Farmers Movement Archive

Women take the stage at Singhu border

Women took over the stage, security and stage management at the Singhu border as protesting farmers observed Mahila Kisan Divas on Monday. The crowd sitting in front of the stage majorly consisted of women. Behind the main stage, two women guarded the rear entrance and women volunteers managed the list of people going on stage to speak. All the speakers on Monday were women. “I am the only daughter of my parents. I lost my mother in 2014. My father told me that more than my wedding, he will be happy if I get martyred fighting for the farmers. If he could send me here, other women too should reach in huge numbers,” said a young Rupinder Kaur from the stage. Santok Singh Sandhu, a member of the stage management committee, said a message was sent to people in villages to carry out awareness drives for women to reach here on Mahila Kisan Divas. “They were also asked to carry out marches in their villages to observe the day. Also, today, no men are allowed to do anything around the stage. From kirtan in the morning to other things by the end of the day, everything has to be done by women,” he said. Groups of women reached the Delhi borders in buses, trucks and tractors to be a part of Mahila Kisan Divas and talked about how important their role is in the ongoing agitation. An 18-year-old Amrit Kaur who arrived with her mother and aunts said the best place for a woman is in the revolution. Pushpinder Dosanjh, a law graduate from Nawan Shahr who had come with her group of friends from Chandigarh, said the langars were started here by women and men are only continuing it. Ms. Dosanjh’s friend Kiran Dhillon, a businesswoman said: “Women are the backbone of the protest. If they were not holding the fort back in the villages by taking care of the farmlands, the men would not have been able to protest here. They have ensured that the protest goes on.” Protesters to Modi Rajeshwari Randhawa from Karnal who had come with a group of 25 women said she wanted to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take back the three farm laws and “if your people are asking women and children to go back, then I want to tell you that we are all a family. Men and women are incomplete without each other”. The youngest female protestor today was a three-month-old baby whose mother identified her as Japjyot Kaur, from Gurdaspur. “We have brought her here to show that if a little child can be here, those at home should also come out and protest,” said the newborn’s mother Harjot Kaur (26). Observing the Mahila Kisan Divas, a special performance by Lok Rang Noor Art group consisting of men dressed up as women to perform Punjabi dance “gidda”. “We work toward preserving the culture of Punjab and we will exist if people of Punjab will. These laws are against the people of Punjab and we are here in solidarity,” said Noor, one of the artists.

The Hindu

2021-01-19

NEW DELHI