New Delhi— Sunday dawned on a sombre note for lakhs of farmers holding peaceful sit-ins on Delhi borders as they paid homage to 29 fellow comrades they have lost during the course of the ongoing stir. In Punjab and Haryana too, villages and tehsils that held Shraddhanjali Diwas saw an outpouring of people paying tribute to the ‘martyrs’.  It has been 25 days since farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh have dug in their heels at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders, demanding repealing of the contentious farm laws.

Prayers were held at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders where farmers and supporters from the public at large remembered the deceased including Sant Rahim Singh, a Sikh priest who died by suicide on Thursday. Ardas was done individually for all the victims in the morning followed by a two-minute silence. A candle vigil to commemorate their “sacrifice” was also held in the evening.

Addressing the protesting farmers, Joginder Singh, President, Bharatiya Kisan Union(Ugrahan) emphasised that the sacrifices has only steeled their resolve to get the laws repealed. “This struggle will demand more shahaadat. We are resolute to honour the wishes of those we lost. They have only added more impetus to our cause,” he said. Many farmers were even overcome with emotion during the prayer meet, blaming squarely the government for the tragic end. “The government is apathetic towards our plight. We are losing our people to cold, road accidents and what not. Yet, it does not want fulfil our demands,” said Somveer Singh, a resident of Sonipat, Haryana.

Meanwhile, in Punjab, villagers came together in large numbers to pay tribute to the farmers who lost their lives. Despite emotional moments, anger against the government remained. “There is not a person in the whole state who does not know about these ‘shaheeds’. For everyone, it is a personal loss. But the government is unmoved,” rued Jagvinder Singh from Ropar.

Thousands of farmers pitched in on Delhi borders on November 26, demanding roll back of the new farm laws. Since the beginning of the stir, they have lost as many as 29 persons to various causes like cold, heart attack, road accidents. This, however, has not deterred the farmers who remain steadfast that their protest will continue till their demands are met.