Meet Jeevan Jyot Kaur: The ‘Padwoman’ of Punjab who beat Sidhu and Majithia

Jeevan Jyot Kaur, a relative novice in politics, managed to garner 39,679 votes to become the first-time MLA from Amritsar East. The activist-turned-politician managed to defeat Navjot Singh Sidhu—who could garner only 32,929 votes—and Bikramjit Singh Majithia—who could garner only 25,188 votes. Both the candidates had never lost before.

Long before the country heard about Jeevan Jyot Kaur, the 50-year-old politician emerged as one of the most important giant slayers of AAP in the 2022 elections. Punjab knew her as the state’s own ‘padwoman’ who actively promoted reusable sanitary pads, but this is a new role she was hesitant to slip into. it was 2015, Arvind KejriwalThe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was looking for a shrewd party worker for its Punjab wing and had considered life for the position. “Initially, I did not want to join it. I was working as a social worker and I felt that joining a political party was unnecessary. However, I reconsidered my decision later. Also, My mother, who is a staunch fan of Arvind Kejriwal persuaded me to join AAP.” Kaur says.

The political journey of life began as the spokesperson of AAP. She was then appointed co-chair of the AAP’s women’s wing in Punjab, and later became the president of the AAP’s Amritsar wing. In 2019, she climbed the ladder to become the party’s campaign coordinator in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and AAP’s national spokesperson during the 2020 Delhi Assembly election. Now she is among the 13 women MLAs of the Punjab Legislative Assembly.

Jeevan Jyot has been a renowned patron of many social welfare programs long before he entered politics. Hence, his promises of a drug-free society, free electricity and clean water supply resonated well among the residents of Amritsar.

“Back in school, I used to be a good speaker. I was an all-rounder who liked to make firm decisions for myself and my classmates.” After completing LLB from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Jeevan Jyot decided to volunteer for his parents’ NGO. Shree Hemkunt Education Society or SHE Society works in the field of education, health and women empowerment.

Presently the president, Jeevan Jyot also tries to educate girls and end the taboos around periods (menstruation). “We surveyed hundreds of schools in the hinterland of Punjab to study menstrual problems among teenage girls,” says Jeevan Jyot. Later, she started a campaign to provide free sanitary napkins to many schools, women in jails and old age homes, earning her the nickname of ‘Padwoman’ of Punjab.

She also collaborated with Ecofeme, a Pondicherry-based organization and a Swiss firm, to make reusable, organic and anti-bacterial pads for women.

“We created a two-hour long menstrual program and started a project called Ikoshi-Kranti. We covered about 500 schools, and distributed sanitary napkin-kits for free.” The Ikoshi project has since traveled outside Punjab as well. Currently, this project is working with women in Haryana and Bihar. Jeevan Jyot Kaur says, “We also gave a presentation at the House of Commons in London.

Currently, his NGO is running four projects including Ikoshi Revolution. The other three projects are ‘Mission Aabad’, ‘Badwal’, ‘Ek Nayi Soch’ and ‘SHP School’.

Throughout her career as an activist, Jeevan has worked for women empowerment and after her debut as a legislator, she resolves to continue it. ‘I will work to make my women financially independent in Punjab by promoting skill development programs and self-help groups.’ She wants to encourage greater female participation in politics and claims that her party will work towards preparing more women for the upcoming elections. Though the 117-member Punjab Assembly has only 13 women representatives, the number has more than doubled from the previous house which had only six women.

She also asks the youth to join politics. “It is time, youth start joining politics. Instead of running away from Punjab, they should work here for their own betterment. You see, good law is the solution to the mass exodus of our youth to Canada, Australia and other countries It is not a difficult task.” Amritsar East has become MLA for the first time.

From the never-ending drug problem to unemployment and mass exodus of youth to other countries, Jeevan Jyot Kaur has a long and arduous task ahead of her. However, as life says, “There are no smooth roads in life; With this understanding, the newly elected MLA has started his journey in institutional politics.