Watch: How Punjab's teenage girl Mehakpreet Kaur is nurturing her late father's legacy and uprooting societal expectations
PTC Web Desk: In the heart of a village in Samrala city of Ludhiana district in Punjab, where vast fields stretched as far as the eye could see, a teenage girl named Mehakpreet Kaur Dhillon finds herself thrust into a world of uncertainty.
She wanted to go abroad for higher studies, but little did she know that her dreams would be shattered amid the untimely demise of her father. Today, along with her studies, she does farming on 18 acres without anyone's assistance.
Mehakpreet Kaur Dhillon (19), a resident of Samrala in Ludhiana district of Punjab, is the only child of her parents. Her father, a beloved farmer, passed away three years ago, leaving behind a legacy woven with hard work, passion and an unyielding love for the land.
Mehakpreet says that even today, she faces the pressure of giving the land on lease. But she says her beloved father and grandfather dedicated their entire life to farming and never thought of giving the land on lease.
She recalls that her father would bring her home from school on half day saying "chal putt aaj kheti karde haan (let's go son, do farming)". She said though her mother would object to her father's decision of engaging her in farming, the latter always treated her like a son and would call her "mera sher putt (my brave son)".
Mehakpreet Kaur said when the tragedy struck them, she faced an agonising decision whether to abandon her father's beloved farm or to embrace the calling of the land. But she chose to honour her father's memory and preserve the legacy that he had woven with tireless dedication and love.
Her mother says that she is proud of Mehakpreet. "She goes to college, gym as well as do farming. She has challenged the stereotypes that deemed farming a man's domain," says a proud mother of Mehakpreet.
Mehakpreet says she misses her father and grandfather a lot, but is satisfied with the decision of embarking upon an extraordinary journey of self-discovery.
For Mehakpreet Kaur Dhillon, it does not matter what her neighbours and acquaintances say. She remains resolute, drawing strength from her father's spirit that seemed to guide her at every step.
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- PTC NEWS
