Tarn Taran Diary

Man who repairs tools for harvesting crops

This man is well-known to the decades-old tradition of wheat harvesting. Charan Singh (65 ) is from his parental village Chambal (near Sheron), but works in Tarn Taran town on Muradpur road. Charan Singh (divyang in both the legs) runs a shop related to repair of instruments used in farming work like Kahi, Datari, Rambha and Toka for works like cutting fodder etc. “There was a time when days ahead of the wheat harvesting season (waadi), farmers and farm labourers came to get only harvesting related tools repaired, especially Datari to sharpen (datri noon dande kadhvaune). Some of them used to purchase new Datari to harvest the wheat crop better as there were no combine harvesting machines in those days, Charan recalls. He said that the harvesting season used to begin on Baisakhi day traditionally (mostly on April 13). Baisakhi is the desi month in Sikh religion when the New Year starts. He said that they (community involved in this repair work) were not paid by the farmers on the spot. Charan Singh added that in the villages, the Muslim community was involved in this profession, who also belonged to the Lohar caste. He said that there was a time in the village when the Muslim community too was present in remarkable numbers before partition.

The families of backward castes like Lohar, Tarkhan, Chhimba (tailor), Barbar (hair cutting), watermen (Mehra) and others were called by their caste names. They were meant to work for the high-caste farmers (Jats) and were not given them their contribution or cloth on the spot. They were the (Shepy) bonded labour and were given their due share at the time of harvesting wheat and paddy (rabi and kharif crops), Charan Singh said while remembering the old tradition. The members of watermen (Mehra) community used to supply drinking water to the workers harvesting crops in the fields. Charan Singh said that as traditional harvesting work has been totally replaced by machinery like combine harvesters, the harvesting season has been reduced to a work of few days while it meant months earlier. He said that every farmer family used to keep some part of their wheat crop, to be harvested for the needy community, which was called ‘chhioranbha’, under which every needy family was allowed to harvest from this part of the crop.

Charan Singh said though each and every thing related to harvesting has been replaced mechanically, he still earns enough to make both ends meet as he has no other liability as his wife expired years back and his two children could not survive after their birth. He lives with his close relatives in Tarn Taran town who take care of him and he offers all cooperation to the family. His manual work in his shop still speaks of the old traditional functioning and serves as an example of hard work and patience.

Punjabi poet Dr Suhinderbir honoured

It was a moment of honour for the intellectual and literary circles of Tarn Taran when renowned poet and critic Dr Suhinderbir was honoured at a literary function organised at Majha College for Women in Tarn Taran a few days back. Dr Jagdeep Singh Sandhu, District Language Officer, had arranged the function. Literary personalities from across the district were invited. The moments were nostalgic for Tarn Taran as Plasaur village, just two kilometers away from Tarn Taran, is the native place of Dr Suhinderbir.

While interacting with the students, Dr Suhinderbir talked of his poetic philosophy, his personal attachment to poetry, poem creation technique besides the present status of poetry. Dr Puja, Assistant Professor, Sarup Rani Government College, Amritsar, who did her PhD under the guidance of Dr Suhinderbir, in her address, threw light on different aspects of his personality. Dr Harminder Kaur, principal of the host college, presented a vote of thanks on the occasion.

Contributed by Gurbaxpuri

Amritsar