Panjabis Borrow $1.7B to Migrate

A study conducted by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, on the emigration patterns in Panjab has revealed that Canada continues to remain the most preferred destination for Panjabis. The report, A Study on Overseas Migration from Rural Punjab: Trends, Causes, and Consequences, covered 1300 families from 44 villages from 22 districts in the period 2021 and 2023. Canada (41.88%) was the most preferred destination for Panjabis followed by Dubai (16.25%), Australia (9.63%), Italy (5.54%), United Kingdom (3.49%), the United States (3.25%) and others (19.98%). The study has found 13.34% rural households have at least one family member abroad. Women (65%) outnumbered men (35%) in obtaining study visas as they were able to secure the required IELTS bands. The study reveals that families have spent $21,650-$30,070 each on study visa and up to $4,811 each on work visa, spouse visa or Permanent Residency. At least 19.38% of migrant families sold their assets, including land, plots/houses, topsoil, cars, gold, and tractors. The price of assets sold by families to send their children abroad is estimated to be $679M for the entire state in the period 2021-23. About 56% of households borrowed money to send their children abroad. The average amount borrowed by migrant households worked out to $3,767 per household. Of this, non-institutional borrowing constituted around 39% and institutional funding formed around 61%. At the state level, people borrowed about $1.7B to migrate. On reasons for migration, people cited low income and lack of employment opportunities (72%), corruption and systemic problems (62%), drug prevalence (52%), social insecurity (50%), small land holdings (35%), landlessness (28%), and debt (24%). These numbers are all related to the inaptitude of successive governments and are a devastating indictment of Panjab’s progress and promise; the report omits Sikh and Panjab related political problems as a reason for migration.

On 9 Jan, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concluded its arguments on the framing of charges against INC leader Jagdish Tytler in the Pul Bangash killing case. The CBI said that there are eyewitnesses who saw Tytler instigating the mob during the 1984 genocide and there is sufficient material to frame charges against the accused (SDW | Vol. 1 Issue 8, Story 4). During his arguments, CBI's Counsel read the statements of four eyewitnesses, including Surender Singh, who saw the accused instigating the mob after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Special CBI judge Rakesh Syal listed the matter on 22 Jan 2024. This case is related to the alleged killing of three Sikhs — Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Gurcharan Singh — in front of Pul Bangash Gurudwara on 1 Nov 1984. A sessions court previously granted anticipatory bail to Tytler. While granting him relief, it was instructed that he is not to tamper with the evidence in the case or leave the country without court's permission. Meanwhile, in the case of Bandhi Singhs (Sikh Political Prisoners from the 1980s-90s) the matter seems to be going nowhere. On 20 Dec, SGPC called off its march in Delhi. SGPC then said DSGMC is in contact with the government over the release of the Singhs. Until now, the Center has not given either the SGPC or any other Sikh body a date for talks (SDW Vol. 1 Issue 15, Story 2). The cases are examples of the long struggle of Sikhs for justice in India.

Infighting in the Panjab INC intensified in the past few weeks over maverick leader Navjot Singh Sidhu’s personal rallies. Earlier, senior party leader Partap Singh Bajwa asked Sidhu to join the party’s programs instead of setting up his ‘own stage,’ referring to the latter's 17 Dec rally in Bathinda. None of the senior leaders from the party’s state unit attended the rally in which Sidhu attacked the AAP government for allegedly failing to deliver on poll promises. Sidhu went ahead with another rally at village Kot Shamir in Bathinda district on 7 Jan. INC leaders claimed the function was not a party event. The rally was organized by Harvinder Singh Laddi, who contested the Vidhan Sabha election on an INC ticket from the Bathinda Rural segment. In the rally, Sidhu targeted former INC CM Beant Singh, who was in power from 1992-1995, on the extra judicial killing of Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke. Sidhu said, ‘It is not only the police but also the political leadership of the time who was giving orders [who are] responsible for such crime.’ Sidhu held yet another rally in Hoshiarpur on 9 Jan. For decades now, the INC in Panjab has had different power centers but one of the immediate triggers is the upcoming 2024 general elections and whether INC and AAP will tie up and contest jointly like in the Chandigarh union territory. The parties are bitter rivals in the state. By saying he has no opinion on it, Sidhu is emerging as a contrarian voice and might end up splitting the party in the state.

The SGPC has sent a legal notice to social media giant X (formerly Twitter) asking X to deactivate and shut down a fake account in its name: @SGPCAmritsar_ with the SGPC logo. The apex Sikh body said on 12 Jan that it is concerned because spreading and encouraging hate propaganda against any religion or religious organization through parody accounts is a violation of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act, 2001, and Information Technology Rules, 2021. Misinformation and false propaganda are as old as human history, parody accounts must be closed, but it is ironic that the apex body of a religion that holds sovereignty as a cardinal principle argues its case in terms of law within the context of a nation. SGPC has imposed a monetary penalty on an additional head granthi (reader of the Guru Granth Sahib) of Akal Takht and other supporting staff for negligence in performing their duties that led to chaos during Bandi Chhor Diwas (Free Prisoners Day) on 12 Nov. For context, on that day a group of Nihangs briefly gained access to the Akal Takht faseel (podium) and one Nihang took over the public address system to criticize the appointment of Jathedars. Meanwhile, frowning on the wearing of western clothes, the SGPC has implemented a dress code for granthis and raagis (who play sacred hymns) deputed in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) and around 80 other Gurdwaras. The code is: traditional white churidaar kurta, pajamas, navy blue turban and a flowing beard.

The Panjab School Education Department has started identifying 5,000 students of Class XII from the science stream in government schools to make a group of ‘Super 5,000.’ The students will be especially prepared for medical and engineering entrance tests (NEET & JEE). In a letter to all school heads, including meritorious schools, the department has asked them to identify at least 10% of the total students in the class. There are 1,972 schools with class 12th. If every school sends an average 5 students, it is close to 10,000 students. What also remains unanswered is if promising students are just 3% or 8% of a class, would they be denied coaching? We know given the downfall of education in the state, many good students have moved to private schools. Are these private school students not entitled to coaching? In other school-related news, after the education department approved the inclusion of bananas in the midday meal for government school students under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-Poshan) scheme, a debate erupted over the choice of fruit. Farmers demanded instead of bananas, locally grown kinnows should have been included in the menu. INC Member of Legislative Assembly from Abohar, Sandeep Jakhar, wrote to CM Bhagwant Mann urging him to consider including locally grown fruits/vegetables such as kinnow and carrots in the midday meal menu so that farmers could also benefit. The midday meal scheme has other pitfalls. The government has made it mandatory to offer poori-chole once a week. The complaint is that teachers in charge of such elaborate meals were held up for almost the whole day. (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 1, Story 7).

Riding on the coal mined from its own mine in Jharkhand to fuel the thermal plants in Panjab, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has reported a profit of $68M in the quarter ending Sept 2023. This is in stark contrast against a loss of $226M during the corresponding period a year earlier. Power utility’s chairman-cum-manager Baldev Singh Sra attributed the profit to savings made by using the mine’s own fuel for the two state-owned coal-fired power plants — Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant at Lehra Mohabbat in Bathinda and Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant in Rupnagar. The Pachhwara mine — for which successive Panjab governments fought a legal battle for seven years — has already produced 3.3MT of coal. Now the PSPCL has signed its 9^th Public Private Agreement to buy 300 MW from Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) for an economical ₹2.72/unit. Overall, for two years PSPCL intends to buy 2,800 MW of solar power at an average cost of ₹2.51/unit from SECI. This is a step towards PSPCL meeting its target of procuring 6,000 MW of solar power. The PSPCL has floated tenders for another 2,500 MW of power and these will be opened in two months. This includes a 1,000 MW solar power plant in Panjab. Meanwhile, PSPCL sacked Assistant Junior Engineer Gurdeep Singh two days before retirement for siphoning off funds through fraud and theft and ordered a recovery of $507,000. The AJE blatantly bypassed the regulations of the National Green Tribunal and issued illegal tubewell connections in Bhadaur and other different subdivisions. (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 2, Story 3).

Samyukta Kisan Morcha and 18 farmer unions on 7 Jan organized a mahapanchayat (grand gathering) in Barnala. They demanded the enactment of a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price for crops, implementation of Swaminathan Commission report, and gave the Delhi Chalo call for 13 Feb. It has been over two years since the Farmers Protest of 2020-21 ended after forcing a repeal of the draconian Farm Laws. With a new protest starting, here is a peek into where the various unions stand vis-à-vis one another. After the protest, differences started with 22 of the 32 unions under SKM announcing the formation of the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) by Balbir Singh Rajewal on 25 Dec 2021 to fight Panjab assembly elections. SSM could not even get registered and all its candidates lost. Now, the farmer’s movement is divided into the following entities: SKM (Panjab), SKM (Non-Political), a forum of 18 farmer organizations from north Indian states, and a grouping of five farmer organizations led by Rajewal. SKM (Non-Political) is led by BKU (Ekta Sidhupur) Jagjit Singh Dallewal. SKM (Non-Political) recently joined hands with the forum of 18 farmer organizations from Panjab. The Rajewal groups are fighting over water shortage and pollution, accusing the central government of disturbing the federal structure of the states of Panjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan on the Satluj Yamuna Link canal issue. The biggest farmer organization of Panjab, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) split when Jaswinder Singh Longowal formed another group, BKU (Ekta Azad). The unions are in similar disarray as in 2020 but they could mount the Farmers Protest and win. It needs to be seen if they can repeat their feat this last desperate time before the 2024 General Elections.

The ruling AAP government in Panjab is trying to fix rival SAD leader Sukhbir Badal under old first information reports (FIRs). On 12 Jan, the Supreme Court dismissed the Panjab government’s appeal against a judgment quashing an FIR against Badal. The FIR was for allegedly violating orders passed by a public servant and committing an offense under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court wondered if the criminal case against the leader was staged. A bench of justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan questioned the Panjab government for moving in appeal against the August 2023 high court judgment, emphasizing that no case was made out to launch criminal prosecution against Badal. In Aug 2023, the Punjab and Haryana High Court also quashed a case against Badal. The case was filed by a private mining company alleging Badal obstructed its operations in Jun 2021. In Sept 2023, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted anticipatory bail to Badal in the Kotakpura firing case from Oct 2021. However, these cases are not one-sided. In Oct 2023, Badal filed a cyber-crime case against CM Bhagwant Mann for sharing several morphed and defamatory videos about the Badals and other SAD leaders from his official social media handle. He alleged the Panjab Police was acting as a stooge of the chief minister. Vendetta through official instruments is quite common in Indian politics. However, these moves become ironic when those in power fail to get legal protection.

On the morning of 26 Dec 2023, residents of Atkona village in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district thronged near the wall of a local Gurdwara. They gawked at a young tigress that was perching on the wall in full glare of the crowd. The sight created quite a spectacle and before long, the images from Atkona had been beamed across India and the world. The tigress was eventually rescued by the forest department after being tranquilized. Pilibhit is located in the Terai, marshy lowlands that border the lower foothills of the Himalayas. The Terai is a transition zone between the Himalayan range and Indo-Gangetic Plain. In Uttar Pradesh, the Terai stretches from Saharanpur in the west to Kushinagar in the east. It also forms the border between India and Nepal in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Terai is home to some of the tallest grasslands in the world. In 1947, after the Partition of India and Pakistan, for strategic reasons, Vallabhbhai Patel wanted to rehabilitate Sikh refugees in Jammu and Kashmir. Jawaharlal Nehru asked the then Chief Minister of the erstwhile United Provinces, Govind Ballabh Pant to settle the refugees in the Terai. The Sikh refugees bought land from local landowners at throwaway prices and have managed to hold on to these land parcels despite land ceiling laws. They grow sugarcane in these farms over 100 acres in size. The farms resemble the huge Terai grasslands they replaced and tigers find shelter in these inviolate, undisturbed spaces, well-irrigated by water channels. The Terai habitat supports about 485 tigers. Many of them live in these sugarcane farms and are accustomed to human beings.

One of the great impacts of the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan was on the shared culture of Panjabiat (Panjabi-ness) in both Panjabs — East and West. While in east Panjab, people celebrate Lohri on 13 Jan — on the last night of the coldest month ‘Poh’ in the Bikrami calendar — with great gusto, there are attempts to revive the festival in Pakistan as well. The festival of Lohri is inextricably linked to Rai Abdullah Khan Bhatti, popularly known as Dulla Bhatti, a Muslim Robin Hood hero of undivided Panjab. Post-1947, Dulla Bhatti was almost forgotten in Muslim-majority West Panjab, where Lohri started being called a ‘Hindu’ festival. In 2013, Tohid Ahmad Chattha, a historian and Panjabi activist, honored the rebel folk hero by reviving Lohri in Faisalabad (Lyallpur of yore). Gradually, Lohri traveled to Lahore, Multan, Kasur, and several other places. Pakistan-based lawyer-writer Nain Sukh, pen name Khalid Mahmood, said Dulla was a rebel executed by Mughal emperorAkbar. ‘Dulla could never fit into the narrative of feudal lords. The British also glorified Akbar. The INC and the Muslim League perceive Akbar as a kind and great king.’ Poet and radio anchor Afzal Sahir at the Panjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC) in Lahore, says, ‘We bore the pain of Partition, but we will not let our festivals be taken away from us. Vaisakhi and Lohri are cultural festivals of Panjab. Not celebrating these festivals means detaching from history.’ As an East Panjab journalist remarked: ‘Is it really difficult to understand Panjab? They remember Dulla Bhatti, not Akbar.’