The Tragedy and Tenacity of the Farmers at Tikri Border – By Rohit Kumar

The last few days have been difficult for the farmers protesting the three farm laws at the Tikri border. (To be fair, every day over the past 11 months has been difficult for them, but this past week has been particularly trying.)

In the early morning hours of October 28, a truck ran over seven women farmers and a child at Bahadurgarh near Tikri. They were on their way back to their village in Mansa district in Punjab after having spent time at the protest. Two women died on the spot, and one shortly thereafter. The rest have been admitted to hospitals nearby. The driver has been on the run.

The mood at the protest site, normally feisty and energetic, has taken on a sombre hue. Hundreds of men and women are sitting on a long green carpet in front of the main stage and listening to kirtans and short eulogies by the speakers. Their faces are impassive…. One of the older women sitting near the stage tells me in Punjabi, “Each new death reminds us of the others who have died here.” This is a community that has been forged in the crucible of pain and common cause….

https://thewire.in/rights/tragedy-tenacity-farmers-tikri-border-protest