Every day, when the women present at the protest venue go to the toilet, they make a big circle by holding each other’s hand. From the same circle, women go to the toilet built at the petrol pump. In this way, they ensure the privacy of women.
This petrol pump is located on the Tiki border of Delhi-Haryana. Gurpreet Singh, who hails from Sangrur district of Punjab, is involved in the farmers’ movement. According to him, the people present there have found this way for the convenience of women protesters.
Gurpreet Singh says that “The owners of petrol pumps are Jats and they support us. They allow us to use the toilets built in their petrol pumps.”
Lakhs of farmers from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are protesting at the five borders of Delhi at this time. Farmers of some other states are also present at these demonstration sites. But cleanliness and hygiene have become a big concern here because millions of farmers have gathered here and they have been here for more than 10 days.
The central government had set up the place (Burari Maidan) for the demonstration of the farmers, where the Delhi government had installed mobile toilets. But most of the farmers decided that till the demands are met, they will stay on the borders of Delhi. The farmers present here term the agricultural laws brought by the Modi government as ‘black laws’ and there is a lot of resentment about the attitude of the government.
Around the world, waste is classified during demonstrations as a conscious effort to keep protesters disciplined and explained about hygiene. Protesting farmers understand this.
Governments have been emphasizing that political gatherings, especially dharna, should not be held in places where it is dirty.
Such concerns have also been expressed about the ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement as there are more than five lakh farmers present at the demonstration sites, there are more than 96 thousand tractor-trolleys and trucks which have been converted into bunkers for sleeping.
The British anthropologist Mary Douglas said in 1966, “As we know, dirt is essentially a disorder.” In the same way, the protests of the farmers are also a mess in the eyes of the government, and for the farmers who have gathered for this movement, it is important for them to measure their discipline and hygiene standards in this time of the epidemic.
On the ticker border, we saw that a farmer was sanitizing some area of the demonstration site. The mattress-beds kept in the trolleys are regularly being exposed to some sunlight. The water tankers which the farmers have brought themselves have been erected on one side. On the other hand, the leaves and the rest of the vest have been added. The garbage that accumulates after eating is also being disposed of regularly.
Open defecation problem
In the midst of the epidemic, when the cold is gradually increasing, the farmers want to maintain this discipline because there is no way out of all the talks that have taken place with the government so far.
On the Singhu border, local people are letting women protesters use their toilets. Along with this, they are helping farmers in filling the tanker of water brought by the farmers with their motor pumps.
At the same time, 392 mobile toilets have been installed by the Municipal Council of Haryana on the ticker border and water tankers are being sent to the farmers. Apart from this, fogging is also being done in the area by the Nagar Palika Parishad. According to local authorities, this is an unprecedented situation as they have to find ways to deal with such a large group in their jurisdiction.
Executive Officer Atari Singh of Tikari Border Municipality area falling in Bahadurgarh area said that “We have been making a lot of efforts since day one. We have rented mobile toilets from other municipal councils. There are some purchases and in the area Factories have been opened so that farmers can use the toilets built in them. “
The Municipal Council has imposed duty of about 100 cleanliness employees at the border display site. Also, septic tanks are also kept there for the management of waste.
According to local officials, they are keeping an eye on that farmers do not have to go for open defecation. For this reason, the local administration has installed mobile toilets in as many places as possible.
Atar Singh said that ‘We have also planned to distribute masks at the picket site. We are also helping farmers in filling the tankers of water they have brought.
Local help
Chahana, 18, hails from Hisar district of Haryana. She is associated with an organization called Progressive Students Front in her area. They have also reached the picket site to show their support with the farmers. She has come to the border of a group of 20 girls.
They told us that she reached here on 26 November. That night they ate food at the langar and arranged for their group to sleep in a trolley. After this group of girls decided to stay on the Protest site. These girls bought some clothes for themselves from the nearby market. Then arranged their stay in some nearby offices where other protesting women are staying.
The girls said that it is a little difficult for them to take a bath, except one day. But all these girls are using a factory toilet.
Chahana told, “We are not from farmer families. But we have come here in support of the farmers. We also use the toilets that are there at Mundka and Tikari Border metro station.”
These girls have joined a movement for the first time. A movement that will soon complete its second week.
On the question of leaving the protest venue, these girls say that they will stay there till the demands are met.
Some places have been marked as ‘open bathing places’ on the ticking border, and on other borders where only tractors and trolleys are visible for dozens of kilometers. The protesting women take baths in local homes or in factories located along the border.
According to Gurpreet Singh, it is like an exchange. He says, “We give them almonds and food and they let us use the toilets in a factory and this method is working for us.”
Ramandeep Singh Mann of Bathinda has also reached the Singhu border in support of farmers. Here the local people are helping the farmers. This area comes in rural areas, that is, it is not in any Nagar Palika Parishad. The government has not installed any mobile toilets here. Ramandeep says that there has been a lot of help from the local people.
Toilet issue
There are some organizations like Khalsa Aid India at farmers’ demonstration sites, which are distributing free sanitary pads to women. These institutions have also installed some mobile toilets for women at their level.
60-year-old Surjit Kaur, who hails from Moga in Punjab, has reached the Tikari border along with several other women farmers. She says that the difficulties are enough.
Talking to Media, he said, “We are living on the road in a way which is very difficult work in such a cold. But seeing these difficulties, we are not going to back down. We want the government to accept our demands.”
She says, “We cannot take bath every day. There are many problems in finding toilets too. But somehow we are handling the situation.”
This group of women is associated with the Indian Farmers Union. Most of the women in this group are over 50 years of age and despite all the difficulties, all the women are ready to stay here till the demands are met.
For open defecation, people present here tend to the fields in which no crop is sown or they are empty due to any other reason.
Farmers’ organizations prepared a lot for this movement. He has brought an ambulance with him. Some charitable institutions have helped him in this. The farmers also have ration for several months. But toilets are still an issue for the people present here.
Agdeep Singh Aulakh from Karnal, Haryana, who is a member of the State Core Committee in the Bharatiya Kisan Union, says that “despite the cold and pandemic, they are fighting against these black laws brought by the government”.
‘Life has a habit of struggle’
Aulakh is currently among the farmers on the Singhu border. They say that people are coming here with full reverence and the number of people has increased continuously.
He says, “The life of a farmer is a life full of hardships. We have a habit of struggle in our life. So this problem is not a big thing. There is a lot of help from the local people. About 50-50 people in a house I am going for a bath. Some agencies have also arranged here. “
Most people here call the water canon run by the Haryana and Delhi Police on farmers as ‘showers’.
Gurpreet Singh says, “There is a scarcity of water here as a proportion of the people. When the police run a water canon, then our bathing is done.”
He says, “They were thinking of scaring the farmers with water. We are in the cold to bathe with cold water. What will happen to us!”
The 45-year-old Gurmeet Singh stall on the ticker border is a fine example of ‘mutual support’.
They are giving people a decoction by making them decoction so that the farmers who are facing the complaint of cough or cold will get some relief.
Gurmeet Singh lives nearby. He, along with his son and daughter, has set up a stall to give advice on minor medical problems.
He says, “We saw that many farmers were injured, so we bandaged them and gave them some medicines.”
Gurmeet’s elder brother Inderjit Singh is a doctor. They also regularly come to the stall and take care of the farmers.
So in some way, this movement is going on on the border of Delhi, the capital of the country. 11 days have passed. Negotiations are continuing between the government and farmers’ representatives. Meanwhile, this Protest is proceeding on the basis of mutual dealings with local people and discipline of protesters.