Rahul’s rural foray draws NRIs to Punjab villages

Congress scion Rahul Gandhi’s forays into the huts of the poor and downtrodden may not have had the desired effect in the country, but super-rich Punjabi NRIs have taken a fancy to this experiment. A few, tapped by DNA, were found to be following the young politician’s footsteps by spending nights in improvised dwellings of their farm labourers.

Tony Gill, 27, a well-set realtor from Reading near London, flew down for a three-day trip to his native village near Taran Taran in Punjab and attend a relative’s marriage.
A day before the marriage, even as festivities were on in his bungalow, Gill was found missing. When his mobile phone was found switched off, worried relatives launched a search in and around the village.

Early morning, they found Gill sleeping on the floor in the small hut of one of their farm labourers. “I watched Rahul Gandhi spending a night with a poor family and wanted to experience the plight of our own workers,” he told astonished relatives.

He said he savoured rice and dal and country-made liquor as well, with his workers. “After dinner, I listened to their folk songs and enjoyed the rustic dances which I had never seen. Most of them are from Jharkhand and I learnt a bit about their culture,” Gill said.

Talking about the difficulties faced by migrant workers, Gill said that their living conditions were pathetic even though they were well paid. “They do not want to spend much here as they are more interested in saving money, which is remitted to folks back home,” he said.

Gill said he has decided to build pucca structures for them so that they wouldn’t have to brave extreme weather conditions. Similar is the case of Daljeet Singh Saroya, a rich farmer from Jalandhar. He was in England when he heard about Rahul’s endeavours. Back home he spent a night with his workers near his bungalow.

“I was pained at their living conditions. I have decided to construct a community bath, toilet and kitchen for them as they are living without their families,” Saroya said. He has also provided them with electricity connection, cots and pillows.

There are several stories making rounds of various villages in Punjab where Rahul-inspired NRIs have financed electrification of village streets and provided better housing facilities for their workers.