70 -year Canadian resident in fray for sarpanch poll

At Buttra village in Bhogpur, 70-year-old Harbhajan Kaur, who is the permanent resident of Canada, has come back to her village to fight the election for sarpanch.

A few days are left for the panchayat elections and Harbhajan Kaur, who moved to Canada in 1970s with her parents, is canvassing actively at her village.

“Main apne pind nu kadi nai bhuli (I have never forgotten my roots. I keep on coming back here,” she said. She starts her day early morning and meets villagers, asking for votes.

The village has 1,200 votes. Harbhajan wants to provide better education, health and sports-related facilities to her villagers. “There has been not much development in the village for the last several years, and this disappoints me. I will stay here only if people here elect me as their sarpanch and work for the betterment of the village,” she added.

She further stated that she talked to youngsters as well. “They want a gym here and I will definitely do that for them. Also, there is no government senior secondary school in the village. Apart from this, to ensure that the youth of the village are channeling their energy in sports, I will do my best to provide better sports facilities as well,” she claimed.

Replying a question on how does she maintain her energy level, she said, “When I meet my fellow villagers, it gives me a sense of happiness and satisfaction which boosts my energy level,” she said.

Harbhajan has another concern towards Punjabi language. She wants children and youngsters to speak in their mother tongue, which she feels is not happening. “It is important to speak in our own language. I will do everything to keep the language alive,” she added.

She is living here with her daughter-in-law Harpreet Kaur while her son and husband, who are Canadian citizens, are abroad. They will join her in a month. “They will come here soon. I hope that I win and I get a chance to serve people here,” she said.