‘Dhiyan Di Lohri’ breaks taboo in Jalandhar

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 13

For years, a girl’s birth has been considered a curse in the district’s Nathewal village. But, a government school teacher is trying hard to change this.

Celebrating “Dhiyan Di Lohri”, as he calls it, Ajmer Singh Aulakh plays a Santa Claus for newborn girls.

He visits the homes of all villagers where a girl is born along with his school students who queue up behind him, greets them with mungfalis, gacchak, rewari, milk bottles and teethers — gifts the school staff buy at their own expense — to celebrate the birth of the girl child.

“Things were different when I joined the school 11 years ago. There was time when families did not even accept congratulatory messages when a girl was born. Boys’ birth was celebrated but girls brought mourning. Girls at the school were also few. I wanted to change the villagers’ thinking. So, we thought of distributing gifts to girls when they were born. We started collecting information about all girls born in the year and began visiting them on Lohri. This way, we have been celebrating ‘Dhiyan Di Lohri’ for the past 10 years. This has brought a major change, which is visible at the school,” Aulkah said.

When Aulkah took charge, the Government Primary School had 45 students — 15 girls and 30 boys. Today, the school has a total strength of 50 students with 32 girls and 18 boys.

“We had begun celebrating ‘Dhiyan Di Lohri’ by inviting the entire village. But some families wouldn’t come. But with us visiting them now, there’s no escaping. There is a change in people’s attitude. Now, if we miss visiting a family where a girl is born, the members approach us themselves, which is a positive change,” he added.

Step forward

• When Ajmer Singh Aulakh took charge 11 years ago, Government Primary School had 45 students — 15 girls and 30 boys
• Today, the school has a total strength of 50 students with 32 girls and 18 boys