Peace caravan from Nabha to Wagah border gets warm welcome in Palahi

The annual peace caravan traveling from Nabha to the Wagah Border received a warm welcome this morning at Village Palahi, where local residents, social activists, intellectuals, and writers gathered to greet the participants. The caravan was led by noted journalist Hamir Singh and political activist Colonel Singh Jakkhepal.

Speaking at a reception ceremony held at Gurdwara Baba Tek Singh in Palahi, Hamir Singh said the Punjab government was compelled to withdraw its Land Pooling Policy due to the united opposition from farmers, rural workers and villagers across the state. While various political parties have claimed credit for the policy’s withdrawal, Singh stressed that it was, in truth, the collective resistance of the rural population that shook the government. He expressed surprise that the Punjab government had failed to learn lessons from the repeal of the three farm laws, adding that the authority of the Gram Sabha was strong enough to deter government officials from implementing such unpopular measures.

Colonel Singh Jakkhepal, in his address, recalled the immense suffering endured by Punjabis during the 1947 Partition, when millions were killed and displaced. He said that despite the political barriers, people on both sides of Punjab still wished to engage and interact. Jakkhepal asserted that opening trade between the two Punjabs could restore the state’s pride and prosperity, making it the richest in the country. On the occasion, Hamir Singh, Colonel Singh Jakkhepal, Darshan Singh Dhanetha, Faljit Singh, Gurmit Singh Thoohi, Tara Singh Phagguwala, Kiranjit Kaur Jhaneer, and Manpreet Kaur Rajpura were honored with ceremonial shawls by the Gurdwara management committee.

Gurmit Singh Palahi, in his vote of thanks, said the caravan played a vital role in spreading awareness across Punjab, particularly in rural areas, encouraging people to stand for their rights.

Among those present were former sarpanch Ranjit Kaur, former panch Jaswinder Pal, Jasbir Singh Basra, panch Gurcharan Singh, former panch Madan Lal, Paljinder Singh Pradhan, Joga Singh Dhadde, Pala Sall, Harmel Gill, Harjinder Singh Basra, social worker Sukhwinder Singh Sall, Ranjit Singh Manager, and a large number of local residents.