On the 380th day of their protest, farmers camping on Delhi’s borders left for their homes with much fanfare — just the way they had reached here on November 26 last year. The stage at Singhu border, which had become a platform for farmer leaders and speakers to make their voices heard, was dismantled on Saturday morning.
The Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway was abuzz with activity since early Saturday with trucks, trolleys and cars lined up for the journey, most of them decorated with flowers and balloons. A fully decorated yellow bus left for Mohali with protesters who had come to Singhu in the first week of December last year.
“We woke up at 3 a.m. for these decorations. It’s been an amazing journey here and to witness history has been overwhelming,” said Manjeet Singh, a 38-year-old farmer.
The farmers sang and danced to drums and ensured that everyone crossing the street danced with them. “We have won and now we are going. This happiness must be shared,” said 22-year-old Balwinder Saini.
A few metres away from the protest site from KMP Expressway, Sardar Budh Singh, 68, from Ludhiana was busy pulling out iron rods which the farmers had installed on the road to erect their tents.
“If bikers hit these iron rods, they would get hurt very badly. At night, they might not even see them. We are removing them so that no inconvenience is caused to the people,” Mr. Budh said, adding that after digging up the rods, they will quickly fill up the craters. “ Jaise aaye they, vaise hi jayenge (We will leave the place the way we were welcomed).”
Many of the protesters cleaned up the sites before leaving. “There was a lot of waste here, especially disposables, which had to be removed. We cleaned up the place because we didn’t want the blame that we left a mess behind,” said Malkit Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib.
At the Singhu border, several items were stacked for donation — cots, mattresses, string beds, tarpaulins, raw food and wood, among others. “We helped the needy throughout the year. Why not now when we are leaving,” said Mandeep Singh, 21, from Patiala. He gave away bedsheets, rations, containers and mattresses.
Lakhvir Singh, 30, from Ludhiana — who took 10 days to customise his trolley with an air conditioner, LED TV, bed and other equipment — got emotional while dismantling the attachments. He said they would reinstall the truck in their village as a remembrance of their struggle. “We spent a year here struggling and fighting for our rights. This truck will remain as it is,” he said.
The Jangi Kitab Ghar, a library which was set up by Jasveer Singh and Zia-Ur-Rahman, will leave the site at the end, the duo said. “I had given my word that I’ll be here in solidarity with them till the end,” said Mr. Rahman, a resident of Hyderabad, adding that there are plans to set up the library in Punjab.
Nachhatar Singh, 87, one of the two famous senior protesters at Singhu border, stayed put at the site on Saturday as he has decided to leave in the end. He said he has decided to walk back “even if it takes 10 days”. Mr. Singh, who is a part of ‘Mitti Aid’, an NGO engaged in helping protesters with joints and leg pain, said they will continue to help people on their way back home.
While the majority was getting ready to leave the protest site at Singhu, 20-odd protesters sat there, wearing chains and continuing their agitation. “We’ll stay here as long as we can because we are demanding an assurance on Minimum Support Price, which the government hasn’t given. Those who have left are traitors. We will not be fooled by the Government,” said Subhash Sandhu, a resident of Hisar.
