Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, January 9
Flag the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in front of a group of local youths and they seem surprised. Probe them about other issues such as transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab and the merger of Punjabi-speaking areas, they have a blank look on their faces.
With the Assembly elections due early next year, the electorate here is least concerned about the issues that dominated the narrative in the previous elections. This time, the farmers’ issues and their agitation are talking points.
The youth, for their part, are least concerned about the elections, for they are busy preparing for IELTS. They say leaders must stop raking up old issues and, instead, put their ear to the ground and catch the pulse of the electorate for the forthcoming elections. “I am unaware of the SYL canal. My target is to obtain seven bands in IELTS and get admission in a good Canadian college. My father has taken Rs 10 lakh loan on our agriculture land. I do not want to waste his money,” said a 21-year-old man, who did not wish to be named, at a local IELTS institute.
The youth say they have heard about drug menace, sacrilege of religious books, and mafias ruling the cable, transport and sand business. For them, these issues hold little relevance, for they say leaders rake them up at the time of elections to garner votes. But rural and urban youth are well aware of the farmers’ agitation. They thank the farming community for having put agriculture at the centre stage of discussions.
“Politicians have failed to fulfil their promises, putting into question their credibility. We should be thankful to the farmers’stir, which has once again made our coming generations aware of the importance of farming,” said Rajpal Mangwal, a farmer leader.
Farm issues dominate poll agenda in Sangrur
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