Farmers Movement Archive

Village women prove mettle at protest sites on Delhi borders

Chakkar (Jagraon): As a large number of men from Jagraon villages join the farmers’ protest at Delhi border, the women, even the elderly, stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Every few days, trolleys ferry farmers, including women, to protest sites near Delhi.Since there was only one farmer union member at Chakkar village, residents formed the Naujawan Kissan Mazdoor Ekta Club to send villagers to the protest site near Delhi. “Till day before yesterday, we had sent 21 jathas (groups) from our village. Most of the farmers of our village, approximately 2,000 persons, have been to the protest site near Delhi. In the first jatha, we had 13 women, in the second jatha, there were eight and in the third, there were 15. Till now, we have sent around 50 women from the village, mostly to Tikri border. Such is the enthusiasm among women that even now we keep getting calls from them asking when the next jatha is going,” said Sukhjeet Singh, member of the club, who has gone to the dharna site thrice. He said similar enthusiasm can be seen among women in neighbouring villages like Derka, Dalla, Rommi, Kamalpura, Rama and Manuke.His mother, 65-year-old Gurmeet Kaur, said she has been to the dharna site twice and that she does sewa there. She said they would continue to protest till they accomplished the mission. “We fight to win. We don’t fight to loose. With Waheguru’s blessings, we will win this time as well,” she said.When asked if women agitators face problems at dharna sites, she quipped, “Had it been so why would we have gone there so many times? Women are happy to stand shoulder to shoulder with the men protesting for the farmers’ cause.”While women are going in batches, many of them have been staying put for a long time. Among them is the elderly Hardeep Kaur, who, along with her husband Jora Singh from this village, has locked the house to camp near the Delhi border. Hardeep Kaur said she is happy to be doing sewa among the protesters and demanded that the government repeal the contentious farm laws. Her nephew Maha Singh, who is also part of the club, said there are around eight to 10 women from the village at the dharna site. He added that another jatha with women protesters is expected to leave for the dharna site on Wednesday. Women from neighbouring villages are also heading for the protest sites. “My husband was here for a week and now I have come to do sewa here. He will come when I return after a week. My daughter Pawandeep Kaur also wanted to come but then some family members should be at home. In my absence, my sister-in-law cooks for my family,” said 50-year-old Ranjit Kaur, a resident of Malla village, whose husband Jagmohan Singh owns five acres farm land. “We will continue to fight for repeal of farm laws by the government even if we have to spend months at the dharna site,” she asserted. Another woman from Hathur area who has been to the dharna site shared her concerns saying, “Agar kissani khatam ho gayi, taan Punjab khatam ho jau. Kissani nu bachana zaroori hai,” (It is very important to save farming or Punjab will be finished. It is necessary to save agriculture). Parminder Singh, a resident of Chakkar village said that in the absence of women members of the family, village residents and relatives help with cooking and other chores. He said the essence of village life is mutual support.

The Times of India

2021-01-05

Ludhiana