It is the only village in the state where Muslims form almost the entire population. “There is no other village, at least in Punjab,” says Najib Khan, a former sarpanch. His nephew Adrees Khan is the new sarpanch of the village, a part of Dhuri segment of the Assembly. The village population is about 1,800 and the number of voters is about 1,100. “There is only one Jat-Sikh family and one Dalit family in the village”, said Khan.
The problems the people of the village face have cross-border links. “Several village girls, about 100 of them, are married off in Pakistan. The visa given to them allows them to stay either in Delhi or Uttar Pradesh. So, their parents and relatives have to go to Delhi or Uttar Pradesh to meet them,” says Najib Khan. “No politicians has cared to solve our problem,” said another panchayat member. Another problem of the village is of school. “We have been seeking upgradation of the primary school for 20 years. About 100 girls from the village travel to other villages to study in middle and secondary schools,” says Adrees. He said there was a need to set up a primary health centre in the village with at least one gynaecologist. “Many times, our women are reluctant to go to doctors outside the village,” he said.