Why wait for govt: Dhuri farmers show the way

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, April 26

In the past three days, farmers of various villages in the Dhuri subdivision have collected 1,000 quintals of wheat to help those whose crop was destroyed in a major blaze recently. Even as more help is on the way, committees have been set up to distribute the grain among the fire-hit farmers.  The eagerness to help seems almost contagious, with villages vying to outdo one another in the task.

In Benra village, 59 families have lost their crop. In nearby Benra, at least six families have been affected. The figures in other villages are being collected too. While Kanjhla, Kakkarwal, Katron, Bhalwa, Punnawal  Dhandra, Bardwal and Dhadogal have sent tractors laden with wheat bags, some others, such as Ranike, Dhura, Bhadawad and Hasanpur, have sent dry fodder for the cattle too. The camaraderie is heart-warming.

“We decided to lend a helping hand as government aid is invariably delayed. But these farmers needed immediate help,” explains Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Kanjhla village.  The farmers have been mobilised by Dhuri MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy. “We started a special campaign on April 23. Farmers hit by the blaze will not have to purchase wheat. We have already collected 1,000 quintals and expect another 700-800 quintals in the coming days,” he says.