After 358 days of State apathy and 700 lives lost...

New Delhi: From special yagnas to dancing to drum beats and even bursting firecrackers, farmers protesting at the gates of the Capital on Friday woke up to a special Gurupurab as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after almost a year of denying

their argument, finally acknowledged their struggle and announced the repeal of the three farm laws rushed through Parliament last year.

But even as a feeling of jubilation took over the protest sites, which had people trickling in and offering Mubarakan as a greeting — most farmers at the protest sites were wary of the announcement turning out to be just "rhetoric" to help his party's poll prospects in Punjab and UP — they said unless it is in writing and the laws are repealed in Parliament, there was nothing doing.

And even though the local shop owners and stores around the Singhu border site expressed hope and much relief at the announcement — in the hopes that their business can now resume after the farmers go back.

But the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of unions leading the protest, has already asserted that the protests will continue till Parliament repeals the laws and added that the other two demands on an MSP law and the repeal of the Electricity Amendment Act were very much on the table.

And even with Parliament yet to ratify the repealing of the laws, the announcement was enough for shop owners to rejoice.

And as with the announcement coinciding with Guru Nanak Jayanti, community kitchens (langars) offered fritters, chole chawal, jalebis and other assorted sweets to add to the joyous mood at the protest sites on Friday.

Participating in a yagna at the Ghazipur border — held in honour of the farmers who sacrificed their lives during the protests, Rajender Yadav, a member of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, said, "This is a happy moment for all of us. Finally, the voices of Indians who have been supporting the cause have been heard. It is not just our victory, but the victory of the entire nation."

"This is the first time that the voice of farmers from across the country reached the prime minister. I hope that he will maintain the dignity of his position and keep his promise," he added.

Meanwhile, a Class 12 student in Delhi, Yatharth Ladna, could not contain his joy when he heard the announcement. Having a government employee for a father, he has often made excuses at home to attend the protests and on Friday he turned up with boxes of sweets at the Ghazipur site — to distribute it to people.

"Look, even we know how wrong this is. We have also read in school about democracy. I just gave my Class 12 board exams. So, when I heard it, I told my parents I'm going for tuition classes, broke a piggy bank to collect whatever money I had, bought sweets and came straight here," Ladna said.

"It is hard to trust the prime minister about his promises unless he implements them. Since these farm laws were passed in Parliament, we need them to be withdrawn in the same House following due procedure. Else, we won't move," said Brijpal Singh Fauji (63), a member of the Bharatiya

Kisan Union, sitting at the Ghazipur site.

Asked if there are any plans of dismantling the temporary tents and arrangements, the farmers said there is happiness also but there is a lack of trust considering the past records of this government which had been hesitant in taking back the laws.

At Singhu, sweets were being distributed by one and all as the protesters danced merrily to songs blaring on the music systems installed in their tractors — the tractors that have been out on the road instead of fields — just so that the movement can be strengthened.

But even as discussions broke out at all protest sites about the road ahead, many reminisced how the borders had become home in the last year. "Every day, day in and day out, our lives have been here — fighting for our cause — for the last one year. We will go back once all demands are met but it feels very strange to think about the fact that soon, we won't need to take to the streets to be heard," said Chowdhry Tasavvur, 70, who has been at the Singhu protests for nearly a year now — since November 26 last year.

"Better late than never. We knew that the decision of repealing the law will come with the grace of babaji and this has come on Guru Purab. We have the blessings of Guru Nanak Dev ji. However, the struggle is not over. The protest will continue till the time repealing laws come into effect," said Hardeep Singh, a protester at Singhu.