A village panchayat in Jharkhand’s Gumla district has “banned” ploughing by a young woman in her own agricultural land and tried to impose a fine on her when she used a tractor to till the land.
Published: 05th August 2022 03:28 AM | Last Updated: 05th August 2022 09:18 AM | A+ A A-
Manju Oraon in her tractor. (Photo | PTI)
RANCHI: A village panchayat in Jharkhand’s Gumla district has “banned” ploughing by a young woman in her own agricultural land and tried to impose a fine on her when she used a tractor to till the land.
The incident was reported from Dahu Toli unde Sisai block of the district. The panchayat has warned her that she and her family will be ostracized if she defies the diktat.
Local residents said ploughing by a woman is a “bad omen that can bring pandemic or drought” in the region.
Manju Oraon is pursuing her graduation in Sanskrit.
She is recognized as a progressive farmer in the region. She has tilled her 10-acre land since the Covid-induced lockdown. She bought a secondhand tractor recently from her agricultural income.
“On Tuesday, I was asked to attend the panchayat where they questioned me about ploughing my land, an activity, they said, is supposed to be meant exclusively for men. They asked me if I was aware of the bad omen,” said Manju Oraon.
She responded by saying that she was not using oxen but a non-living machine.
“But the panchayat members were unconvinced. They ‘ordered’ that I would not plough my land anymore. If I do, then I, along with my family, will be ostracised.” They also wanted to impose a fine. “But I left the place, saying I did not agree with them,” said Manju.
The local administration has called a meeting of the village panchayat to resolve the matter.
“I would try to convince them against their superstition. I’d also tell them that women have been ploughing their land in several parts of the country by tractors and financially supporting their families,” said Aditya Chaudhary, officer in charge of Sisai police station.
Disclaimer : We respect your thoughts and views! But we need to be judicious while moderating your comments. All the comments will be moderated by the newindianexpress.com editorial. Abstain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks. Try to avoid outside hyperlinks inside the comment. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines.
The views expressed in comments published on newindianexpress.com are those of the comment writers alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of newindianexpress.com or its staff, nor do they represent the views or opinions of The New Indian Express Group, or any entity of, or affiliated with, The New Indian Express Group. newindianexpress.com reserves the right to take any or all comments down at any time.
Ranchi violence: Jharkhand government not taking interest into the investigation, says HC
Gaming industry more lucrative target for cybercriminals: Report
Karnataka cop suspended for assaulting villager, departmental inquiry ordered
All public services in Kerala will be available on mobile next year
Five engineers of Karnataka irrigation department sent to jail for corruption
Karnataka: Absconding wanted accused attacks cops while detaining
The Morning Standard | Dinamani | Kannada Prabha | Samakalika Malayalam | Indulgexpress | Edex Live | Cinema Express | Event Xpress
Contact Us | About Us | Careers | Privacy Policy | Search | Terms of Use | Advertise With Us
Home | Nation | World | Cities | Business | Columns | Entertainment | Sport | Magazine | The Sunday Standard