Farmers Movement Archive

Bathinda sisters sell fruits to support father, but one wishes to join police, other armed forces

At 12:45 pm, when the sun is over your head and mercury has touched 42 degrees Celsius and the city is boiling under the scorching heat, you will find a 16-year-old girl arranging watermelons on the roadside while bargaining with a customer.The girl, Roshini, along with her 13-year-old sister, Nitu, attend customers while doing their homework using their father's mobile phone.At any hour of the day, you will spot these girls either studying or tending customers—who pull over at the roadside to purchase watermelons or muskmelons from them.Burning the midnight oil, these two sisters—from a poverty-stricken family—not just support their father to earn enough for two meals, but also attend online classes to pursue their academics.Roshini, when engrossed in doing her assignments, finds it distracting when all of a sudden a customer comes to make a purchase, but the thought of helping her father fills her with pride.In conversation with The Tribune, Roshini said: "After COVID hit us badly, we exhausted whatever minuscule savings we had left with. My father has a chronic backache, and he cannot sit for long duration and needs rest. Since our schools were closed, we decided to support our father in his fruit selling business and continue our studies as well."Roshni, who is a 10th class student, wakes up at 3 in the morning after freshening-up, heads straight to the fruit mandi. She accompanies her father to choose the best quality of fruits and then places a stall near the Rose Garden. They try and sell fruits to early birds and people who come for morning walks.After two hours, they move to Bibi Wala road and sell fruits till 8 in the evening.During the interview with this correspondent, a car pulls over, and an elderly man rolls down his window and asks the price of 2 kg watermelon.The younger sister, Nitu—who is sunburnt—wipes the sweat off from her forehead, and starts weighing the watermelons.The customer asks if the watermelons were sweet, to which, Nitu confidently, takes out a knife and cuts a piece of the fruit. Then,she offers the customer a slice and says, "find out for yourself"My father has raised us like boys, giving us full freedom to do and take a decision on our own. Unlike what I saw in Ganganagar, Rajasthan in my native village, where girls are considered as someone who needs to be protected and a married woman are subject to wear ghunghat (veil) both inside their house and in public places. He always tells us to do something to make us proud," added Roshni.When asked about their dreams, Roshini revealed that she wants to join the police force while the Nitu wants to severe in the armed forces.The girl's father—Om Parkash—was a driver earlier, but after developing health conditions, he switched to selling helmets on the roadside.Therefore, for the last five years, he sells watermelons in summers and helmets in winters.Their mother is a housewife.

The Tribune

2020-06-24

Bathinda