III Religion and Caste in the Punjab

THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY August 4, 1962 Studies in Voting Behaviour III Religion and Caste in the Punjab: Sidhwan Bet Constituency Baldev Raj Nayar One approach by Congress candidates in their election campaigning in the Punjab was based on what may be called the "theory of factions". According in this theory every village, more particularly the Jat section of every village, is divided into two factions and these factions govern the entire life oj the village. During the election it was expected that these factions would align themselves with different political parties -in the typical case, one supporting the Congress and the other the Akati Dal. But, if the result of the election in the Sidhwan Bet constituency is any guide, the! theory of factions did not hold during the general elections. It was also expected that scheduled castes and Hindus Would invariably vote for the Congress when the choice was between an Akali Dal Sikh and a Congress Sikh. Here again, the result of the election failed to show any correlation between the per cent of scheduled castes in the population of a polling station and the votes secured by the Congress candidate. A corollary of the proposition that scheduled castes lend to vote for the Congress is that Jat Sikhs are unitedly behind the A kali Dal. In the Sidhwan Bet constituency, however, the Congress candidate did cut into the Jat Sikh vote. Affinal and agnatic ties, the traditional political, affiliations of particular villages, the presence of bitter factions — all influenced the Jat Sikh vote. THE reserved Assembly constitu lative Assembly of the Punjab. family he joined government service ency of Sidhwan Bet lies in the However, for all intents and pur as a clerk. He left the job in 1952 Ludhiana District of the Punjab; poses, the main contest was bet to support the S C F candidates the major part of it is in Raikot ween Ajit Kumar (Akali Dal) and during the first general elections. thana of Jagraon tehsil. The Gopal Singh Khalsa (Congress). Later he joined the Central Tractor Ludhiana-Ferozepore road divides Ajit Kumar was the general secre Organization in Bhopal as an ac the constituency into two parts — tary of the Punjab State Republi counts clerk. While in service he one known as Sidhwan Bet side can Party and, though not a Sikh passed his intermediate examination and the other as Dakha side. The himself, was running on the Akali in 1948 and afterwards joined the constituency derives its name from Dal ticket, and under the symbol railways as a ticket collector first the village Sidhwan Bet which was of the Hand allotted to that party, in Jodhpur and then in Hissar. founded by the caste of Sidhus, through an electoral alliance bet During his service in the railways the Bet referring to the fact that ween the two parties. He was he took active interest in the wel it is in the river area of the Sut- born in 1928 in a scheduled caste fare of the scheduled castes and in lej. There are no towns in the home in Ludhiana City, though his railway labour unions. Finally, in constituency though a large market ancestral village is Dhat which is a 1957 he quit railway service and centre called Mullanpur serves the part of the constituency. Because contested the reserved seat from area. The main crops are wheat, of prejudice in -Hindu and Sikh Raikot double member constituency, sugarcane, maize and groundnuts. schools at the time, he received his and secured 30,011 votes as against All the villages in the constituency primary education in a Muslim the Congress candidate with are now covered by the community school in Ludhiana. However, when 39,466 votes, who was then support development program. There are Muslims started converting sche ed by the Akalis. Since then Ajit some historic Sikh gurudwaras duled castes to Islam. Hindus — Kumar has been in active politics. (temples) in the constituency—places especially those belonging to the which had been visited by the Sikh Arya Samaj — began taking in In 1959 he went on an eight Gurus — a fact of considerable terest in the education of the sche days hunger strike in the food importance in the political loyalties duled castes, and Ajit Kumar join agitation. Later, during the anti- of the area. ed an Arya Samaj school. The betterment levy agitation an treatment he received at the hands agitation against the increase in The Candidates and Their of Hindu teachers and students was land taxes imposed on the plea that Background not exactly a happy one. and even- government projects had increased There were five candidates tually he passed his high school agricultural yields, a sort of pros Ajit Kumar (Akali Dal), Gopal examination in 1945 as a private perity tax — he was arrested in Singh Khalsa (Congress), Bachan student after leaving the school. 1959 and sent to Amritsar jail for Singh (Independent), Bir Singh Ambedkar and his All-India Sche 40 days. During the Punjabi Suba (Swatantra), and Lal Singh (In duled Castes Federation (SCF) had agitation he was arrested for his dependent) —- running in the 1962 by this time stimulated in him an part in the agitation for the protec general elections from this consti interest in politics, but due to the tion of civil liberties, going on at tuency for the 154-member Legis economic circumstances of the the same time, and served 37 days 1267 August 4, 1962 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY in jail. Though he himself went Tara Singh and his Akali Dal in borrowing entertainers and workers to jail on the issue of civil liberties the 1959 elections to the S G P C from this department, and though the Republican Party ("Shromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Gurudwara-Based Campaign itself is neutral on the issue of the Committee") — the central orga In the gwrudwaras, when the formation of the Punjabi Suba, nization responsible for the manage people assembled for daily prayers Ajit Kumar could satisfy the Akuli- ment of gurudwaras in the Pun or on special occasions, the priest oriented voters in (he constituency jab — though the Malwa Akali or the manager of the gurudwara that he had made sacrifices by go Dal as well as other organisations or a prominent personality of the ing to jail during the Punjabi Suba running against Master Tara Singh area, appealed to them in the name agitation in 1961, met with disastrous defeat in these of the Sikh religion to vote for the Gopal Singh Khalsa. the Congress gurudwara elections. Akali candidate Ajit Kumar. One candidate, was born in a scheduled Campaigning and Canvassing of the points which the Congress caste Ramdasia Sikh family in The Akali Dal Candidate Party tried to exploit was that Ajit 1903, in a village which is outside Ajit Kumar proved an able orga Kumar was not a Sikh. But in the the Sidhwan Bet constituency but nizer of his election campaign. He gurudwaras and outside, Akali not too far from it. After studying started his campaigning in the se workers explained that what they at the Malwa Khalsa High School cond week of January 1962 with wanted was to elect a member to in Ludhiana, Khalsa went to the a definite programme to visit the the Assembly, and not a priest to United States in 1923 and spent 170 or so villages at least once and the gurudwara. It was also pointed three years at the University o' twice if possible. He established out that since the Sikhs were ac Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and later offices at strategic places manned by cused of being communal, they in a college at Stockton, California. workers with the members of his should elect Ajit Kumar to vindi However, he did not graduate but family playing an active role. His cate their position and prove that joined the Hindustan National main strategy was based on the they were not communal-minded. Party and finally returned to India caste composition of the constitu But as far as the Jat Sikhs were in 1931. After his return to India, ency. For the scheduled caste concerned the appeal was made he took keen interest in the welfare votes, he approached the scheduled frankly and openly in the name of of the scheduled castes and joined caste panchayats. On his behalf, religion. With war cries of Sat the All India Scheduled Castes about five to ten members from Sri Akal, Akali workers asked the Federation of Dr B R Ambedkar. some 30 such panchayats went to voters to vote for the Sikh Panth. He was a member of the S C F various villages on foot canvassing In the speeches, given in the Working Committee and a close for votes. In addition there were gurudwarars, the sacrifices of the associate of Dr Ambedkar from four groups of workers on bicycles. Sikhs were recounted, especially of 1937 to 1946. In 1937 he ran as Two station wagons were also used Guru Gobind Singh and his sons, an independent for the Punjab to carry workers to villages. and the latter-day sacrifices in the Legislative Assembly and was elect- cause of the Punjabi Suba; it was As far as the Jat Sikh vote was ed. He was then appointed Parlia emphasized that now it was merely mentary Secretary to the Punjab concerned, the campaigning was a question of casting the ballot Premier Sir Sikander Hyat Khan. left to Akali workers, and the whereas in the past the Sikhs had From 1937 to 1946 he was also a gurudwaras were the main centres to fane bullets.

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