By Harpreet Bajwa/The New Indian Express
Chandigarh, September 16 – Following in the footsteps of Maharashtra—which has often been in the spotlight for targeting “outsiders” amid the Maha Marathi row—several panchayats in Punjab are now passing resolutions directing migrant labourers to leave their villages.
Around 27 villages in Hoshiarpur district have passed such resolutions, announcing that they will no longer issue residence verification (residence certificates) to migrant labourers in their respective areas.
Migrants without valid documents issued in Punjab are being asked to leave within a week. According to the resolutions, those without proper paperwork will not be allowed to reside in these villages.
These decisions come in the wake of the gruesome murder of a five-year-old boy in Hoshiarpur on September 9, allegedly by a migrant worker. The incident has triggered growing resentment against migrant populations across various parts of the state.
The Chabbewal Panchayat passed its resolution on Sunday. Charanjit Singh, a panchayat member and husband of sarpanch Reena Sidhu, confirmed that many other villages in the region have either passed similar resolutions or are in the process of doing so. “There is unity among villages across communities and castes on this issue,” he added.
On September 13, a meeting was held in Bajwara village, attended by sarpanches from around 27 hamlets, including Chak Sadhu, Nandan, Singhpur, Bassi Bahian, Dada, Kila Baroon, Allahabad, Bilaspur, and Anandgarh. A joint resolution was passed stating that panchayats would no longer attest any official documents of migrant workers lacking valid identity proof issued by the Punjab government. It was also resolved that such migrants would not be allowed to stay in the villages.
A formal request was submitted to Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain for administrative support in implementing these resolutions. Similar decisions were also reported from Jaja and Zahura villages in the Tanda sub-division.
Bajwara sarpanch Rajesh Kumar alias Bobby Mahe said: “Migrants without valid identity documents have been asked to vacate the villages. Those already living here with documents such as Aadhaar or PAN have been informed that their relatives arriving from outside will not be eligible for any verification by the panchayat.”
He further stated that migrant workers residing on rent would only be allowed to do so if their landlords submit a written undertaking to the panchayat, taking full responsibility for them.
Mahe claimed that around 200-250 migrant labourers currently live in Bajwara. He alleged that many of them have illegally encroached upon panchayat land, building permanent houses with electricity meters and water connections without paying rent or obtaining legal permission. A complaint regarding these encroachments was reportedly submitted to the Deputy Commissioner on September 8.
He added that approximately 25 panchayats in the district have passed resolutions to withhold document verification for migrants since the September 9 incident.
The Baddla Panchayat’s resolution specifically mentioned members of the Gujjar community, who are also migrants. It instructed that any migrant with criminal records must report to sarpanch Kamlesh Rani. The resolution further stated that individuals with Aadhaar cards showing Baddla village as their address must submit photocopies of their documents to the sarpanch. Additionally, farmers employing such workers are required to provide written details about them.
Purhiran village, which also has a significant migrant population, a similar resolution was passed.
Elsewhere, two village panchayats in Bathinda district—Deepes and Gehari Bhagi—passed comparable resolutions. The Deepes village panchayat even held a protest, declaring that “outsiders will not be permitted” in the village. Labourers were instructed to stay near tube well motors rather than inside the village. Farmers hiring migrants must also ensure that their police verification is completed.
In Gehari Bhagi, the diktat was even more extreme. The resolution stated: Migrants cannot purchase property or homes in the village. They are prohibited from registering voter IDs or Aadhaar cards with village addresses. They may only reside in tube wells or farm huts, not within village residential limits. Farmers employing them will be held entirely responsible and must ensure police verification.
Even Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Sidhu Pur backed the resolutions, claiming that migrants, particularly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, are disrupting the social fabric of the region.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann responded to the village panchayats’ stance by cautioning against any form of discrimination. He said, “Tomorrow, Punjabis with businesses in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) or Kolkata could be targeted the same way. There cannot be such discrimination.”
Earlier this year, in July, the Lakhanpur Garcha Patti village panchayat in Fatehgarh Sahib district ordered all illegally residing migrants to vacate within a week. The resolution cited harassment of women and children by migrants loitering in the area. Sarpanch Barinder Singh Binda said that while migrants initially came to work in fields, many had permanently settled near canal banks in unauthorized shanties.
Last year, similar controversial measures were adopted by Jandpur and Mundo Sangtia village panchayats in SAS Nagar district. On November 24, the Jawaharke village panchayat in Mansa district went even further by passing a resolution that prohibited residents from marrying migrants. The panchayat warned that any resident violating the order would be expelled from the village.
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