Protesting farmers, camped at the Singhu border for over 20 days, have been keeping themselves busy by reading books. For many, it is a new found hobby, one that they never indulged in before, reports PTI.

Thirty-two-year-old Harbans Singh, for instance, said he can’t recall the last time he picked a book for reading.

“There are many like me who have started reading books during the protest only. Currently, I am reading ‘Punjab Tera ki Banu’ by novelist Jaswant Singh Kanwal. I look forward to finish this one and read another soon,” said Singh, as per PTI reports.

“Someone suggested me to read one on Fidel Castro. Kehnde hai bahut bada krantikari si woh (They say he was a great revolutionary),” he said.

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Several books are seen at the protest site, ranging from biographies of revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Che Guevara and Vladimir Lenin to books on farmers distress, Punjab’s rich history and Sikh Gurus’ teachings.

Seeing the potential for growth, book stalls by small, independent publishers have also come up at the protest site.

Gargi, a Delhi-based publication house, is ‘happily surprised’ to find business in a place like this.

“They all are curious and have too many questions in their mind. Some of these books try to give them answers, others provide food for thought for more questions,” said Kamal Joshi, a volunteer working at Gargi Publications, reported PTI.

“The fact they are at throwaway prices, and available in Hindi and Punjabi languages as well are also some of the reasons why protestors are keen on buying these books,” he added.

Among other, their books include a Hindi quarterly magazine ‘Kisaan’, the Hindi translation of Russian writer Maxim Gorky’s novel ‘The Mother’, and a 24-page booklet on the contentious three agri laws, which costs only Rs 5.

Gurmeet Sandhu, 55, a farmer from the Karnal district of Haryana, said he has read the booklet on farm laws and plans to send “50 copies” of the booklet to his village.

“This book explains the laws in detail. I am now 100% sure that these law are not at all in favour of farmers. I want more people to read it and will distribute it to more and more people,” said Sandhu, as per PTI reports.

PhD students from Punjab have also set up a book stall at the site. With a banner reading ‘Udhta Nahi, Padhta Punjab’, the stall has grown in popularity since its early days. The organisers are often ‘overwhelmed’ by the demand and are planning restock their original haul of 1,300 books. 

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“Our purpose to have this library here is to educate farmers about the issues. They can come here, get the book and form an opinion about what is right and what is wrong themselves. This way they would protest peacefully and not fall for any wrong information,” said Kiran Preet Singh from Jangi Library.

Adjacent to the library is an ongoing poster exhibition put up by student organisation Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch. A poster showing a wooden plough uprooting the parliament seems to be a crowd favourite.