Ferozepore: Where caste loyalty is be all
From Gobind Thukral
Tribune News Service

FEROZEPORE: In the backwaters of Punjab an electoral battle is raging. But when over 12 lakh voters in the constituency are asked to choose their member for the 13th Lok Sabha, they will have a hard business at hand.

This constituency that borders Pakistan where the Satluj meanders through, voters express their annoyance at too many elections too soon.

Bahadur Singh, a farmer from a village near Talwandi sums up the mood thus: “The Akalis are defending the seat. The Congressmen and Bahujan Samajists are trying to wrest it. All know they will have to strive hard to woo the voters to the booths.”

Ferozepore 50 km from Lahore, once the capital of undivided Punjab, had the largest cantonment. It is the divisional headquarters of the railways and the Punjab Government, too, has its divisional Commissioner here. But there the story ends.

The proximity with Lahore has been a curse and during the wars with Pakistan, the entire district suffered.

“Over the years we have succeeded in getting an engineering college. There is no major industry, except ginning and milling, the ones based on farm produce. The area has remained backward despite leaders like Mr Balram Jakhar and others says a 72-year social activist, Mr Satyapal Baghi. He himself has set up a hospital and a nursing school in the town. In terms of education the district has remained neglected. The demand for development is very strong and, hence, an issue for the coming elections.

“Our cities and towns are unliveable and the youth poorly educated without jobs, says a doctor at Malout.In such a scenario what thrives is caste and communal politics. Each candidate, Mr Zora Singh Mann of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress man Hans Raj Josan and the BSP candidate, Mr Mohan Singh Phalianwala all have based other calculations for victory on caste loyalty. To whom will the Jat Sikh votes go? How about Kamboh and Rai Sikh votes. Scheduled Castes and the Hindus too count. If one candidate is a Kamboh another is a Rai Sikh and the third a Jat Sikh.

Interestingly, all three contenders enjoy a good reputation and are comparatively clean leaders. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Bal Ram Jakhar, who is contesting from Sikar, wanted either his son Sajjan Kumar or his protege Nagpal to fight this seat. Mr Mohinder Singh Gill, who once represented this constituency, was another contender. This competitive politics encouraged by the coterie around Mrs Sonia Gandhi has led to factionalism in the Congress. Taking affront to some remarks by Mr Harcharan Singh Hero, several Congress men collected at Mr Jakhar’s village near Abohar and threatened to walk out of the party. This has naturally disturbed the party candidate, Mr Josan. A united Congress alone can sail through, say many opinion leaders.

Mr Mann too has his problems. There are a lot of Akalis owing allegiance with Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra now backing BSP candidate Phalianwala. They count in Zira, Dharamkot and Ferozepore cantonment. The Akalis in this district are upset that the Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal, is spending a huge sum in Faridkot to ensure his sons victory. This has given Congress men a stick to beat the Akalis with. The BSP candidate, Mr Mohan Singh Phalianwala, had won two terms as he was either supported by the Akalis or the Congress.

This time he has the support of the Tohra faction alone. This may not be sufficient. But he is likely to get a big chunk of Scheduled Caste votes. Each candidate may eat into the others caste formations. Also from the talk in towns and cities about Kargil and the wars with Pakistan, it seems the desire for peace is strong here. Hence will Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s utterances on the issue fetch votes? Opinion is divided.