash' to those gared around him, he explained why he chose to carry placards with its verses written on m.

"Pash was a visionary and raised his voice against oppression and injustice. Today, if we sit at home and t become part of this movement, n we are 'living de'... as  poet h said, 'murda shanti se bhar jana'. We are all here, because we farmers don't want our dreams to become nightmares".

'Sab Ton Khatarnak', one of most iconic works of contemporary poetry with trenchant words, has become a slogan of resistance at many protests. Poems by 'Pash' are often carried on placards and banners in protest rallies across country.

At Tikri border area, Monday was yet ar day of protest since agitation began on vember 26. Delhi police and paramilitary personnel kept a strict vigil as farmer leers vociferously reiterated ir demand of repealing of all three new farm laws, alleging that y were enacted to benefit big corporate companies.

Amid milling crowd, many youths carried posters bearing ims of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and chanted Sikhism slogan 'Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal' to enthuse protesters in biting Delhi cold.

Mangat Singh, 72, ar farmer from Punjab who has been camping at Delhi border since beginning of agitation, said, "Farmers are t mute crops who can be cut at will. We kw struggles of out forefars and leers in past, and we are rey for long haul".

On Monday, a group of old women from Haryana, wearing saffron cloth over ir dresses and sporting bges bearing im of Bhagat Singh, walked around protest site at Tikri border to show solidarity with farmers.

"y are all wearing 'kesari' (saffron) because y treat ir children as revolutionaries, and mselves as mors of Bhagat Singh. Women joining protest has taken this agitation to ar level," Sandhu said.

Baldev Kaur, Sarabjit Kaur and Sbir Kaur, all in ir 60s, who have come from Sirsa district in Haryana, interacted with or protesters and raised pro-farmer and anti-government slogans.

"We are about 40-50 women who came toger from Sirsa yesterday... 'Hum haq leke jawangi yehan se' (we will go only after claiming our rights), and new farm laws have to go," said Sarabjit Kaur.

Sandhu rued that a section of people are trying to "delegitimise our movement", and branded protesting farmers as "terrorists". He n held hands of a fellow farmer and said, "See se hands, dry and rough, are se hands of a terrorist? se are hands of a hard-working farmer".