The Indian peasant documenting the farmers' agitation, one photo at a time

For as long as he can remember, Jagdev Singh, 60, has held the plough and the sickle in his calloused hands – tilling the land on his farm in India’s Punjab state and reaping the fruits of his labour each harvest season.

He wouldn’t trade his tools for anything in the world, but he now also dabbles in his hobby as a photographer - all for a cause.

With a DSLR camera slung over his shoulder, Singh has made his home at the back of a tractor-trolley at the site of an ongoing farmers’ protest at the border of Punjab and Delhi.

The Shambhu border post in the northern state of Punjab has been at the heart of the farmers' protest in India for nearly a month.

On February 12, Singh left his village in the Barnal district of Punjab along with dozens of villagers for the protest site, where thousands of farmers tried to march to the capital, New Delhi, to press the government to fulfil their demands, including legal provisions for a minimum support price for crops, loan waivers, and pensions for farmers above 60.

"I am here to protest and also to document these protests," Jagdev tells TRT World, even as he clicks away on his camera, capturing photographs of volunteers serving lunch – rice and lentils – at the protest site.

For weeks, thousands of farmers have been camping at the protest site, where the road to Delhi has been blocked with concrete blocks, concertina wires, and iron spikes to stop farmers from reaching the capital.

Security forces have been accused of using force on the protesting farmers, including the use of pellet guns, which has resulted in three farmers being blinded, and the use of drones to drop tear gas shells on the protesters.

"Every day, journalists and photographers come for hours and leave. I am here to document all the difficult moments round the clock," Jagdev asserts, reaffirming his commitment to both protesting and documenting the events at the site.

To the protest site, Singh brought two sets of shirts, a bag of rice, a gas cylinder, a blanket, and some flour in the back of his tractor-trolley to survive. The trolly has been his shelter on the road.

"There are mostly old farmers here who do not care about their health or the difficulties of living on the road, some even lose their life here,” Singh says, justifying the demand for financial security for the crops.

“The cost of production has increased multiple times, but the yield's returns are not benefiting us much," explains Jagdev, who owns four acres of land in the Barnala district of Punjab, where he cultivates multiple crops, including cotton.

Tryst with photography

Jagdev had a photography studio in the 1990s until an accident altered the course of his life, leaving him with a severe leg injury that rendered him differently abled.

The accident took him years to recover from. In 2020, during the last farmers' agitation against three controversial farm laws, Jagdev returned to his camera.

"I took my camera along when I participated in the last agitation. I started taking pictures when journalists could not access the site due to police blockades. I provided them with the pictures and also uploaded them to my social media, where I received a good response," Singh explains.

Singh says he continued documenting the protests until they ended in 2021 after 13 months when the government repealed the three farming laws that had sparked protests. The farmers had argued that the laws would leave them at the mercy of big corporations.

Like the previous agitation, Singh says he is determined to stay at the protest site until their demands are met by the government.

“Here, every farmer is making some contribution and I am also doing my part by taking the pictures. This fight is for the future of our children,” says Singh, father of a daughter and a son.

More than 200 farmers’ unions have supported the protest as up to two-thirds of India’s 1.4 billion population are dependent on agriculture-related activities for their earnings.

The sector contributes nearly a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product.

Farmers justify that a law guaranteeing a minimum support price would make them financially stable against the fluctuating market prices.

Close to elections

The farmers' protest also comes at a critical time in India, as the country gears up for upcoming general elections in two months, with BJP led by Narendra Modi anticipated to secure a third consecutive term in office.

Farmers also constitute a significant voting bloc in these elections, making their concerns a crucial focal point for political parties.

The outcome of these protests and the government's response could significantly impact voter sentiment and shape the political landscape leading up to the elections, particularly in the northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana.

The government initiated talks with farmer unions to dissuade them from marching to Delhi, but the negotiations failed on at least three occasions.

The protests turned violent on February 21 when police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, while a 22-year-old farmer died at the Punjab border.

The farmers' unions had suspended their protests briefly but later resumed the stir.

While the protests continue, Singh says his presence at the site is important.

"I document the essence of the protest- the struggles and aspirations of the farmers," he says.

When asked what he does with the pictures, he said he keeps a record of them. "These can serve as history in coming times,” Singh says.

Singh says he tries to highlight the voice of farmers as no one can understand it better since his life is directly impacted by the government's policies.

“Sometimes I upload pictures on social media. I feel very good when people share them and help to raise our voice,” he says, adding that he is getting support from all farmers at the site.

Singh says staying on the road in cold and heat during the lengthy agitation is difficult. During the last farmers' agitation, at least 700 farmers died at the site.

“This is difficult, but it is about our rights,” he says.

The farmers survive in community kitchens where hundreds serve as volunteers preparing and serving food.

"I am documenting a visual narrative that resonates with the lives of farmers in India," says Jagdev with a smile.