Harvinder Singh, 20, a graduate, is part of the group from Khatauli village in Punjab’s Patiala district organising a langar or community kitchen at the Singhu protest site for the last two months.

They have successfully kept protesters and locals from the area well fed for the whole time period and are prepared to continue fulfilling this role as long as it is required.

Owning two acres of land on which he mostly grows rice and wheat, earning Rs 2-2.5 lakh annually, Harvinder is concerned about the impact of the new laws on agricultural prices.

“National media didn’t give us due coverage, forcing us to come all the way to Delhi,” he said. His companions don a printed patch stuck to their mufflers and shirts which states, “We keep our country’s flag above everything else, we will accomplish the agenda of farmers.”

When asked how they have managed to keep the kitchen going, Amandeep, who has been camping at Singhu since November, said, “This is Guru Nanak Dev’s langar, it won’t get over anytime soon.”

An elderly man sitting nearby pitched in and added that they have two truckloads of wheat contributed by people from different villages. “At least 50 kg of foodgrains have been coming in to cater to the people here,” he said.

Every village has devised its own system of contribution. “We have been getting Rs 200-400 per household from our village,” Harvinder said.

Additionally, relatives of these farmers in other countries are also helping in keeping the agitation alive. For instance, there are at least 25 individuals from Khatauli village currently based in different countries. “I have spent Rs 15-20 lakh in sending my brother to Canada for studies. He is now doing his share of service so that we can raise our voice,” Harvinder said. “We don’t die of starvation.”

Amandeep, sitting next to Harvinder, agreed. He is a farmer from the same village and owns 20 acres of land. “My brothers, cousins and relatives are all part of this,” he said.

During the initial days of movement, one of the farmers’ unions, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), was furious after the Centre asked about foreign donations. “They are using all tactics as their sole purpose is to defeat the agitation,” BKU general secretary Sukhdev Singh had told the media.

As the conversation veered towards criticism by economists on Punjab’s dependence on rice, this group from Patiala explained their dilemma. “How can we suddenly switch to crop rotation?” Harvinder asked. “We can’t cultivate almonds and apples in Punjab.”

Since wheat and rice are among 31 crops for which farmers get minimum support price, Punjab has often exceeded expectations in terms of yield. In November 2020, with an estimated production of 210-215 lakh tonnes of paddy, Punjab was expected to break its own 2017 record of 199.65 lakh tonnes.

Harvinder explained that they don’t get MSP for any other crop, whether it’s mustard or corn. Between two seasons, the price of corn has gone down from Rs 2,200 per quintal to Rs 600 per quintal. That’s why farmers have also been demanding a legal guarantee on MSP. Citing an example of a Bihar-based labourer, Harvinder said that low price of agricultural produce in their state is one of the reasons why they migrate in search of work. “While we get anything between Rs 2,600-4,500 per quintal for basmati rice, the rate is Rs 1,200 per quintal in Bihar,” he said.

Another issue that the protest has had to deal with is the perception that the problem is mainly in Punjab, and that farmers from other states are not affected as much. This perception has changed a little following recent events in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, but refuses to go away.

When asked about this, Harvinder replied, “Even before it was carved out as a separate state, Punjab is known for doggedly pursuing a fight as was seen in the battle against Ahmed Shah Abdali.” After defeating the Marathas in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761 CE, Abdali was persistently harassed by the small Sikh states, despite tremendous loss of life.

Taking a cue from the prime minister’s speech in the Parliament in which he referred to protesters as “andolan jeevi”, Harvinder gave examples of freedom fighters who protested against the British. "Even Mahatma Gandhi and Shaheed Bhagat Singh were ‘andolan jeevis’ and they saved the nation. Is the implication that we are trying to tarnish the nation’s image?” he asked. “This community knows how to ask for rights.”