Chhavi Bhatia

New Delhi—Tales of solidarity and community building emerge daily from states whose farmers are camping at Delhi border protesting against the controversial farm bills. Stories that are telling examples of people coming together to support the cause of lakhs of farmers who are braving extreme cold on Singhu-Tikri-Alipur-Ghazipur border and an unmoved government at the Centre.

One such story is of Abohar-based Anmol Sandhu who has been reaching out to farmers pitched at the borders, to sow their wheat in fields back home free of cost. Using social media to spread the message, the 23-year-old puts stories on Instagram in which he has shared his contact details along with an assurance that he will assist anyone who needs sowing of fields. He claims to have covered almost all districts in Punjab and few in neighbouring Haryana for the task for which he is spending from his own pocket. The young man who receives 10-15 calls daily, sees this as a way to make up for his inability to join the farmers at the front.

“I work in a private bank and it is difficult to get leave. My father and I then decided to help our farmers in this way. I very strongly believe that the farmers there are not fighting for themselves. They are fighting for me too,” says Sandhu who uses his own tractor and superseeder for sowing. “My phone number is mentioned in my posts. All one has to do is call me. I have specially kept weekends free to do this,” he adds. Places where he is unable to travel, he deposits the amount incurred  on the job. Sandhu and his friends, who are also land owners, have made a whatsapp group for the sewa, as he likes to put it. This being wheat sowing season, they want to put anxious farmers at ease that their fields are being taken care of. The banker says he does not intend to earn any laurels out of this, only serve his community.