Shahjahanpur protest site: Locals donating to langars in large numbers

Gurugram: With langar sevas being popularised across protest sites on the borders of Delhi, such services have now also come up at the protest site on the Shahjahanpur border. More significantly, other than many human rights organisations providing supplies for these langars, many local residents are also providing supplies.

Besides providing food catering to thousands of people there are provisions for providing tea to even desserts like kheer for the people who visit the site. In addition to protesting farmers and the people visiting the protest site, many other homeless people and locals from nearby villages also eat at these langar services.

Agitators at the site spoke of how participating in the service of providing food has led to a deeper bond with their fellow colleagues as well as the local population. As the deadlock over three farm bills continues, thousands of farmers and agitators continue to camp at the Shahjahanpur border.

Acknowledging the fact that their protest will extend for a much longer time, many of these agitators are also dependent on locals. "There are people who have tried to malign our movement and questioned our intentions. I urge them to come to our site and see the spirit of togetherness and affection through the service of providing food to all. Even our critics are welcome. We have been protesting over here for two-and-a-half months and I want to tell you that our donations and participation for the langar seva has only increased every single day," said Mahender, one of the protestors at Shahjahanpur border.

Protesters are also looking to find ways of adding strength to their crowds at the Shahjahanpur border site. A large number of protesters from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and even states like Maharashtra, Odisha and Kerala have come to the Shahjahanpur border to register their protest against the three farm bills.