Panthic hotspot to test SAD’s political mettle

Charanjit Singh Teja

The Khadoor Sahib constituency is set to determine the course of Sikh politics in the General Election. Considered a Panthic constituency, it is here that the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) will be testing their political mettle.

Traditionally an Akali stronghold, this constituency will see a contest between the newly carved SAD (Taksali) led by sitting MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and the parent party SAD. No wonder, both sides are gearing up and trying to make this the epicentre of Sikh political discourse.

Though a close contest between the Panthic leaders remains the main political talk here, people of this constituency are unhappy with the successive governments as “BiPaSa” (bijli, paani and sadak) is still a distant dream. The connectivity between villages that are located along both sides of Beas, compensation for crops damaged in floods and other issues like tilling land beyond fencing on the India-Pakistan border will play a major role in the polls.

Around 140 villages are located on both sides of Beas. There are several villages which are on the riverbed. The natives of these villages have to travel 30 km to cross the river through a bridge. Residents’ major demand is a bridge on Beas. In October 2013, nine boys were drowned as a boat capsized in the river.

Eight years back, then CM Parkash Singh Badal announced a bridge over the river, but nothing happened.

Residents of Mand (land where river used to run) villages of Tarn Taran hope that while celebrating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the Punjab government would construct a bridge between Sultanpur Lodhi and Munda Pind area.

Gurdev Singh of Munda Pind said: “The farmers have to take even their farm machinery on boats. The bridge is a necessity.”

But, Pargat Singh, a boatman, says he is sure that no bridge will be constructed and he won’t lose his livelihood earned by ferrying people.

Farmers of the Mand area did not get compensation for the crops damaged in floods. Darshan Singh, a farmer said, “We got the last compensation during the previous SAD regime. The Congress government did not give a single penny.”

The constituency has 110-km India-Pakistan border line. The nation may have forgotten the 2016 surgical strike, but farmers of Khemkaran and Patti are yet to recover from the loss. The area residents, already fighting rampant drug smuggling, unemployment and farm crisis, had to evacuate their homes.

Farmer Arsal Singh Sandhu said, “Farmers have more than 3,000 acres beyond the fencing near the border. They face inconvenience due to restrictions by the security forces.”

The Dalits, who work as farm labourer, are upset as there was no announcement for farm labourers in the Budget.

Mukhtiar Singh, farm labourer from Bhail village, said, “Modi announced Rs 6,000 for farmers, but nothing for us. There is no social security for us. Even the Atta-Dal scheme is now closed.”