Updated: December 24, 2020 9:56:58 am
At the Singhu border on Wednesday.
A month ago, when Jagjit Singh (40) hastily left his village in Bathinda in Punjab for Delhi, he only packed a pair of socks, which are now torn and dusty. “They take a long time to dry after I wash them because some days there is no sun. The nights are the hardest, it’s too cold, ”said Jagjit.
On Wednesday morning, when he learned that Khalsa Aid India, an NGO, had opened “Kisan Mall” on the Tikri border, where he has been camping since November 25, he immediately asked if they had any socks. “I was so relieved when they gave me a pair. Apart from this, I took Vaseline, vests, underwear and a scarf, ”he said.
It was the first day of the Kisan Mall on the Tikri border, and at least 350 people collected everyday items that they had not been able to access in recent weeks, said Amarpreet Singh (32), Director (Asia-Pacific), Khalsa Aid India.
The ‘mall’ is open from 9am to 6pm. M. At 5 p. M. And the shelves are stocked with toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, oil, shampoo, petroleum jelly, combs, mufflers, heating pads, knee pads, thermal suits, loi (shawls) and blankets. , among other things. While it is a mall, all the items on the shelves are free.
“We have been at the Singhu and Tikri borders for a month and we understand what people need. We have a warehouse each on the two borders, where we store all these items that have been donated to us. This is a worthy distribution of donations, ”said Amarpreet.
On Wednesday morning, Khalsa Aid India volunteers surrounded the tractors parked at the Tikri border with tokens and a form that lists all the items they have at the Kisan Mall.
Gurwinder Singh (57), from a town near Ludhiana, said he returned to the tractor with a bar of soap, a thermal, a loi, three blankets and a tarp. “There is no market nearby and we don’t know the area either. While there are things that supporters are donating, they were not simplified in this way. The mall is useful, ”Gurwinder said.
Sarabjit Singh (35) from a village in Barnala, picked up a mosquito repellent spray. “It is impossible to eat or sleep some days. This spray is the first thing I picked up, ”Sarbjit said.
Amarpreet said there are 20 volunteers who are getting suggestions from the protesters about what they need. “We get a lot of requests for women’s underwear, so we will stock them immediately,” Amarpreet said.
Amarpreet said there is no plan yet to start a similar shopping center on the Singhu border.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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