India / Haryana women drive tractors during rehearsals for Tiranga Yatra

Jind: Women took the driver’s seat during the rehearsals for Tiranga Yatra, literally, on Friday, driving tractors through Jind’s Uchana — the Assembly constituency of Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala — as part of their preparations for Independence Day.

The farmers have announced to undertake Tiranga Yatras on the occasion of Independence Day in different parts of Haryana on August 15.

On Friday, women from villages surrounding Jind reached Uchana with their tractors to join the Tiranga Yatra rehearsals, with the male members of their family accompanying them while being perched on the side seats. Several women from the region had learnt how to drive ahead of the Tractor Parade of January 26 this year.

On Friday, as the cavalcade of women-driven tractors crossed Uchana town, dozens of locals were seen clicking photos and making videos.

Jind district BKU (women wing) president, Sikkim Nain, said, “We have undertaken the rehearsals for Tiranga Yatra so that we can give our best on August 15 and no inconvenience is caused to anyone. There is no doubt that women will again lead from the front in our Tiranga Yatra. We will show our strength on August 15 to those who say only a handful of people are now supporting the farmers’ agitation. We want to show that the long agitation does not deter us and we continue to stand united. The farmers will bring all their vehicles on the roads to join the Tiranga Yatra.”

The farmers have also planned to showcase all the tools that they use in agricultural works in the form of a tableau on the occasion of Independence Day.

Earlier, in February too, the women had led the agitation at several places in Haryana when the farmers had squatted on railway tracks as part of the four-hour ‘rail roko’ protest against the Centre’s three contentious farm laws. Even then the participation of women was especially impressive in Jind district, which is dominated by khap panchayats.