Women add heft to stir against agri legislations

BATHINDA/PATIALA/TARN TARAN/SANGRUR: It was the Bhartiya Kisan Union or BKUUgrahan that came out with the slogan, “Jathe auratan de pindan ton chal paye, mardan pakayian rotiyan (groups of women have left villages, so the men cook food),” to motivate women to join the struggle against the controversial agriculture reform bills. From Bathinda to Patiala to Tarn Taran to Sangrur, the movement is gathering momentum. The eight-day-long dharna outside the residence of the former chief minister and Akali patriarch Parkash Singh Badal in Muktsar that ended on Tuesday had an unprecedented participation of women. It was another faction (EktaUgrahan) of BKU that spearheaded the agitation there. Prominent among the frontline women leaders at the protest site were the state working general secretary Harpreet Kaur Bindu and block-level leaders from Bathinda, Paramjit Kaur Pithon and Harpreet Kaur Jethuke. These full-time activists had a defined role to motivate villagers to join the protest that began on September 15 by making them aware of the impact of the bills on farmers. For Harpreet Kaur Jethuke, 40, from Bathinda, being a farm rights activist is a family tradition. “We work to sensitise villagers about all shortcomings of the bills and also oversee logistics,” she says. Paramjit Kaur Pithon is head

of BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) at Bathinda’s Rampura block. “Organising street plays on socio-political themes in about 30 villages in Rampura block is my prime duty,” says Kaur.

Harinder Kaur Bindu, 42, Patiala district president of BKU (Ugrahan’s) women’s wing, says she feels a sense of responsibility for what happens to farmers. “We worked hard to make other women aware of their importance, of adding to the numbers in these protests,” she adds.

The union’s general secretary Sukhdev Kokri Kalan says the agitation has intensified as “this is for first time that women are participating in large number.

‘Want farm women and labourers to join stir’

Ranjit Kaur (40) of Kallah village in Khadoor Sahib sub-division in

Tarn Taran district is quite vocal about how the bills will impact farmers and their families in the long run.

This homemaker has been helping her husband in his farm since she married him in 2002.

Someone who has been attending events organised by farmer groups in the district over last 10 years, Ranjit Kaur is now going from village to village to encourage women in farming communities to participate in the Rail Roko Andolan being launched from September 24.

‘We will force Modi govt to withdraw bills’

In Sangrur, Raj Kaur of Gharachon village has found another cause in the farmers’ battle against the agriculture bills. “I will be joining 50 other women in a protest at Patiala. We will

force the Modi Sarkar to withdraw the anti-farmer bills,” says the woman whose son is also a farmer leader.

Harwinder Kaur, 40, another woman from Gharachon says, “we have no other option, either we will die or win this fight against the government.”

Baljit Kaur of Gajewas village of Patiala, 70, is one of the oldest women protesters. She joined the fight with her daughter-inlaw. “There is anger among women against the Modi government. The government wants to snatch our land but we will teach it a lesson,” she says.

BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) has ensured it has a strong women’s cadre in villages. “Our male activists make langar for protesters. We don’t want to confine women in the kitchen,” a farmer activist says.