ROPAR – Prince Khosla, 18, is briskly handing over banners and flags to participants at Aam Aadmi Party’s dharna outside the Ropar Deputy Commissioner’s office to press for resignation of Agriculture Minister Tota Singh for the alleged pesticide scam.
A social media head of the Anandpur Sahib group of AAP, Prince aims at contributing to the vehicle of change. He has managed to mobilise a number of volunteers through social media. He asks your Twitter handle swiftly, “Many of my friends doing business have moved to other states. I am concerned about the future of youth,” he argues.
A 59-year-old ex-serviceman, Gurinder Singh, who used to be ‘Leftist’, pats him on the back. “I have seen much military action and political movements. Youngsters need to be in the front as we use our experience to handle corruption, the biggest enemy we are facing.”
Manjit Singh, a veteran in politics and trade unionists stands close by smiling. One of the first 10 founding members of AAP in Ropar, Manjit Singh swells with pride, saying: “From 10, we are over 300 now.”
Away from the cacophony of the high-pitch Congress and Akali rallies, a mix of young and elderly volunteers of AAP gathered to kick start the first focused agitation of the party in the state, demand for Tota Singh’s resignation.
Similar protests were held in 13 parliamentary constituencies across the state. Though the number, a couple of hundreds at various places, was thin as compared to earlier AAP rallies, this is not a matter of any concern for the organisers.
“We do not believe in show of strength. We invite our booth-level workers only. In AAP, no one goes door to door to fetch rally participants like other parties,” said Manjit Singh, as he is busy writing name and contact of persons joining the protest.
No buses or swanky cars were seen near the protest site. “People join the protest on their own. They spend money from their own pocket. This is the way to cleanse politics,” said Himmat Singh Shergill, AAP legal head, at the Ropar rally.
“We are raising public issues. The Badal government was making the state poorer. Farmers were committing suicide. Hoshiarpur residents have to pay heavy toll tax in any direction they travel,” alleged Yamini Gomar, AAP spokesperson, who led the rally in Hoshiarpur.
Naveen Jairth, an advocate, who was one of the 300 persons who submitted an affidavit in support for AAP to enable its acceptance as a party, said a beginning had been made. “We adopt peaceful means of protest. We will raise the demand for resignation of the Agriculture Minister. The response has been more than expected.”
Said Gurinder Singh and Manjit Singh: “We have seen several movements. We have organisation skills and the dare to take on anyone who is anti-people. We had lost hope earlier but AAP has revived it.”
