New Delhi: Amid the farmers’ protest, a library-cum-cultural centre has been set up at Singhu border which aims to provide books and newspapers for youth and also imparts school education to students from nearby slums.
Apart from providing books for the youth to read, the library also offers them a platform to discuss current topics.
The tent is used in the evenings, to recreate a tradition, ‘Sanjhi Sath’, where the villagers gather to listen to their elders’ advice.
There are 10 teaching volunteers and 150 volunteers for cleaning the area.
The groups of volunteers are also actively teaching the slum students, who are unable to go to schools owing to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
“This place is Sanjhi Sath for discussion, for youth there is a library for reading. We have books in several languages available for reading. One more initiative is to teach slum students. Many parents came and asked if we could teach their ward as well,” said Survinder Singh Wadwa, a volunteer providing this service.
Several newspapers and books are seen at the protest site, including biographies of revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Che Guevara and of various genres in English, Hindi and Punjabi.
Talking about the inspiration behind the initiative, he said, “Around seven to eight people decided to build discipline among the people and wanted to help the farmer leadership constructively.”
Highlighting the problems in the movement and the solution, Survinder said, “The biggest problem is cleanliness but now we have 150 volunteers who have brought drums , brooms and other items to clean the area.”
On the initiative of teaching the neighbouring slum students, he further said, “Many students are not able to study as the schools are closed. We are helping the students to complete their syllabus.”
Survinder said that volunteers inquired about the class in which the students currently are and then teach accordingly. He also said that a similar facility has been set up at the Tikri protest site as well.
The protest by the farmers at the borders of national capital against the three new farm laws entered the 23rd day on Friday.