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.
She grows vegetables.
“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.