This is an archive article published on March 7, 2021
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400 km in 8 days on tricycle: Man with polio joins protest
Singh has been commuting on the tricycle all his life. Originally from a farming background in Bathinda, he now works as a mechanic while his brother is still in farming.
Among the hundreds of vehicles on the KMP expressway on Saturday was 40-year-old Harmik Singh’s tricycle. Singh, who was diagnosed with polio when he was two years old, pedaled 400 km from his hometown in Janta Nagar in Punjab’s Bathinda to reach Delhi’s borders and join the blockade. “It took me eight days to reach. Since I have my own motor shop, I could afford to take time off. This is the second time I have come here; I hope to stay until the farm laws are repealed,” he said.
Singh has been commuting on the tricycle all his life. Originally from a farming background in Bathinda, he now works as a mechanic while his brother is still in farming.
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He first visited the Singhu border last December and stayed for three days. His second trip to Delhi commenced February-end and he reached the border on March 2. “I have travelled through the cold, and now the heat. None of it bothers us because we can only think of one thing — getting the laws repealed,” he said.
Singh’s tricycle is equipped with hand pedals and a storage basket containing a blanket and mattress in case he has to sleep on the way. It also has stands for water bottles and tiffins. However, he rarely had to worry about food and water because his route is dotted with well-wishers.
On his way to Singhu, he stopped at a number of places — Mansa, Channo village in Sangrur district, Karnal and lastly a langar 10 km from Sonepat. He spent his nights at gurdwaras at these points.
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“I may not have zameen (land) but I have zameer (conscience); this is why I’m at the protest,” he said.
(Express photo by Amit Mehra) 
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