Fruit of her labour

Deepender Deswal

There’s a budding guava orchard in Jind’s Dhakal village. A couple of years back, the entire four-acre tract was used for paddy cultivation by the family that owned it. The switch from agriculture to horticulture was forced by the rebellion of a young daughter of the family. Concerned about the deteriorating health of her asthmatic father and the adverse impact of stubble burning on environment, Sonali Sheokand pleaded with her family to not burn the stubble. And when her father, Shamsher Singh, didn’t pay any heed to her requests, Sonali, a class X student then, took the step that left everyone shell-shocked — she lodged a complaint against her own father for stubble burning with the authorities concerned. As a result, her father had to pay a fine of Rs2,100.

Given how things panned out following her bold decision, Sonali is both happy and proud of herself. A BA 1st  Year student now, Sonali realised the importance of clean environment in her childhood. Her father was an asthma patient, and his condition would deteriorate when stubble was burnt. “He would gasp for breath, especially during September and October because of pollution,” Sonali recalls. “Those moments were scary and traumatic for me and my family. His condition made me aware of pollution, and that awareness and fear for the health of my father instilled a sense of responsibility in me towards protecting environment.”

Sonali remembers the arguments she had with her father before eventually walking to the agriculture department and lodging a complaint. “When my father refused to listen to me, I discussed it with my friends in school and told them that I intended to lodge a complaint. All of them felt I had gone crazy. Nevertheless, I went ahead with my plan,” says Sonali, laughing.

At that time, it wasn’t a laughing matter for any one of course, especially her father. He was very upset. But now he, too, chuckles at the incident, and is proud of his brave girl.  “I failed to understand her concern when she asked me not to burn the stubble. But when we understood her concern and her passion for keeping the environment clean, we decided to shun paddy and diversify into horticulture,” he  says.

Having done her bit, Sonali isn’t happy with overall efforts being made, especially by politicians, to keep the environment clean. She complains the the decision makers wake up only when the problem becomes extremely serious and people start suffering and screaming. “Look at the Delhi election campaign. Was environment an issue in the polls? Did any politician or political party raise the issue and come out with a roadmap to tackle the problem while canvassing for votes?” Sonia asks, before answering the question herself. “Shockingly, none. It was same during the Haryana Assembly polls and the general elections. They are not concerned at all about the genuine issues that need to be addressed.”

Echoing her concern, Shamsher feels farmers will not resort to stubble burning if the government provides them with functional alternative to dispose of the stubble.  “I have suffered because of air pollution but have to earn a living for the family, save every penny. Managing the straw is a costly affair for the farmer,” he says.

Sonali, who’s studying Geography and History in her undergraduate course, has set her sights on judiciary as a career. “I want to specialise in environment law and contribute towards saving the environment,” she says. Given the start she has made, the journey to her chosen destination shouldn’t be too cumbersome.  

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