Even after months of protest when the farmers’ demands went unheard, the Sikh community in Delhi decided to benevolently open the doors of their Gurudwara to them. In an affectionate gesture, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has opened their kitchen to the farmers who have been in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for over three months demanding loan waiver and drought-relief package.
“These protesters at Jantar Mantar come from far places. Neither do they know the language nor where to go to eat. So we deliver langar food twice a day to them,” Manjit Singh, President of DSGMC, reported NDTV. The Bangla Sahib Gurdwara serves langar lunch which has chapatis, dal, sabzi and kheer to around 10,000 visitors every day at regular intervals. “We initially took the same food for the farmers but soon realised they prefer rice over chapatis. So now we send some rice too,” he added.
The workers of the ‘langar’ committee, have taken it upon themselves to ensure that the protestors don’t sleep hungry. The farmers have been living at Jantar Mantar in a makeshift tent for over 100 days hoping for a drought relief from the government. With 60 per cent deficit in rainfall, Tamil Nadu witnessed its worst drought in 140 years. The farmers demanded a Rs. 40,000-crore drought relief package, farm loan waiver and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board by the centre, crop insurance for individual farmers and remunerative prices for their produce.
“Our families are hungry back home and we are fighting for our survival here. You, volunteers, are godsent,” R Perumal, one of the leaders of the Tamil Farmers Association, said with his hands folded with gratitude.
