Agriculture

Flipside of the coin: How farm protests have benefitted Delhi's local book stores

Updated : December 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST

The venue might be strange, but the readers are curious, and the book stores are proactive.

Protest sites are usually lined up with demonstrators blazing with fighting spirit while books are a no-show. Not in this protest though. Singhu Border is sporting revolutionary texts as farmers continue protesting for their rights.

From biographies to Punjab’s history and teachings of Sikh Gurus, and writers like Arundhati Roy, Ravish Kumar, and Fidel Castro are guiding the protesting farm owners. Several local book stores are encashing on this surprising new change.

The venue might be strange, but the readers are curious, and the book stores are proactive.

Kamal Joshi is a volunteer working with Gargi Publications in Delhi, and he has set-up a bookstall at the site. Speaking to PTI, he said, “They all are curious and have too many questions in their mind. Some of these books try to give them answers; others provide food for thought for more questions.”

Farmers are getting inspired by the likes of Jaswant Singh, Bhagat Singh, Vladimir Lenin, and Che Guevara in multiple languages: Hindi, Punjabi, and English. Magazines like “Kisaan”, Books like “The Mother” and a 24-page booklet on three farm laws are some of the most-reads.

Harbans Singh, a thirty-two-year-old farmer from the Barnala district in Punjab, reads a book for inspiration and manages his temper.

“Currently, I am reading ‘Punjab Tera ki Banu’ by Jaswant Singh Kanwal. I look forward to finishing this one and read another soon,” said Singh, who doesn’t remember the last time he read a book.

“Someone suggested me to read one on Fidel Castro. Kehnde hai bahut bada krantikari si woh (They say he was a great revolutionary),” he added.

The fact that these books are available in local languages at throwaway prices is another factor why the protesters are busy reading, Joshi added.

A make-shift library at the border, reads: “Udhta Nahi, Padhta Punjab”. The library run by a group of PhD students has over 1,300 books, out of which, 900 have been issued.

The library organizers were overwhelmed by the response, and they plan to replenish their stock soon.

“Our purpose of having this library here is to educate farmers about the issues. They can get the book and form an opinion about what is right and what is wrong themselves. This way they would protest peacefully and not fall for any wrong information,” said Kiran Preet Singh from Jangi Library.

Books like Pehla Adhyapak by Chingiz Atimatov*, Sikh Rajneeti, Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalra: Soch, Sangharsh Te Shahadat* by Ajmer Singh are some of the best-sellers from the library.

“There are a lot of young farmers who have gathered around the area, and they speak their minds. So, we wanted to create a space for reading, discussing, and engaging the younger generation here in a constructive manner,” said Sonu Chahal, a volunteer at the site. His team has created a WhatsApp group to encourage others to donate books to the library.

This rising interest has prompted others into action. A group of professionals and children have established a ‘Sahitya Chaupal’ at the protest site to occupy children with engaging activities.

With inputs from agencies.

Flipside of the coin: How farm protests have benefitted Delhi's local book stores

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