An unusual Sikh community’s tale of upward mobility

Punjab has an estimated 35,000 Ahir Yadav Sikhs, concentrated in some 26 villages of Patiala and Sangrur districts. The community makes up roughly a third of Dugal Kalan’s 3,500-plus population. Ahir Yadav Sikhs are also there in large numbers in nearby villages such as Devgarh, Bhootgarh, Dhur, Hariau Kalan and Nihal Garh. Most of them own land today. Meha Singh Yadav, who is in his mid-eighties, credits landownership among his clansmen to the Kirat Lehar militant agrarian movement led by Teja Singh Swatantra. This movement, which was mainly in the erstwhile PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union) princely region, resulted in ownership rights for many who, for decades, were tilling the lands of others.

“We were four brothers who got 10 acres each in the early fifties just after Independence. Now, I have 22 acres, which includes new land acquired through investing surpluses from intensive farming. We always worked hard. And, once we got some land, there was no looking back,” recalls Meha Singh. Jarnail Singh Yadav — whose 10 acres is from the 20 acres that his father and uncle received over six decades ago — admits that without the Kirat Lehar movement, “We would have continued to work as labourers in the fields of landlords”.

Besides land, many Ahir Yadav Sikhs — that includes Meha Singh and Inder Singh Yadav — also own harvester combines and reapers. These machines they take to Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat for harvesting the wheat and paddy from the fields of other farmers. “My brother looks after our farm, while I go with my men and machine to these states where we do harvesting on a custom-hiring basis. I make a couple of lakhs every season,” notes Inder Singh, whose family has 20 acres in Dugal Kalan.

Mishra Singh Yadav and Karnail Singh Yadav are Panchayat member and Nambardar (revenue officer), respectively of Nihar Garh village in Sangrur district’s Sunam tehsil. Both take pride in being turbaned Sikhs and frequenting the gurudwara at their village, which has no temple. “We could very well have lived without wearing turbans. But adding Singh to our names makes us feel we belong to this area. Living in Punjab as Sikhs has made us grow and become owners of both land and machines,” points out Mishra Singh.

In the past 3-4 years, however, the community has also begun celebrating Krishna Janmashtami organised by the Yadav Sabha in Patiala city. “We are, after all, from the kul (clan) of Lord Krishna and it is only appropriate we commemorate his birthday as well,” adds Mishra. In November, ahead of the Assembly elections, the Akali Dal-led government in Punjab granted OBC (other backward class) status to Ahir Yadavs, a longstanding demand of the community. “We are farmers. But our younger generation wants to go beyond agriculture, which is not as lucrative as it used to be. Reservation in government jobs and educational institutions should help in this direction,” feels Jarnail Singh Yadav.