Beaten, not broken: Meet Shiv Kumar and Nodeep Kaur, young labour activists inspired by Bhagat Singh
Born to Dalit farm labourers, they grew up to be industrial workers. Even police torture hasn’t dented their resolve to fight for workers’ rights. Mar 15, 2021 · 06:30 am Nodeep Kaur and Shiv Kumar at a tent in Singhu border weeks after their release from jail. | Vijayta Lalwani
In 2016, Shiv Kumar was asked what he wanted to become when he attended a career counselling session at the Industry Training Institute, Haryana, where he was learning how to make and use precision tools.
“I told them I wanted to become a baaghi,” said Kumar. A rebel.
March 2, 2021
The white hatchback slowed down as it approached the toll plaza. At the wheels was a middle-aged Sikh man and in the passenger seat an old woman with flowing grey hair. Seated behind were three more women, one middle-aged and the other two much younger, who looked barely out of their teens.
Toll plazas in Punjab sites of permanent sit-ins by farmers protesting against the new farm laws have been closed for months, free for vehicles to pass through without paying any fee.
Yet, the man stopped and gestured at the protesting farmers camping on one side of the highway, trying to catch their attention. One of them came over to the passenger seat window. The old woman thrust a 500 rupees ($6.84) note in his hands and caressed his head affectionately. Barely any words were exchanged. The car zoomed past soon after.
Punjab ground report: Six months on, farm protest remains strong – and united. Where is it headed?
Anger over Modi government’s farm laws is rooted in a deeper disquiet that cuts across community lines. Left unresolved, it could take a dark turn. Feb 25, 2021 · 09:00 am Farmers and agricultural workers arrive to attend a rally against farm laws, in Barnala, Punjab, onFebruary 21. | Reuters/Danish Siddiqui
The white hatchback slowed down as it approached the toll plaza. At the wheels was a middle-aged Sikh man and in the passenger seat an old woman with flowing grey hair. Seated behind were three more women, one middle aged and the other two much younger, who looked barely out of their teens.
p br When Kisan Mazdoor Ekta has already become the main slogan of the farm movement, this move is likely to further bring closer the Dalits - especially the Ravidassia community members - to the farmers. /p
JALANDHAR: Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has announced to celebrate Guru Ravidas birth anniversary at Singhu border on February 27 while also urging farmers back home to participate in these celebrations in their villages.
When Kisan Mazdoor Ekta has already become the main slogan of the farm movement, this move is likely to further bring closer the Dalits - especially the Ravidassia community members - to the farmers.
They fear the laws could shrink employment and raise prices. Feb 17, 2021 · 06:30 am Farmers block a road in Punjab s Bathinda during the nationwide chakka jam demonstration on Saturday, February 6. | PTI
For 32-year-old Goldie, a tailor from Sri Muktsar Sahib district in Punjab, the slogan ‘Kisan Mazdoor Ekta’ – farmer-worker unity – rings true. “No one asks me if I am a Dalit,” he said. “Everyone eats together. It is a milestone for us.”
Goldie has been camping in Tikri village on the Delhi-Haryana border since November. It is one of the three sites on the doorstep of India’s capital where thousands of farmers have been protesting against the Modi government’s three farm laws, which they fear they will open the doors to corporate dominance of the agricultural sector and undermine their livelihoods.