“This year, the burning of papers carrying the anti-farmer laws in the bonfire marks our Lohri,” says Sukhdev Singh, who has come here from Punjab’s Sangrur district. Singh, in his mid-60s, has been a farmer for most of his life. Right now, he’s one amongst tens of thousands of protestors at Singhu, on the Haryana-Delhi border.
"This Lohri is, of course, different,” he adds. “Normally, we celebrated it in our homes with our relatives, with friends dropping by – and it was a merry time. This time, we are away from our farms and homes. But we are still together. We will not go back till the laws are repealed, even if it means staying here till the end of the tenure of the present government."
The popular Lohri festival is primarily celebrated in Punjab and some other parts of north India. It is usually observed on the night before Makar Sankranti (the last day of the month in the lunar calendar with the passing of the winter solstice) and marks the beginning of spring and longer days. People light bonfires, and offer jaggery, groundnuts, sesame seeds and other traditional food items to the sun, while praying for happiness, prosperity and a good harvest.
At the Singhu border this year, Lohri was celebrated on January 13 by lighting bonfires at several places along the protest route and burning papers with the three farm laws printed on them. The farmers raised slogans of solidarity, and sang and danced together as the papers vanished in the sacred fires lit beside their tractors.
The laws the farmers are protesting against are the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 ; the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act , 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 . The laws have also been criticised as affecting every Indian as they disable the right to legal recourse of all citizens, undermining Article 32 of the Constitution of India.
Farmer from Punjab singing songs in a march in their tractor, singing songs to commence Lohri celebrations
Harpreet Singh from Punjab and Rohit from Haryana, both farmers at the protest site, playing drums in the evening, before the Lori bonfire
Preparing rotis for a special festive Lohri langar – this year marked by a determination to keep protesting until the laws are repealed
Jalebis being prepared as part of the festive Lohri meal
Left: Posters announcing that the three farm laws will be burnt at 7 that evening on the occasion of Lohri. Right: Farmers raise slogans as the Lohri fire burns
A farmer burns papers with the three farm laws printed on them in the Lohri bonfire
More papers with the laws go up in flames
This year, the burning of papers carrying the anti-farmer laws in the bonfire marks our Lohri', says Sukhdev Singh from Punjab’s Sangrur district
Farmers sing and dance together as the evening moves on. 'This Lohri is, of course, different', says Sukhdev Singh. "Normally, we celebrated it in our homes with our relatives, with friends dropping by – and it was a merry time. This time, we are away from our farms and homes. But we are still together. We will not go back till the laws are repealed, even if it means staying here till the end of the tenure of the present government'
