Sikhs lead farmers’ march on Delhi amid ongoing protests
Thousands of Sikhs are going through road blockades and violent police attacks as they make a historic march from Punjab to Delhi as part of ongoing national farmer protests.
Tear gas, water cannons and concrete barriers have been used to try and stop the huge movement which has seen Punjab’s farmers (largely Sikhs) rally to take the protest to India’s parliament in Delhi. Roads were reported as sealed on 25 November by media to prevent the march from leaving Punjab. The protests are about national laws motioned in March and passed in September which many feel will allow corporations to exploit the nation’s farmers.
The protestors include people of all ages and is supported by people from various faith and caste backgrounds.
Interviews with the Sikh protestors leading the charge have highlighted the Sikh ethos of fighting for justice and belief in Sikh sovereignty as a key drives behind the protests. Slogans including “Raj Karega Khalsa” (The Khalsa will rule) have been echoed at protests.
Videos of the protestors removing roadblocks and fighting back against police brutality have gone viral around the world.
Police violence, which has included attacks on unthreatening elderly citizens, has been widely condemned. In some instances, so much water was fired out of a water cannon tank that the water ran out. Diaspora Sikhs have largely shown support for the farmers through social media in the face of such treatment.
Suburban train services into New Delhi were suspended in a bid to stop the protesters from riding the trains. In a statement which contradicts the very visible attempts to stop the march, a Delhi Police spokesperson confirmed to Al Jazeera the farmers have been given permission to enter the national capital and hold a peaceful protest at the Nirankari Samagam Ground in the Burari area. Whether this spot for a peaceful protest will be accepted remains to be seen. Some feel the relentlessness of the protestors has forced the government concede they will have to accept and thus prepare for the protest to reach central Delhi.
Across the world, rallies have been held by Sikhs in support of the kisaan (farmers) plight in the UK, Canada and Australia. A GoFundMe started in the USA is providing the protestors with monetary support, with it currently having raised over $12,000.
One of the standout actions of the protestors is the fact Sikhs have been serving langar (Sikh communal kitchen practice) to the police officers that have been attacking them, showing a unique aspect of the faith’s philosophy.
As of the evening (India time) 27 November, most reports say some of the protestors have reached a blockade upon entry to Delhi, where camps are being set up for overnight stay, whilst others have entered the city. More protestors from Punjab are believed to be gathering to join the march on Delhi.
Sikh PA will provide updates on this story as it continues.
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