As the PU Bachao Morcha stretched into its third week, the protest site at Panjab University has begun to look less like a campus corner and more like a community langar, with people from across Punjab arriving quietly through the day carrying whatever they can to support the students.
From hot jalebis to cartons of bananas, and from thick blankets to fresh mattresses, the flow of help has turned the agitation into a scene many say reminds them of the farmers’ protest.
Students who have been sitting outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office for days say the kindness they are witnessing has become the protest’s biggest strength. In the morning, visitors trickled in one by one, placing bags of dry fruits, roasted chana and apples onto a long table that has now become the unofficial langar counter.
A group of boys from Mohali came with two big containers of tea and milk, telling students to “stay strong and stay warm.” Later, a family from Ludhiana walked in with trays of fresh jalebis, laughing as they insisted everyone take at least two pieces.
Along with food, essentials for long nights are also arriving. Hemkunt Foundation which has set up a stall at the protest site, is helping students with mattresses, quilts, bedsheets and pillows and also langar.
More essential items being delivered almost daily by alumni, parents and local groups. Students say they now have enough bedding to rotate and keep each other comfortable as the evenings get colder. Some parents have slipped in home-cooked paranthas and woollens, trying to balance concern with quiet encouragement.
Students informed that volunteers have set up a rotation system to clean the area, manage drinking water and organise the supplies pouring in. Many say the responsibility to keep the space tidy and peaceful has grown because the public has shown so much trust.
Visitors often come without introducing themselves. They place whatever they have brought on the table, fold their hands to the students, and leave. A retired teacher who served on the Senate years ago stopped by on Sunday afternoon and said he had come “not with speeches, but with faith,” as he handed over packets of bananas.
By late evening, the protest space lights up again when someone brings a speaker. On Saturday, a local musician played folk tunes and students joined in clapping, saying it gave them the strength to sit another day. Alumni also drop by regularly, sharing old stories of past movements and reminding students that the fight for representation has been a part of PU’s history for decades.
The administration has repeated its appeal for students to return to classes, but the growing show of solidarity from outside the campus has only deepened the resolve of the Morcha. “People we have never met are showing up with milk, fruit, tea, anything they can manage,” said Paramjot Kaur, a student who has been on the ground since day one. “It feels like Punjab is standing behind us.”
