Chandigarh: Even as Aam Aadmi Party's Bhagwant Mann took oath as the 18th Chief Minister of Punjab, thousands of supporters, who voted the AAP into power earlier this month, gathered in Khatkar Kalan, adding to the sea of yellow with hopes and dreams for their improved lives with a focus on jobs, education and healthcare.
Before taking the oath, Mann said that it was not just him that was taking it and asked the 3 crore people of Punjab to take it with him to make way for a new Punjab.
Answering the comedian-turned-CM's call, a 62-year-old Mandar Kaur has been waiting for her pension for one and half years but hasn't been able to get anything. "Previous government had promised a pension of Rs 2,500 but I did not even receive Rs 25," she said.
Her husband, a labourer working for the government, passed away leaving her behind with their four children. "I have spent whatever savings I had and now pension is all I have to take care of myself and my medicines," she added.
Contributing to the yellow at Mann's swearing-in ceremony were several youths, who attended the event in large numbers and hoped that the AAP would bring the change they had voted for and remove barriers of caste.
"Several students cannot complete their education or avail higher opportunities due to their caste is unfair," Shivani Kakkar said, beaming that she had voted for AAP.
"On March 16, in Bhagat Singh's Khatkar Kalan, not just Bhagwant Mann will take the oath and become CM, but along with me all three crore people of Punjab will also become CM. Together we will make Shaheed Bhagat Singh's Rangla Punjab," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had said in a video message.
His supporters turned up in "Basanti" turbans and dupattas–-the colour associated with freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, whose ideas and works have now become the ideological foundation of the Aam Aadmi Party along with the ideology of BR Ambedkar.
Simran Preet Kaur has been seeking a police job but has been unable to secure one without bribery. "Bribery and corruption need to end for youth to flourish. I saw several people who did not score that well get a job simply because they had money to bribe. I don't have that and girls and boys like me who cannot afford to bribe an official will always remain stuck. This needs to end. Job opportunities for all youth need to be available. I have faith in Bhagwant Mann but only time will tell what sort of leader he is," she said. The pandal with yellow drapes and over 50,000 chairs set up across 40-acre-land near the Bhagat Singh memorial in the village in Nawanshahr district. All the party leaders congratulated Mann after the ceremony.
"Today marks an important day in the history of Punjab as 3 crore Punjabis will together be sworn in as Chief Minister along with @BhagwantMann. Oath to change this corrupt system & to fulfill dreams of Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh & Babasaheb Ambedkar," wrote AAP's MLA Raghav Chadha on Twitter.