Gul hopes protesting farmers can celebrate Lohri with families

After a long time, actor Gul Panag will be spending Lohri with her parents in her village Mahadian, Punjab. That this is going to be her threeyear-old son Nihal’s first Lohri in Punjab with grandparents makes the celebration special. “Since I’m mostly in Mumbai, celebrating Lohri with my parents had become a rarity. After many years, I’m hoping to relive those earlier days once again,” she says. “As we go around the fire and throw sesame seeds into it, we usually say ‘Ishar aaye, dalidar jaye…’, meaning, leave the laziness behind because winter is ending and let’s get back to work with new vigour. Good thing about being in Delhi is that my parents’ house in Punjab isn’t far, so I’m able to meet them more often,” says the Pataal Lok actor, who has been in Delhi since the beginning of the farmer’s protest. She was among the many Bollywood celebrities who extended support to farmers protesting against the Centre’s three farm bills. Considering Lohri is an important festival for farmers in Punjab and Haryana, Panag adds, “They’re celebrating any which way, lighting fire every day to keep warm. Kabse hi to chal rahi hai unki Lohri. Since the protest is happening in Haryana, the whole thing is yeh Punjab ka protest hai. But you’ve to go on the ground to see kitne alag alag log shaamil hai. I’ve been there, I know.” Hoping that the farmers are able to be with their family for Lohri, Panag says everything depends on “what decision the Government” takes. “They haven’t left their families out of choice. They would rather be home than here,” she adds. Ending on a positive note, Panag says, “Let’s leave the past behind and look towards a new future with hope.”

Shreya Mukherjee