BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh): Girls, 90% of them tribals, have formed 15 cricket teams, named after their villages of Harda district in Madhya Pradesh. And they will play cricket for the first time for gender equality. Each team has 11 members aged 13-25 years.
The girls have never travelled alone outside their villages as well as district. They have arranged bats and balls by pooling their resources. They practised wearing shoes, slippers, salwar-kameez, frocks, kurtis, leggings, trousers and T-shirts in farmlands of their villages, which they used as playgrounds.
Members of the Dheki Team along with their coach ready to take on their rivals. |
They will play in the Girls Premier League Cricket Tournament at Salyakhedi on February 11-12. The tournament, organised by Yuvalaya, a group of youth of Harda, will have 6-over matches.
The names of the villages where the teams have been formed include Bagrul, Dheki, Saigon, Maida, Nayapura, Bhimpura, Chirakhan, Undhal, Salyakhedi and Jamunwali.
Bahut maza aa raha hai, Madhu Bachhaniya, 19, a Korku adivasi, of the Dheki team told Free Press over the phone. She dropped out of school after passing class 10. I practice from 12.30 to 4 pm at a farmland in our village. Before coming here, I have to complete household work, she says. The farm labourer parents of Madhu initially objected to her joining the team. Koyi inaam to milega nahin, they said. But Madhu believes that playing itself is the ëinaamí.
Reena Jatav, a Dalit from the same village, has never played cricket in the past but has seen boys playing in school. I had never touched a bat or ball, she says. Reena, the captain of the team, says that it was a difficult task convincing the parents of other team members, who had never travelled beyond the district. I told them that maybe if we will play well, we can build a career in the game, says Reena.
Deepika Kumbare, 15 of the same village enjoys both batting and bowling. She wakes up at 7.30 am and practises for four hours after cooking food and sweeping her home.
Vineeta Navel, 18, a Korku Adivasi, had quit studies two years back. She likes bowling. There is no TV set at her home. So, she has never seen a cricket match.
Bandana Kakodiya, a Gond Advasi, is the captain of the Bagrul Team. She enjoys batting. There are 12 members in our team. We are working very hard, she says. She is confident that her team will win the tournament.
Preeti Uike, a Gond Adivasi is the captain of the Nayapura team. Our ball is torn but we are playing with it, she says. Sheela of Shigon village is happy that she is getting to hold a bat. Earlier, I only held a broom and a mogri, says Sheela, who is 25 and married.
Satyam Uike, 17 of the same village is the 'coach' of the team. He has been playing cricket for three years.
Liberating experience
Playing cricket is a liberating experience for these tribal girls, who have never touched a bat or a ball in their life. Moreover, when they play, they make a strong statement against gender discrimination, demolishing the notion that games are meant for boys and men and that girls and women should better confine themselves to performing household chores. -Pinky Verma , member, Yuvalay, Harda.
