The next phase of the farmers’ protests, the Mitti satyagraha, inspired by the freedom struggle, has entered Mansa & Sirsa districts in Haryana and the state of Punjab. Soils collected from various parts of the country have been taken at the Delhi border to be a part of the Mitti satyagraha in order to celebrate the unity of farmers.

At the protest site, in a parallel development, the farmers are building a memorial to remember those who gave their lives during the farmers’ protests. It was targeted that soils from 2000 villages across the country would be brought to the protest-site for the satyagraha. The first leg of the yatra was carried out from March 12 to March 28, and it passed through Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand. The second leg of the Mitti Satyagraha Yatra started from Dandi in Gujarat on March 30 and reached Shahjahanpur and Tikri border on April 5 and will enter Singhu and Ghazipur borders today. The yatra entered Punjab after passing through Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Haryana.

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Along with other farmer leaders, social activist Medha Patkar,  recently visited Sunam, native town of martyr Udham Singh, to take soil for the Mitti Satyagraha Yatra, a procession started to support the agitation against the farm laws. She addressed the protesters and sought their support.

Patkar stated, “The government wants to kill farming, without which our country cannot survive.” She, along with other leaders, paid homage to martyr Udham Singh at a memorial. She also interacted with women. She has been collecting soil from various native towns of martyrs to take it to the New Delhi border for constructing a memorial to remember the farmers and labourers, who died during the ongoing agitation.

“Our farmers and labourers are sacrificing their lives to save farming, but our government is unmoved. We need to stay united as corporate houses are trying to encroach farming,” she further added.

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Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Sunilam, BKU (Dakaunda) leader Santram Chhajli, Democratic Teacher front leader Harbhwan Gurne and other farmer leaders had accompanied her. “She stayed at Chhajli last night and went back to the New Delhi border after taking soil from Sunam,” said BKU (Ugrahan) leader Janak Singh Bhutal.

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Given all the developments, it would be foolish to assume that the farmers’ movement has in any way fizzled out. Currently, apart from the Mitti satyagraha, the farmer-leaders are involved in campaigning against BJP in the poll-bound states.