14 october 2024 : Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) have played a crucial role in promoting unity among villagers to ensure that sarpanch candidates avoid engaging in petty politics and are elected unanimously. In many villages, NRIs have communicated to residents that their financial support for development projects will only be available if they remain united in selecting sarpanches without opposition.
As a result, the villages of Ucha and Musapur in Jalandhar successfully elected their gram panchayats without any contest. Sukhbir Singh, elected as sarpanch of Ucha, stated, “The NRIs want their funds for development to be used effectively. Upgrading the government dispensary and building a library are my top priorities.”
Joga Singh Sandhu, an NRI from Calgary who left Ucha in the late 1990s, expressed, “We are willing to provide resources for the village’s progress, but we oppose divisions and petty politics. We couldn’t persuade the residents to elect a sarpanch unopposed during the last panchayat elections, but this time we succeeded.”
Musapur, home to around 500 residents, elected Rajwinder Kaur as sarpanch unanimously. She mentioned, “The NRIs dislike divisions in villages. My priority is solid waste management.”
Nanak Singh, an NRI from Musapur currently in England, said, “We are pleased that the villagers listened to us. This will eliminate internal conflicts in the village.”
However, in Sann Kalan and Dosanjh Khurd villages in Banga, Nawanshahr, the NRIs were unable to persuade their fellow villagers to elect sarpanches unanimously. UK-based NRI Shaminder Singh, originally from Sall Kalan, shared his disappointment: “I made significant efforts to convince people to elect a sarpanch unanimously, which would have made the village eligible for ₹5 lakh in development funds and fostered harmony among residents. Unfortunately, we couldn’t achieve our goal. When political divisions arise in villages, it hinders overall societal development.” Harpreet Singh, one of the two candidates for the sarpanch position in Sall Kalan, emphasized that “there are numerous issues that need urgent attention.”
