We Farmers Built Brick Shelters to Beat the Heat, Not to Encroach

Video Editor: Deepthi Ramdas
Input & Camerawork: Jasveer Singh
Video Producer: Maaz Hasan

After braving Delhi’s harsh winter, we, the protesting farmers, are gearing up to beat the summer heat. To help us fight the heat wave, we are building temporary shelters using bricks, bamboos, tin, plywood, and tarpaulin.

This became the need of the hour as the shelters made by the farmers were blown away in the recent storm and rain.

The standoff with the government over the newly imposed farm laws has lasted over three months.

What we are making at Tikri Border is not a permanent structure and is not damaging the road anyway.

“It’s been around 110 days and we don’t know how long this will go on for. Most of our tractors and trolleys (where we used to rest) will have to return to the fields to help with farming.”

Anil Mallik, Farmer, Haryana

The police has registered two FIRs at Kundli Police Station on the complaints made by the National Highway Authority Of India (NHAI) against the farmers making these brick shelters at Singhu Border.

Farmers have halted the construction at Singhu Border on the appeal of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM).

“If someone says that we have encroached (upon the road), then I would like to tell you that just 100 metres away from here, you will see that the government has dug the highway and made concrete walls. It’s the government that has harmed the roads. Farmers have left the road on one side while making these houses.”

Anil Mallik, Farmer, Haryana

The government must understand that farmers don’t intend to block or encroach the road. We are here till the government scraps the new farm laws. Once that happens, we will go back to our homes taking all these temporary shelters along with us.

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