Prayer for farmers and soldiers - Sangat organised a car rally during the day in support of the farmers

Calcutta Sikh Sangat is planning to invite some of the farmers protesting in Delhi to districts of Bengal

SUCI activists raise slogans against the Centre during their march to Governor House, to protest against new farm law, in Kolkata, on Tuesday.: PTI photo

Subhajoy Roy   |   TT   |   Calcutta   |   27.01.21  :   The Sikhs of Calcutta are planning to invite some of the farmers protesting in Delhi for over two months against three farm laws to districts of Bengal and tell the state’s farmers why they are demanding a repeal of the laws, a member of the Calcutta Sikh Sangat said on Tuesday.

The Sangat organised a car rally during the day in support of the farmers who are camping at three border points of Delhi. As the farmers in Delhi had decided to hold a tractor rally on Republic Day, the Sikhs in Calcutta, many of them from farmer families, planned to organise a car rally.

A  special ardas (prayer) was held for India’s farmers and soldiers at the Behala Gurdwara.

“We have been discussing if we can bring some of the farmers who are camping at Delhi’s borders to Bengal. They can explain to farmers in Bengal what they are protesting against and why they are demanding the repeal of the three central farm laws,” said Ajit Singh, the vice-president of Gurdwara Bara Sikh Sangat in Burrabazar and a member of the Sangat.

“They can meet farmers in Burdwan, Hooghly and other districts. They will explain to farmers in Bengal the benefit of minimum support price and how that guarantees income for farmers,” said Singh.

The community prayed for the well-being of farmers and soldiers at the Behala Gurdwara.

“Ardas is held after a kirtan, during which we pray for something from our Guru. Usually, we pray Sarbat da bhala, which means the well-being of everyone. On Tuesday, we made a special mention for the well-being of our farmers and our soldiers, besides praying for everyone’s well-being,” said Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, the general secretary of the gurdwara.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at three border points of Delhi and have had several meetings with the Union government. The farmers are firm on their demand that the Centre roll back the farm laws.

Ahluwalia said India always raised the slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kisan because soldiers and farmers were valued by the people. “But what have we come to today? We are not valuing our farmers. So many farmers have died while camping in the cold in Delhi. We pray for their good health and so they achieve their rights,” said Ahluwalia.