Agitating Punjab and Haryana farmers celebrate Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti while camping at Delhi border

Thousands of peasants from Punjab and Haryana who have been camping at the Singhu and the Tikri border for the past five days amid biting cold on Monday were infused with fresh energy after offering prayers on the occasion of the 551th birth anniversary of Sikh Guru Nanak Dev ji. The farmers distributed 'prasad' with tea and breakfast among each other and among security personnel before beginning their daily routine.

As per the decision of the farmers unions, the 'Kirtan' and 'Ardas' were conducted on stages (from 11 am to 5 pm) at different places at the entry points on Delhi border while candles and lamps will be lit on thousands of tractor trailers creating ‘deepmaalas’, claimed Sukhdev Singh, a Samana based farmer camping at Singhu border. The farmers, however, are firm on their decision to continue camping at their respective places of agitation until the union government accepts their demands.

Manjeet Singh,  President Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba unit), said, "We are fortunate that today is Guru Nanak Dev ji''s birthday which is a very auspicious day for us."  "Earlier we used to celebrate Gurpurab with our families, friends and relatives in our villages but today it will be celebrated with farmers’ friends on the roads. We will fight for our right peacefully till the last and there is no dearth of ration and other essential commodities with us," claimed Amar Singh, a farmer leader from Morinda camping at Tikri border.

Buta Singh, a farmer leader protesting at the Tikri border said, "We spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah on phone. We told the minister that we don't want any conditions. All farmer unions will hold a meeting tomorrow afternoon and thereafter a delegation will hold a meeting with the government officials. Agitation will continue till our demands are met."

On Sunday, the protesting farmers had rejected the centre's offer of holding early talks and shifting their protest venue to Burari ground. The farmers’ unions had claimed that the central government should have approached with "an open heart" without putting preconditions for the talks.

Sources informed that the BJP-led NDA government has expressed its willingness to hold unconditional talks with the farmers. The  development has come in less than 24 hours  after farmers rejected the Centre’s offer to hold conditional dialogue with the protesting farmers.

The union government seems to have softened its stand after a series of meetings of union ministers including Narendra Tomar, Union Agriculture Minister, Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister and JP Nadda, BJP President, with Amit Shah.

Sources revealed that leaders of farmers unions could be invited for talks on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked Delhi people to help protesting farmers in every possible way. Kejriwal said, "Guru Nanak said that we should serve everyone. They are suffering a lot in the cold. I hope the government talks to them as soon as possible. I want to urge all Delhi people to help these farmers in any and every way possible."

Newly elected president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Bibi Jagir Kaur has also asked the Sikh Community in Haryana to extend all possible help to the protesting farmers.