MEHALKALAN (BARNALA): Manpreet, a gutsy young girl of Loha Khera, has decided to toe the line shown by Kiranjit and work with other women to save their dignity and self-respect. Kiranjit's 11th death anniversary was observed differently, with many women coming forward to fight against the oppressive forces, especially the human mindset that terms them a weak entity.

It was observed on Tuesday in this dusty village on Barnala-Ludhiana road with hundreds of men and women paying not only floral tributes to the daughter of the land, but also pledging to fight against "anti-poor and antiwomen forces" . However, in the centre was Manpreet Kaur. About a couple of months back, Manpreet had fired shots in the air at the doorstep of an eve-teaser , who used to harass her on her way to college. With determination writ large on her face, Manpreet declared to wage a war against eveteasers and gave a clarion call to all young girls to come with her. Terming Kiranjit as her role model , Manpreet said Kiran's courage inspired her. Paying her tributes, after accepting the Shaheed Kiranjit Kaur Award, Manpreet said, "The real 'shradanjali' to Kiranjit is to toe the line of her courage that she had shown even in her death." A clump of her killers' hair was found in Kiranjit's fists when her body was found in the fields on August 12, 1997.

Prem Pal Kaur, widow of former committee convener Bhagwant Singh, too called upon women to face anti-women forces with courage, so that nobody dared to play with their modesty. She loudly said, "Women must pledge to save themselves as Kiranjit and now Manpreet did."

Even after 11 long years, the anger of villagers against her killing has not subsided. And it came to the fore on her 'barsi' when angry people turned up in hordes and asked the government to rein in anti-people forces. They also stressed remission to Manjit Dhaner, one of the Kiranjit Kand Virodhi Action Committee members. "The anger of residents against Kiranjit's killing can be gauged from the fact that hordes of people came out to pay their tributes and are willing to strive against any highhandedness ," said committee leader Narain Dutt.

CPI state secretary Bhupinder Sambhar and many others paid tributes to Kiranjit Kaur and lauded Manpreet for her courageous act.