Sanjeev Rice Mills

Sanjeev Rice Mills sits right along Kurali Road in Dauo Majra, not too far from Kharar. If you are driving by, you will probably see the tall walls and maybe some smoke from the boiler. It is a busy spot, especially when the harvest comes in. The yard gets filled with trailers and tractors and it feels like there is barely enough room to move. We have been working here for years, dealing with the heat in the summer and the cold winds that blow across the open fields in the winter. Inside the mill, the noise is constant. It is the kind of sound you stop noticing after a few hours, but it stays with you once you go home. My clothes usually have a thin layer of dust on them by the end of the shift. We do not have a big office or anything like that, just a small space to keep the paperwork dry. Most of the time is spent out on the floor or near the loading area. The workers talk loudly to be heard over the fans. It is a lot of heavy lifting and watching the belts move. Sometimes we share a meal in the back when the afternoon slows down. It is just a local place doing what rice mills do. We see the same faces every year. Nothing changes much on this stretch of Kurali Road, and we are fine with that.