Farmers Movement Archive

Women take out tractor march in Patiala village before heading to Delhi

Patiala: A group of women of Daun Kalan village in Patiala district took out a tractor march on Wednesday before heading towards Delhi to participate in the agitation. Harjit Kaur, 51, of Daun Kalan village said she has been a farmer for the last 30 years and her father taught her how to drive a tractor before she got married. During the last one month, Harjit taught two women in her village to drive a tractor. On Wednesday, all three of them participated in the tractor rally held in their village. On Thursday, Harjit Kaur participated in the tractor rally held on Delhi border. Harjit, along with many other women from her village, is joining the protest for the second time. “We took out a tractor march in our village on Wednesday in protest against the three agricultural laws enacted by the Centre. After taking out a march, we boarded the bus provided by a farmer’s union and moved towards Delhi for the agitation. After reaching Singhu border, I participated in the tractor rally and drove the tractor again. I am the daughter of a farmer and have been driving a tractor for around four decades,” she said, adding that her husband runs a school bus while she tends to the field with her son and brothers. “We are doing farming on around 18 acres of land, of which we own five acres of agricultural land. We will not end the agitation till the government repeals the agricultural laws, which will reduce farmers to labourers in their own land,” she said. Hardev Kaur, a 48-year-old women from the same village, was also trained to drive a tractor by Harjit Kaur. “I learnt how to drive the tractor from Harjit Kaur and now, she will also train us in farming. This will help us improve our income as we used to do farming on lease or contractual basis.”

The Times of India

2021-01-08

Chandigarh