JASWANT SINGH GANDAM / RAMAN NEHRA
India Post News Service
PHAGWARA: To end gender discrimination and break the traditional shackles of son-fixation, the awakened section of people have started celebrating Lohri for new-born daughters as well.
It may be mentioned here that Lohri is traditionally celebrated for a newly-born son.
Union minister of state for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash joined Lohri celebration for 101 newly born daughters.
The ‘Dhian Di Lohri’ function was organised by his wife and social activist Aneeta Som Parkash. Gifts and Lohri-related sweets like reoris, gatchak, chirwadas were given to the newly born daughters and their mothers. The traditional bonfire was also organized.
Addressing a gathering on this occasion, Som Parkash hailed the changing social scenario in which Lohri festival was also being celebrated for a girl-child. Calling it a new-age brand of women empowerment, Parkash maintained that by changing the medieval mindset of celebrating Lohri only for a newly born male child, people were now talking to gender equality and doing away with discrimination against women.
Phagwara municipal corporation Mayor Arun Khosla, Akali stalwart Jarnail Singh Wahid, SGPC member Sarwan Singh Kular, Phagwara BJP President Paramjit Singh Chachoki and party’s senior leader Avtar Singh Mand were also present, among others.
