Braving all odds, women at forefront of farmers' protest

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, January 3

Women in large numbers have emerged at the forefront of the farmer's protests against the farm laws in Delhi.

This has led to the new awakening of gender equality amongst the male-the dominated mindset in the state amid the farmers protest.

Women of all ages are out are staging a protest demanding the repeal of the farm laws.

In the past few weeks, they have braved all odds and stayed put despite Delhi’s bone-chilling winter amid lack of toilets, privacy or hygiene. Many are staying in the tractors in the cold.

These women have given a new fillip to the protests as some can be seen singing revolutionary songs, while others are giving fiery speeches. They have been occupying front rows and are shouting slogans against the anti-government.

Shingara Singh Mann, state secretary BKU Ekta Ugrahan said “We have always believed that women should be given equal respect and chances as they are no less than men in any aspect, due to which our union has mobilized women in large numbers to participate in this protest.”

Harjinder Kaur Bindu, BKU Ekta Ugrahan women wing president said: “More than 2,000 women are staging a protest at Tikri border only and we have known that this fight against three farm laws would be big, so we planned that farmers along with their families would participate in this protest and mobilize the farmers accordingly.”

She stated that young girls, college-going women, newly married women and the elderly were all are participating in the protest.

80-year-old Mohinder Kaur of Bahadurgarh Jandian in Bathinda, who hit the national headlines after Kangana Ranaut tweeted her photo, said: “I went to Delhi to participate in protest because the union government want to give their lands to the big corporate houses, to save my land, I went to Delhi.”

Paramjit Kaur of Bathinda district, who along with his 10-year-old daughter is in protest at Tikri border said: “They have sacrificed everything and has come here along with her family in protest to save our land, because if we will not have land, then how we will survive. It is a fight for our survival, so she will be staying along with her family till these laws are not repealed”.