Bathinda: At 82, Mahinder Kaur from Bahadurgarh Jandian village may walk slowly, her back curved from decades of labor in the fields, but her resolve remains unshaken. The elderly farmer continues to pursue her defamation case against Bollywood actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, even after the latter offered an apology in a Bathinda court on Tuesday.
Kangana, who appeared before the court over her 2020–21 farmers’ protest tweet, was granted bail after furnishing a bond of ₹50,000.
Speaking softly but firmly, Mahinder said, “She (Kangana) has never met me. I will not forgive her. She is a big actress and political leader, while I am just a small farmer. Yet she made me come to court at this age. She should understand how much trouble and cost her visit causes the state and its people. She says her remark was misinterpreted, but that’s not true.”
Mahinder could not attend the hearing due to her poor health. Her husband, Labh Singh, appeared in court on her behalf. The couple lives with their son, Gurdas, in a modest, unplastered house near a bus stop. They own about 13 acres of farmland and rely on a few milch animals for sustenance.
Despite her frailty, Mahinder continues to manage household chores following her daughter-in-law’s death last year. Her son Gurdas, who suffers from a chronic illness and requires a urine bag, said, “My mother has worked hard all her life, but she’s grown weak now. My father is also old. We do what we can, and we’ve hired someone to help in the fields.”
Labh Singh added, “Ladayi ta ladni pendi hai (the fight has to be fought). She (Kangana) apologised in court, but only God knows what happens next. God has given us courage—otherwise, we are nothing.”
For the humble farming family, this case is not about celebrity or politics. It is a matter of dignity—an act of standing up for respect against power.
