‘Dholis’ in demand for electioneering

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 8

The demand for ‘dholis’ has risen amid electioneering. Since the marriage season is at peak, ‘dholis’ are in a dilemma about which offer should they accept — candidates for MC polls or their clients.

Around 582 candidates from various political parties are contesting the MC polls to be held on December 17. The supporters of the candidates are liaisoning with ‘dholis’ for campaigning in their support. Instead of a single dholi, candidates generally hire three to four ‘dholis’. But they are more interested in beating the dhol in the marriage functions where they make a good earning.

One of the dholis said that supporters of different candidates called him but he was hesitant as he knew that candidates wouldn’t pay him handsomely.

Another dholi, Satta, said the marriage season was on peak and the dholis didn’t want to waste their time in electioneering. Everyone is interested more in attending marriages than political leaders. “Candidates will forget us soon but if we beat the dhol passionately for our clients, they become our regular customers for years.

The Amritsar-based dholis are getting calls from other districts as well where MC and Nagar Panchayat polls are to be held. Local dholis are contacting their counterparts in Gurdaspur district for work here and they are attending candidate as well as marriage clients.

Desa Dholi, a resident of Ram Bagh, said, “Candidates don’t pay more to skilled dholis as they need dhol only to attract people. Musical beats of dhol don’t matter for them. We send our trainees with the politicians”.