Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Singhu, December 27
For the past over 11 days, several women are following a 7.30 am to 11 pm schedule. They cook, laugh and share stories at the Singhu border.
Cooking langar for hundreds of people, a group of women from Chabbewal village busy themselves with a gruelling 16-17 hours’ schedule to feed the sangat at the Singhu border. The women said they came here to express solidarity with the farmers. Themselves from farming background, they said this was their way of pooling in for the struggle.
Simranjit Kaur from Chabbewal says: “We came here about a fortnight ago. While a jatha from Hoshiarpur had originally come in, we have been joined by many more people now. More women keep chipping in, offering their services. Now, it’s not just us. Everyone is keen on helping and doing their bit for farmers. We ourselves are from farming families. This is our way of expressing solidarity with farmers.”
With many people to cook for, these women are busy working throughout the day.
Manjinder Kaur says: “We get up at 7 am and keep working throughout the day. We take breaks to rest or sleep, but since long hours of prep are needed for the langar, we are mostly cooking throughout the day. Hours go by in cooking, talking and we don’t even come to know how time flies.”
Manjit Kaur from Chandigarh joined these women for the langar sewa soon after their arrival. While Manjit’s husband is an ASI, her entire family has come to Singhu border to express solidarity with farmers.
Manjit sits with her daughter Sneh Lata Kaur and both mother and daughter prepare chapatis for the sangat.
Manjit says: “My son is in Brampton, he couldn’t come. But the rest of us are here. My husband took special leave to come here. He also cooks in between and sometimes sweeps the langar spot. My daughter is also keen on helping. Every day, we cook the langar together. She pursues graduation. Our kids joined us as they were keen on helping farmers. They are all fighting for us. This is the least we can do to help them out in the movement.”