Farmers Movement Archive

Age & gender no bar: These elderly women won’t budge

NEW DELHI: At 86, Charanjir Kaur is the oldest woman at the shelter home built especially for the women protesters at the Singhu border. She is also the head of her family that has only women as its surviving members. With no man left in the family, Kaur is braving the cold to stand by all women and men protesting against the three central farm laws. “This protest has united everyone in Punjab and I plan to remain here till the very end of this protest,” said Kaur. “Every youngster of Punjab is out here in the cold, battling everything that’s coming their way. Why? So that women like me can have three proper meals a day. Our lives depend on the withdrawal of these three laws that the government is not ready to take back,” she added. The shelter home, built by Khalsa Aid, can house at least 150 women at a time. At least two kilometres into the protest site, the home mostly has elderly women as its occupants. Battling the cold and now rain, these women are persistently protesting to fulfil their demands. Jarnail Kaur, another elderly woman, said, “Everyone is out here on the road for a common cause; we are not here out of happiness. None of us will budge till the black laws are withdrawn.” Emphasising that she has dreamt of a better future for the children in her family, the 68-year-old rued, “If such laws are implemented, we won’t be left with enough money to educate them well. These laws impact everything big and small in all the families.” Amid all of them sat a 10-year-old girl who listened to everyone intently. “My entire family is here and nobody stopped me from coming. I am comfortable inside the shelter and will stay as long as my family is here.” On the bed beside her was Harjit Kaur Sandhu, who feels age is just a number and one shouldn’t go by her age but her enthusiasm. “If the youngsters are protesting for our rights, I decided to come here to do whatever sewa I could offer. As I watched the news every day, my heart would sink thinking about the plight of my people here. So I decided to be a part of this revolution,” said the 64-year-old. Echoing Harjit, 70-year-old Arjindar Kaur said they had formed a new family at the shelter. “Women of all ages are here and they all are on the same page. We are not getting any personal pleasure by causing trouble to anyone. The moment our demands are met, we will clear out the place in a day,” she said. “If Prime Minister Modiji wants us to beg in front of him, we women are also willing to do that.” Watch Farmers' protest: Age is just a number for these elderly women at Delhi's Singhu Border

The Times of India

2021-01-06

Delhi