Balbir Singh Rajewal, 80, knows Punjab as well as he knows his crops. He was the face of the farmers’agitation, and now after forcing the government to repeal the three farm laws, the farmer leader has become the chief ministerial face of the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM).
The SSM, floated by 22 farm unions, is the youngest political party in the fray. It is trying to cash in on pro-farmer sentiment, which coursed through the state at the height of the farmers’ agitation. Like many parties born of a movement, the SSM appeals to emotions with the promise of a bright future for the state. However, with less than a month to go for assembly elections, can the SSM replicate the success of the Aam Aadmi Party that grew from the anti-corruption movement? The jury is still out.
On a chilly January morning, a month after the party was floated, THE WEEK met Rajewal at his rice mill, now run by his son, in Samrala, 60km from state capital Chandigarh—also the constituency he is contesting from. “We are yet to formally launch our campaign,” says the president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal). “People are not aware of the candidates. But wherever we go, we get huge response. You will see the campaign turning into a wave within a week.”
This story is from the February 13, 2022 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 13, 2022 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
