Jhallur Khera, a unique village, is almost an hour’s drive from Amritsar. While the houses in the village shine
Thanks to the ultra-modern infrastructure, some of which even has solar panels, the stone-and-dirt roads are difficult to navigate. An octogenarian villager says the road is in this condition because it is yet to be completed and a road roller is under construction. While most people echo the old man’s sentiment, a young man, 21-22 years old, says, “It is like this so that other parties cannot enter the village.”
Just at the entrance to Jhallur Khera village there is a large poster about a gurudwara that is visible from far away. The poster reads: “This village wholeheartedly supports Amritpal in the elections. Other parties should refrain from seeking votes here.”
Punjab is in one of the toughest election battles ever. For the first time in decades, four major parties — the Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiromani Akali Dal — have thrown their hats into the ring, that too without any alliance. The Bahujan Samaj Party is also in the fray. Since psephologists are yet to determine how fruitful this move by the parties can be, an interesting battle awaits for one of the thirteen seats in the state. Called the Tarn Taran Lok Sabha constituency until 2009, the fifth candidate for the Khadoor Sahib seat is Amritpal Singh.
Jallupur Khera, Singh’s native village, seems to be at war. There are no flags or posters of parties visible. There was a sense of organized chaos in the village as Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh was finally given a voting symbol (microphone) ahead of the June 1 elections. The youth in the village walked around with newly made posters of Singh. , while the elders gathered at the house of Amritpal’s uncle Sukhchain Singh. The house also serves as Amritpal’s election office, with his uncle in charge of his campaign while his parents campaign in another district.
The office, with a tent set up for more accommodation, can accommodate up to 10 people at a time. A number of supporters from distant districts gathered at the office after the symbol was awarded to discuss the election strategy for the next eleven days. Even as the village is abuzz with poll-related activity, most villagers choose to remain silent about the incidents in 2023, after Singh stormed into a police station with guns to demand the release of his jailed aide.
“Yes, the officers were there. You know what happened. The whole country knows it. It was a difficult time for everyone involved, especially for this village. Even after a month of his arrest, the police kept patrolling the village,” said a villager.
“Some of these people are helping us during the elections. They do it out of love and the cause that Amritpal promotes. The whole talk of Khalistan is false. The idea he (Amritpal) is promoting is mainly about a drug-free Punjab, employment, Bandi Sikhs and fair treatment of the state. Even the survey campaign is far from mentioning anything about Khalistan,” says Sukhchain Singh.
Another employee at the office says: “A number of parties have approached him. But Amritpal is not greedy for power or a seat. He only wants the best for the people of the state.” He adds: “His comparison with (Jarnail Singh) Bhindranwale is exaggerated. Appearance cannot be the only means of comparison. Go around and ask what Amritpal has done for the village and nearby areas.
A number of villagers said Amritpal had done a commendable job by setting up a de-addiction center in the village. However, some are concerned about it because admission to a drug rehabilitation clinic will label them as hafimi (addict). “Despite this, this is the first time that someone has done something about it,” said a 23-year-old villager, putting up posters of Amritpal.
There is good data about rampant drug use in Punjab. The aforementioned youth explain why most people, despite knowing about the threat, decide to get involved in selling and using drugs. “The system has a hierarchy. The top bosses of a gang always guarantee the foot soldiers that they will take care of their families if something happens. And they keep their promises. In fact, a daily wage job might earn you as much as Rs 400 per day. If you make a name for yourself, you can earn up to Rs 1,000 on an average day. If the government does not provide jobs and social security, the youth would turn to drugs.”
Another aspect of Amritpal’s poll campaign was to talk about Bandi Sikhs, Sikh political prisoners who remain in jail despite their sentences being over. “People are wrongly interpreting this as a Khalistani issue. I agree that some people made mistakes, but they were also punished. Keeping them in prison longer than their sentence is also harsh. Amritpal may have said certain things about Khalistan and we do not agree with it. No one is above the law. But we support him in this,” said a shopkeeper near the Khadoor Sahib gurudwara.
Many parties, especially the SAD, feel that the battle for Amritpal would reduce their votes. But shop owners near the gurudwara in Tarn Taran, once a hotbed of separatist activity, remain unperturbed. ‘The Akalis had a lot of time to help us with the drug threat. Instead, it increased during their tenure. There was a leadership crisis in the state and that is why AAP came to power in 2022. But we have realized that only Amritpal can change the situation. He helped us without being in power. Imagine what he will do when he is in power? says a shop owner outside Tarn Taran Sahib.
First print: May 20, 2024 | 11:58 p.m IST