Sutlej on three sides, border fence on the other, why this flood-hit Punjab village is refusing to vote this election

As one alights from the berhi (wooden boat) to reach the entrance of the village, there are no roads but just vast stretches with thick layers of sand.

Malkeet Singh at his house damaged in floods. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

Surrounded by waters of Sutlej river on three sides and Indo-Pak border fence on the fourth, the small village of just around 300 people, in Ferozepur district of Punjab, is approachable via boat on most days, barring the days when army sets up temporary pontoon bridge on the other end.

As Punjab votes for 2024 Lok Sabha elections on June 1 in the last phase, the residents here say they might not even vote this time. It doesn’t feel like an election in Kaluwala, where neither any party’s flag nor poster is placed on any wall or house, as villagers say they are yet to overcome the flood trauma.

During the floods, as Kaluwala was drowned in waist-deep waters, and was completely cut-off from the outside world, the villagers were forced to spend more than a month on the rooftop of the village’s government primary school, the only building which survived the raging flood waters. Such was the state of affairs that despite repeated letters and requests, even a new boat wasn’t sanctioned in time to help villagers evacuate and they had to borrow one, say the villagers.

After surviving the floods, largely with their own grit and determination, the villagers had even demanded that their village should be merged with neighboring Pakistan, as no government from the Indian side of Punjab considered them humans.

Sand all around after floods in the village Kalluwala in Ferozepur. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

“Why should we vote? What has the vote given to us till now? Edhar koi nahi pucha saanu, pher assi keha ki saanu Pakistan naal hi mila do (No other bothers here if we are dead or alive. That’s why we had said that it’s better if we are merged with Pakistan). Maybe someone will listen there. Only we know how we survived floods here. We lived on the rooftop of the school for more than a month. My 4 acres of agricultural land has been reduced to sand. Even the animal fodder is being grown with great difficulty. When no government or any political party is bothered if we are dead or alive, then why to live here?We are in no mood to vote this time, neither has anyone come till now to ask for them,” says Lakhwinder Singh.

Malkeet Singh says that of around 45 families, almost 20 have already moved out. “The village has just 157 registered voters. After class V, children have to travel to high school on a boat in the nearby village Gatti Rajoke. Many parents, unwilling to send kids on boats, prefer to discontinue their education. Even a few who are pursuing graduation have no future here,” he adds. “Even to vote, we have to go to nearby Nihale Wala village via boat only.”

The floods came as last nail in the coffin for the “island village”, where a hand pump throwing stinking, contaminated water is the only source of drinking water, riding a boat in the middle of the night the only option in case of medical emergencies and the government primary school that came up in 2021 doesn’t have a regular teacher. What’s more? None of the villagers here have the ownership of the land they cultivate.

Indo-Pak wars, floods or “surgical strikes”- the people here say that they have only struggled for their whole life, trying to rebuild their village after every blow, but 2023 floods have almost put the village’s existence at stake. “As soon as these few families left behind also leave, Kaluwala will cease to exist,” says Satnam Singh, 37.

Not a penny of compensation received, say villagers

“It was only the NGOs and gurdwaras which sent us some groceries during floods. No politician came. Our animals died as there was nothing to feed them. So when no one came then, they should also not come now to ask for votes,” adds Satnam Singh.

Floods have left behind trail of destruction, and there’s only sand as far as one can see. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

Malkeet Singh further says, “Those who were in actual need of compensation after losing their houses were never given a penny, while the rich in other villages, who were close to officials, were even given twice. If such would be the system, why would we vote?,” he asks. “Even the new boat came after the floods were over. We had to borrow one to shift people when the waters raged.”

Political dynamics

In Ferozepur parliamentary constituency, consisting of border districts Ferozepur and Fazilka, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has been the six-time consecutive winner since 1998.

In 2019, SAD president and former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal won from here. This time the party has fielded Nardev Singh Bobby Mann, son of Akali stalwart late Zora Singh Mann, three-time former MP.

The Congress has fielded Sher Singh Ghubaya, a Rai Sikh and a two-time former SAD MP from Ferozepur, who had shifted to Congress. He was defeated by Sukhbir Badal in 2019 by over 1.98 lakh votes. The AAP has fielded Muktsar MLA Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar, while BJP has fielded four-time Congress MLA (from Guru Har Sahai) Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi.

Most villagers in Kaluwala are from Rai Sikh community, which holds considerable sway during elections.

The Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat consists of nine assembly segments: Ferozepur rural, Ferozepur city, Guru Har Sahai, Abohar, Fazilka, Balluana, Jalalabad, Muktsar and Malout. All except Abohar were won by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2022 Punjab assembly elections.

Kaluwala village is a part of Ferozepur city segment, from where AAP’s Ranbir Singh Bhullar is the current MLA. In 2002 and 2007, BJP’s Sukhpal Singh Nannu and in 2012 and 2017, Congress’s Parminder Singh Pinki, had won from here. Nannu recently joined AAP.

The government primary school in the village doesn’t have a regular teacher. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

“AAP’s Bhullar never visited here after winning the election in 2022, nor did SAD’s Sukhbir Singh Badal. Pinki had still come once during Covid and Nannu visited once after the floods. But no one has got us the compensation for flood damage yet,” says Nishan Singh, 28.

“Every few years, either due to tension at the border or due to natural calamities, our village has been bearing the brunt since Partition. Mere 157 votes hardly matter to anyone,” says Malkeet, adding that demand for a bridge to help villagers commute has continued to remain pending for decades.

Harbans Singh, sarpanch of the village who lives in nearby Nihale Ke village, says, “No one is interested in the election this time from both villages. Neither candidates are coming to us, nor we are going to their meetings because they know that they failed us during floods. Kisi ne saadi baan ni fadi si (no one had supported us during the crisis).. Not a single penny of compensation reached us for flood damage. Where is AAP now? No one came to us then so why should we vote for them now? In case AAP and SAD candidates step here to ask for votes, they will have to answer several questions.”

What has further angered Kaluwala residents is that despite being at the receiving end for over 70 years now, they are still not the “owners” of the land on which they live. The land, being next to the border, is still owned by the government.

“Saadi huney vi kachhi paili hai… (We are cultivating the land which doesn’t belong to us). Are we aliens?,” says Malkeet.