Dalit women lead protests as menfolk harvest wheat

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, April 28

Dalit women are leading protests in the district as the men are busy harvesting wheat. A district-level protest held in front of the DC’s office here today was dominated by women.

Gurmeet Kaur, a protester, said: “We belong to poor families. Our menfolk can’t afford to miss harvesting. At the same time, we are fighting for our rights and can’t allow our agitation to lose momentum. So, the women are taking to the streets.”

They are demanding that 33 per cent of the village common land — reserved for Dalits — should be given to genuine bidders from the community and not to dummy applicants nominated by the upper-caste villagers. The protesters are also seeking the arrest of all 33 accused in the murder case of Gurdev Kaur, who was injured last year during a clash between Dalits and upper-caste men at Jhaloor village and had died later at hospital.

“We don’t want our future generations to face insult and exploitation that the upper-caste men mete out to us,” alleged Parminder Kaur, another protester.

The women first gathered in the grain market and then took out a protest march in front of the DC office.

“These women might be illiterate, but they are well aware of their rights,” said Mukesh Malaud, district president of the Zameen Prapati Sangharsh Committee.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner APS Virk said ZPSC members had met him and he would take action as per the government policy.