Harda (Madhya Pradesh), Nov. 20: On a day the All India Muslim Personal Law Board appealed for a better deal for women and a law to ensure their share in agriculture, young Nasreen underlined here that girls like her were capable of changing their lives without help.

The 19-year-old, a BA second year student, devoted four hours a day between college, tuition and domestic chores to dig a well inside her house in this small town.

The scarcity of water was acute when her father Rizwan, an auto-rickshaw driver, met with an accident and her mother was bed-ridden with stomach ulcer. The family had to fetch water from a well over a kilometre away.

“It took me 22 days to dig the well,” Nasreen said, adding: “At first, I used to cry seeing the condition of my parents. But then I pondered over it and decided to resolve the problem by digging a well.”

Mother Naseem tried hard to dissuade Nasreen, saying if her hands turned rough, she would face problems getting a suitable match. The daughter overruled the mother.

Madhya Pradesh minister for women and child welfare Kusum Mahdale was moved by Nasreen’s efforts. “She is a shining example for our society. Women and girls can do anything and everything that their male counterparts are capable of. I am recommending her case for a state award,” Mahdale said.

Former Olympian Aslam Sher Khan, also a former local MP, said he would take up Nasreen’s case with Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. “This is something that needs to be appreciated,” Khan said.

Harda is a small town, 180 km from Bhopal, and lacks basic amenities like water. As a result, most residents are forced to dig wells inside their house, which costs around Rs 20,000.

Now a proud mother, Naseem said Nasreen has been earning Rs 300 a month by teaching at a school.

Nasreen’s efforts coincided with the personal law board’s call for a “fair share” for Muslim women. In Lucknow, board functionaries called for an amendment to ensure that Muslim women inherited a share in agriculture.