Updated: December 6, 2020 8:36:59 am
Diljit Dosanjh at the Singhu border protest on Saturday. (AND ME)
More than 500 people sit cross-legged listening to speeches at full volume through two loudspeakers mounted on the top of a tractor as agricultural leaders address them from the main stage in Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border. , the focal point of your agitation. Their staunch stance against farm laws, and mindful of attempts to paint their turmoil as dictated by vested interests, protesters are careful who gets on stage, the investigation turned over to a management committee, including volunteers. The details of the speakers are carefully kept and sheets are provided to plan a schedule. Those with political ties are expressly excluded.
Celebrities, including singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh, who spoke on Saturday, are allowed on the condition that they speak on agricultural topics. Dosanjh, a major Punjabi movie star who has expressed support for the protests, said: “I am here to listen and not to speak. I ask the national media to show things as they are. Nobody is violent here. The farmers are sitting in peace. And I only have one request for the government: that they listen to the farmers and their demands ”.
Other Punjabi artists have also appeared, including Harbhajan Mann and Ranjit Bawa. Among those excluded from the stage was Punjabi actor Deep Sindhu, who had sparked a fight with comments that were seen as pro-Khalistan.
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Behind the meticulous controls is apprehension among farmers and their leaders of attempts to distract themselves from the main issues and to paint the protests as if they had been “organized” by “certain groups.” “We are doing everything we can to make sure it is only farmers’ problems and we will not let any other problem take over,” said Manjeet Singh of BKU (Doaba). “Our policy is very simple, if someone comes on stage and says something other than farmers’ problems, that person will not be allowed back.”
Makkhan Singh, Coordinator of Krantikari Kisan Union, Patiala, said: “Even if (the Chief Minister of Punjab) Captain Amarinder Singh comes, he will have to wait outside… Since Day 1 we have said that this is not a political protest.
We are here against agricultural laws and we want to ensure that spirit. To do this, dedicated people run the stage as someone can come and give provocative speeches and distract from the topic. The speeches are mostly made by members of farmers’ unions who talk about their struggle and hope to inspire people.
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By rotation, a five-member team manages the stage and stands next to it. A member records the name and organizational details of each speaker in a log. Tokens are sent to speakers according to the sequence of their speeches and each person receives 5 to 10 minutes. The speeches begin around 10 am and can last until 6 pm, depending on the day’s program. At the barricades backstage, two people check their IDs.
The team ensures that the speakers are affiliated with farmers’ organizations and not political parties. While there is a demarcated seating area in front of the stage, hundreds stand on the sidelines to listen.
Speakers mostly come from the 30 farmers’ unions involved in talks with the government. The speeches address issues about farm laws and are intended to motivate people. They also talk about the history of farmers and Sikhs to remind us of our struggles. It is a democratic space, except for those who want to play politics, ”said Ranjeet Singh, a member of the Azad Kisan Singh Committee, who was appointed as stage manager on Thursday.
At night, the Guru Granth Sahib is read from the stage while the crowd hums. “We want the Modi government to listen to us. And we will make sure to do it even while at the border, ”said Makkhan Singh.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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