New Delhi: As the farmers' protests continue at the city's border points, it has now been established how the agrarian agitators are making do with their resources to make sure they can keep the protest going. Starting from specialised arrangements for elderly and ill protesters, to bathing facilities for women protesters, many civil society organisations have stepped up to help farmers.
Now, a teaching space has been created at the Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu, where the protesters have started teaching local children from the slum and jhuggi areas near the protest sites.
At a spacious tent placed on the protest site, the students are taught drawing, English and Mathematics among other subjects. The library was started by a group of ten people.
Sukhbinder Singh, one of the people who started the classes said that their intention is just to teach the students. "We have come here for a purpose but besides that, we would like to extend this peaceful protest by teaching these kids. We do not discuss protests with the children but help them draw and learn," he said.
Various volunteers have also decided to come and join protesters in teaching the children. "Most of the children are from slums here and we asked them if they would like to study. All of them agreed and we started the classes," Singh said.
The classes go on from 12 pm to 2 pm and have become a way for students to learn different things. The tent also houses a library with various books on political issues kept there. A volunteer, who is a working professional in Punjab has especially come to volunteer at the library. "Through this, we will teach these kids who earlier did not have the opportunity to learn," he added.
Meanwhile, tents have also been set up at Delhi-Haryana Singhu Border as more people join in from various parts of the country.
To adjust the flow of protesters, various tent-like facilities have been set up. A Gurgaon-based tent company has set up close to 100 outdoor tents that can help keep occupants warm. Speaking to Millennium Post, Inderjeet, the owner of the tent company, said he came of his own accord so that people can stay at the protest site. "We have two types of tents. One that houses four people and another that houses two people. We have set up close to 100 tents while more have already come. We will set it up according to the available space," he said.
The tents are given to anyone in need but preference is given to disabled people and families. "We have also come in solidarity with the farmers and want the government to take back the three laws. We will stay here for as long as the protest goes on," he added.