We’re Punjabis too, not migrants: SAD ‘parvasi’ wing

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, May 26

The manifesto of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) says that Punjabis have the first right on the jobs and purchace of land in the state, the party’s migrant unit, ‘parvasi wing’, asserts that 45 lakh migrant population in state is now Punjabi, not migrant, and support SAD’s views. The parvasi wing’s general secretary, Mahesh Verma, also claimed that Punjab no longer attracts migrants due to unemployment and drugs.

“The SAD manifesto is not talking about the farm labour and industrial workers who are in Punjab for work. As voting ID is linked with Aadhar Card, most of the workers here register their votes in their native state. Others, who are here for decades, are now Punjabis and like natives, they are also concerned about jobs and employment opportunities for their children. Which job are they going to reserve for Punjabis? Where are the jobs?” said Verma, targeting the incumbent AAP-led dispensation.

“It is just political sloganeering. Actually, people are migrating from Punjab. The industry has migrated to other states. The state government failed to generate employment in other sectors. The governments in UP, MP and Bihar generate employment and strengthen the agrarian sector. Moreover, Punjab is no more favourite destination of migrant workers,” he said.

The Congress’s Sangrur contestant Sukhpal Singh Khaira has also been vocal on the issue and recently advocated that jobs, land and voting rights should be reserved only for Punjabis. However, when PM Narendra Modi reacted to Khaira’s statement, the Congress distanced itself from his remark. The Congress candidate from Amritsar, Gurjeet Aujla, speaks in favour of migrant voters in his rallies. In a recent poll meeting at Essma Estate, he said that just as Punjabis go to Canada and contribute to the development there, the migrants come to Punjab and develop themselves and the state.