The farmers from different parts of the country camping at various border points of Delhi for more than a month now have been given around 50 Kangris brought by a Delhi-based NGO from Jammu and Kashmir to give some respite to elderly farmers from the chilling cold.
Kangri is an earthen pot woven around with wicker, filled with hot embers, and it is used by Kashmiris under the traditional long cloth Phiran or inside a blanket to warm the body.
“Last week, I was approached by some people that they need Kangris. They were in hurry. I am not dealing with the Kangri trade. I am in the business of handicrafts. I was surprised why someone in Delhi needs such a number of kangris. Initially, they were reluctant to say anything but I insisted and they said they need them for farmers. I thought I should help them. I feel for farmers particularly elderly farmers and got Kangris from different traders against reasonable cost and dispatched them to the concerned NGO in Punjab,” says the trader, whishing anonymity.
He said buses directly don’t go to Punjab from Jammu. “Due to the Covid-10 restriction the buses usually change at Madavpur in Punjab and it became one of the hurdles. It took time to find a bus that was directly going to Delhi. Once I found it, I dispatched Kangris to them it,” he said.
He said the first consignment was about 50 kangris which would be used on an experimental basis. “The concerned NGO informed me elderly farmers are suffering from chilling cold and they need something to warm themselves. They were informed by some Kashmiris that Kangri could help,” he says. The NGO also said if the farmers could feel better using Kangri, they would get more from Kashmir.
