MIDDLE: Tractor (son) of a farmer

Tractor (son) of a farmerby Archit Watts

A tractor is not just a tool to irrigate the farmland. It is more like a son to almost every farmer and there are a number of stories related to it.
It was a quiet, cool and breezy Sunday morning of summers in 2005. I was then a B.A. (Hons) final year student in Government College-11, Chandigarh. I and my friends Manreet, Gagan, Amninder, Dilpreet and Nitin were discussing how to get success, name and fame in life.
Suddenly, Amninder got a call from his father on the cell phone. All of a sudden, he disappeared from the scene leaving us all clueless. His absence disturbed us to the extent that we started a manhunt. After a long search, we found him sitting outside the swimming pool in a pensive mood.
When we asked him the reason, he broke into tears. Without giving any second thought to the matter, Manreet snatched his cell phone to know what actually was disturbing him.
Had his girlfriend broken up with him? That was the only question cropping up in our minds. After going through the call details, we came to know that the last received call was from his home and not from the 'estranged' girlfriend, much to our relief. Then one of us offered him a glass of water to soothe his nerves and again started thinking over the possible reasons troubling our dear friend.
On our repeated attempts, he broke his silence and disclosed that his father had earlier sold two acres of land (in Sangrur district) to ensure his studies in Chandigarh. Now, it was the time for his younger brother to get admission in some private college to join the MBA course in Chandigarh. His family had no other option but to sell off their old tractor —which was just like a family member to them — so that his younger brother could also realise his dream.
Nowadays, when I switch on my television set, a famous song: “Jatt Ne Ford Tractor Vechya Ro Ro Ke” (Jatt sold off his Ford tractor with tears in his eyes) reminds me of the plight of my friend's family.
The song not only presents the true picture of the "grim and gloomy faces of farming community" but also reminds me of Amninder, who went to Australia on a student visa like most of Punjabi youngsters who prefer to secure a job and citizenship abroad to live a decent life. 


Courtesy: The Tribune