Tarn Taran byelection campaign ends; core issues remain ignored

As canvassing for the Tarn Taran by-election concluded on Sunday evening, several long-standing public issues remained completely ignored during the campaign. Despite decades of suffering faced by residents, neither the state government nor the administration has shown serious concern and the 15 candidates in the fray have failed to address the problems troubling the common people.

Instead of focusing on the real challenges of everyday life, the campaign has revolved around political accusations and self-promotion.

For years, hundreds of daily-wage labourers from Tarn Taran city and nearby villages such as Kadgil, Jeobala, and Sarhali Khurd have gathered along Muradpur Road near the city police station in search of work. Labourers like Sahib Singh, Sarwan Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Manga, and Laddu said they wait under the open sky every morning, facing scorching heat in summer and rain in the monsoon. They even have their meals by the roadside. Despite repeated appeals, the authorities have failed to construct even a simple shed for them.

While candidates claim to be champions of the poor, they remain oblivious to the misery of thousands of families living along the foul-smelling drains that run through Tarn Taran and nearby villages. Residents of Valmik Colony in Mohalla Tank-Kashattri said their relatives avoid visiting because of the unbearable stench from the nearby drain. In Chabal town, the sewage flowing through open drains has made life miserable for locals, yet none of the candidates has addressed the issue.

Around 20,000 residents of six nearby villages, including Adda Chabal, Chabal Pukhta, Chabal Kham and Chabal Ucha Qila, have suffered from a lack of safe drinking water for the past eight years. Equally neglected are the problems of poor drainage in many villages, frequent disputes over wastewater and the growing threat of stray dogs. The sides of open drains have also become dumping grounds for garbage.

The lack of basic amenities, such as waiting sheds at bus stops, further highlights the disconnect between candidates and ordinary citizens. Those running for office or their families travel by private vehicles and never experience the struggles of daily commuters. Issues such as traffic congestion, illegal encroachments and roadside markets have also been conveniently ignored.

Social worker Dr Sukhdev Singh Lauhuka said the time has come for the public to raise these neglected issues themselves, as political leaders continue to turn a blind eye.