Sikhs form the largest chunk of the electorate and decide the outcome of most Punjab elections. However, a large segment of the youth migrating abroad for studies or jobs, along with the influx of labourers from other states, has made community traditionalists anxious over rural population shifts and changing local footprints.
Let us stay united and remain in high spirits (Chardi Kala),” Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj said on Monday. Arrange relationships; do not refuse. People from the Malwa side say no less; I asked them too. And second, do not shy away from having children; this is a Panthic matter. And children should be at least three, with Guru’s grace. This is not a matter of shame. So we are the heirs of those martyrs. Let us not disconnect children from the Guru, from religion, and from Gurbani. Gargaj is not the only Akal Takht leader who made this statement. I belong to a farming family, and I know that you require many hands for different work on the fields. So do businessmen.
Therefore, four children will pave the path for the family’s progress,” Giani Gurbachan Singh said while defending his statement from a political and demographic point of view. “And everywhere I say that those who are 30 plus should get married. Brother Mani Singh had 12 brothers; one attained martyrdom in childhood, and 11 were martyred. His senior, Giani Gurbachan Singh, had also made a similar statement in May,2015.
“I had earlier also advocated producing four children by Sikh couples.
Punjab’s mainstream political parties, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), were tight-lipped about Gargaj’s statement. Punjab politicians usually avoid commenting on statements made by the Akal Takht authorities. Once indirectly targeting Gargaj, AAP is also silent following the recent edict declaring Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as anti-Sikh and anti-Religion. Social media is also abuzz with reactions. People questioned the statement, saying that following this advice would overburden the family. If someone wants to follow the advice, the religious and state authorities should share the financial burden by arranging educational and other expenses. “This is a social subject, and society changes from time to time. The concerns expressed by the religious leaders are significant, but much will depend on how Punjab’s Gen Z receives and acts. I don’t think this will actually be beneficial. There were joint families, and then society converted to nuclear ones.
“The appeal made by Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, urging every Sikh family to have three children, is welcomed from a religious, Panthic and social perspective,” Punjab BJP spokesperson Sarchand Singh said. Producing more children also means more resource generation, which does not seem practical in a state like Punjab where brain drain is common, and the state is under huge debt,” said Professor Gurmeet Singh, a Chandigarh-based psephologist.
