REWARI: Hundreds of women joined the tractor rally at Jaisinghpur Khera on the Haryana-Rajasthan border and Masani in Dharuhera on Tuesday. More than 20 tractors were driven by women from the two states.
Tara Dhayal, from Sikar, Rajasthan, who took training for 10 days so she could drive the tractor, said: “We are here to make our presence felt.”
Rajwanti Bala was also seen steering a tractor. The woman who hails from Rewari said she knew how to drive the vehicle. “But after my marriage, I did not take the driver’s seat. My husband, Rambir, told me that I should join the tractor rally. He also trained me for two days,” she said. “This agitation is no less than the freedom struggle for us.”
At the rally, farmers from 11 states came with tableaus to highlight different themes. For the first time since the agitation began, 15 farmers from Assam joined the protest. Nathu Gogoi, from Assam, said: “Agriculture and allied sectors continue to be the predominant source of income for more than 70% people in our state. Despite that, the farmers are poor while others are making profits.”
A tableau readied by a group of farmers from Jammu portrayed how agricultural land was being converted for horticulture and industrial purposes. “We are one of the best dry fruit producers. But we don’t get good prices for the produce,” said Sewa Ram, a farmer from Jammu.
Among the tableaus seen at the rally were those prepared by farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.