Punjab Witnesses Rise Of Young Turks As Sarpanchs
Image Credit Bhawna Malik
Panchayat Polls Bring Good Tides For Young Political Leaders
A new generation of young leaders has risen in the Panchayat elections in Punjab. Bhawna Malik spoke to Rohit Sabharwal, newly-elected Sarpanch from Sheikhupur village in the Shri Chamkaur Sahib Block. He defeated AAP candidate Baljeet Kaur by 147 votes.
Q You come from a lineage, where your grandfather Angoori Lal Sabharwal was a Nambardar, your great Grandfather Ram Asra Mal Sabharwal and paternal uncles have been sarpanch of this village throughout. Did that inspire you?
Rohit: Yes, when you grow up in a family that has been serving its people and the trust people place on you surely inspires you. I learnt these values from my family.
Q You have also been a member of Block Samiti and now in a new avatar as a Sarpanch, what’s your vision for the people of your area?
Rohit: I feel immense gratitude for my villagers and all my supporters for giving me this opportunity to serve them better. I am born and brought up in Sheikhupur, so I have a clarity what ails my people. I am one of them and their concerns are mine too. There is no dispensary here, lack of medical facility, some hitches in the road connectivity, no playground, no proper school. All these are basic needs that a govt must ensure.
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Q The role of a Sarpanch is like a mediator creating a bridge between the government and the people, making people aware of the welfare schemes and policies. What schemes or policies do you feel AAP govt would benefit villagers?
Rohit: What welfare schemes? The AAP government has ruined and betrayed the people. They have no vision and its hardly a government for the common man as its name suggests. The Neele cards (blue cards) for the BPL people through which they get free ration were cancelled without any thought and people starved because of that. In my block alone 60% of the people lost their cards. I will try my best to renew their cards. Which human being can survive without food? This is the basic need and their right. Ours is a remote area hence roads connectivity has taken a back seat.
Q You have spoken about bad roads, lack of good schools, playground and health facility. Can you elaborate?
Rohit: We have no dispensary here, leave aside good doctors. I would ensure that my people have a good medical facility available to them, with a well-qualified team of doctors. Education is the backbone of every society. The fake claims made by AAP government regarding the A class schools is false and baseless. It’s not the building alone that ensures good education rather we need well qualified teachers and good number of students. If AAP’s claim is correct show me the increased number of students and newly appointed teachers. CM Bhagwant Maan is more concerned with putting his pictures in every school. People know the reality. ‘Ye jo public hai sab jaanti hai’.
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Q Punjab often is linked with drugs menance, you have not spoken about this issue at all?
Rohit: My village is not into drugs, yes people do take alcohol but occasionally. I will make sure that my people never fall in the trap of drugs or any substance abuse.
Q You are considered a close aide of former Punjab CM, Charanjit Singh Channi; you also campaigned for him in elections. Is that a boon or a bane for you?
Rohit: I learnt a lot from him. Channi ji inspired me to come to the forefront and work for the people. Yes, I am his loyalist and of course it’s a boon for me.
Q While filing your nomination papers you faced some hassles and you also went live on Facebook blaming AAP govt for this. What was the issue?
Rohit: Since I am a Congress loyalist, the AAP government tried hard to pull me down by playing cheap gimmicks – they even tried to cancel my nomination and making their candidate win without elections. But the result is for all to see. Their candidate lost badly just getting 47 votes.
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Q Lots of women candidates have won the sarpanch elections. One of them is even a migrant woman. How do you think their approach is different from male counterparts?
Rohit: It’s a good sign because women in the village can also approach them with their concerns. Yes, their approach would be different in some issues but that would be for the betterment of the villagers and not vice versa.
Q It is often observed that though a woman becomes the sarpanch, it is her father, husband or brother taking the decisions or getting things done on her behalf?
Rohit To some extent its true since a woman has household responsibilities, tending to kids as well, but when it’s the meetings she has to be there. Slowly thigs are changing and each women knows her mind and as leaders they are making a mark.
Rohit Most of the villagers are farmers and from 17th October they would be protesting again, where do you think the AAP govt lacks?
Rohit AAP has no vision. They have announced the ‘Zimni’ Elections at the wrong time. The zamindars are busy in the mandis trying to sell their crops since no buyers are there. The farmers are worried that their crops would be destroyed and old buildings have been painted and there is no recruitment of teachers and also no fresh admissions of students either. It has announced the elections date. Now how can they manage mandis and election campaigning at the same time.
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