These women from city have set an example for others
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, March 8
Women in the city are proving themselves and leading in serving society in one or the other way. On Women’s Day, Bathinda Tribune highlights achievements of some of the women in the city who made efforts to bring change in society.
Celebrating ‘Teej Da Mela’ for 25 years
Well known as ‘Devta Aunty’, Paramjit Kaur at the age of 72 celebrates the Women’s Day by honouring women for their excellent performance in weaving under a programme ‘Aao Buniye (lets weave)’.
However, it’s not the only effort made by the Devta Yadgari Malwa Kalaakar (DYMK) Manch to make aware women about weaving but a number of other programmes on saving water, saving female child and stopping the menace of female foeticide and cultural events to keep alive the traditional culture of Punjab are being being organised by the DYMK Manch that now consists over 1,000 members, all females.
Paramjit Kaur, along with a number of theatre artistes, including Sarup Parinda (Chachi-Atro) who recently passed away, had performed street plays to create awareness against female foeticide and AIDS among the masses.
Paramjit is holding the posts of Joint Secretary of All India Women Conference; member, Lok Adalat, Bathinda; member, BANGO; and president of the DYMK Manch.
“For the past 25 years we are celebrating ‘Satrangi Peengh – Teej da Mela’ (a fair of women). At first, we faced criticism for celebrating the fair of women but later, several districts started organising the mela. In 2000, we prepared a soap opera, ‘Ghar Jawayi’, of which about 27 episodes were telecast on Doordarshan. Later, our telefilm ‘Paani’ (water) got telecast. In the past many years, we focused on saving water and girls and women only can save both water and girls. I along with my husband, who was a contractor by profession but a theatre artiste by passion, used to perform on stage but he died in 1997, following which we formed the DYMK Manch,” said Paramjit.
Teaching slum children since 2007
Teaching girl students from slum since 2007, double MA Meenakshi Bansal has set an example in Bathinda. While she has been never honoured or awarded by the government or the district administration but her dedicated and continuous efforts evoked many private institutions and NGOs to honour her for her good work.
It was a beggar girl at her doorstep to whom Meenakshi asked for reasons for not going to school but the little girl’s reply of being not allowed by her parents to go to school motivated Meenakshi to teach slum children.
“I adviced the little girl to go to school but she replied that she was refused for the same and then I asked her poor parents that I would teach her. This is how it started and the number of students reached 15 in one year. Today, there are about 135 students and I had got registered a society under the name of the Meenakshi Educational and Human Welfare Society in 2012 and then opened a small school to teach these slum girls. I am paying five teachers to teach children in this school,” said Meenakshi.
She said: “I was honoured by private institutions or NGOs during functions where I was invited. I belonged to Kotkapura and in 2010, an institution honoured me with ‘Pride of Area’. My students are like my daughters. Seven girls cleared the Class X examinations in 2013 with good marks while many joined stitching classes whereas some are doing computer diplomas.”
Making efforts to empower women
Having donated blood for 50 times till age of 65 years, Raj Gupta, former principal of SSD Girls College, had organised numerous blood donation camps at Swami Vivekanand Girls College, Bathinda. Though she had stopped blood donation four years ago, she is actively participating in social activities like women empowerment, HIV awareness and blood donation camps. She is also a member of the Lok Adalat, Bathinda.
Gupta said: “I donated blood last time when I turned 65 years four years ago, but the motivation did not stopped while now, I had begun participating in programmes spreading women empowerment and HIV awareness. I do my best in donating for various calamities.”
