“On the plank of Punjabi Suba (State) and other issues, first the Akalis alone and later with support from BJP ruled the State. Parkash Singh Badal occupied the throne for a record five times, totaling a quarter century. During his tenure, millions and billions of governmental debt accrued. The mafia ruled the roost. Betraying the people who elected them, the Akalis treacherously yielded all power to BJP who had a field day. Rivers issue was dispatched to cold storage. Dynastic rule and nepotism became prevalent.”
The Center is really adamant about the black laws and is desperately trying to demolish and malign the farmers’ agitation by deployment of nefarious tactics and arm-twisting. Entire Punjab is in the worst crisis. A divide has been created between the farmers and the wholesalers, due to introduction of online trading of the produce. GST and other financial aid have been stopped by the Center with the ulterior objective of crushing Punjab and Punjabis.
The gigantic maladies impacting Punjab have been, and are, massive yet the endeavors towards discovering remedies have always been below expectations. Since India‘s independence, there has been no political outfit, worth its name, which has ventured, responsibly, into the arena of exploring viable cure to various afflictions. Political games have been played against Punjab, to reduce the martial race of Punjabis into reclusive, forcing them towards total annihilation. Major events continued unabated, leaving a bruised Punjab and instead of providing the much-needed succor, mere lip-service was provided and publicized.
Come 1947 and millions of Punjabis, on both sides of the border, were not only uprooted, killed or injured but their souls tormented at the turn of events. Then, 1984 became witness to an era of a massive communal divide and the rise of militancy and terrorist activities. Police atrocities were rampant with fake encounters and rapes. The misadventure codenamed Operation BLUESTAR was launched by the army, under orders from the powers that be. The Delhi Sultanate deprived Punjab and Punjabis of their due rights. The most recent misdeed is the enactment of the three draconian laws against the farming community. The Congress ruled Punjab for several decades, becoming a rubber stamp in the hands of the Center, thereby hurting the economic interests of Punjab. In a State that is primarily agriculture-based, there was no agro-industries which were established here. No emphasis was laid upon procurement, management and marketing of the produce, rendering the occupation of agriculture a totally unprofitable enterprise. Suicides became rampant due to the mounting debts.
Punjab was bifurcated on the basis of language, but a bulk of Punjabi speaking populace was separated from Punjab, when Chandigarh was snatched away and labeled as a Union Territory under Central rule, which also exercised control of the waterways. Punjab Congress leaders remained mute spectators. The writing of the saga of economic bankruptcy had started under Congress reign.
On the plank of Punjabi Suba (State) and other issues, first the Akalis alone and later with support from BJP ruled the State. Parkash Singh Badal occupied the throne for a record five times, totaling a quarter century. During his tenure, millions and billions of governmental debt accrued. The mafia ruled the roost. Betraying the people who elected them, the Akalis treacherously yielded all power to BJP who had a field day. Rivers issue was dispatched to cold storage. Dynastic rule and nepotism became prevalent.
The current Akali leadership has abandoned the original Akali ideology and has surely sidelined the pioneering and brave leaders of Akali history, thereby becoming a puppet in the hands of the land and construction mafia, brokers and wholesalers. The Akali image was tarnished as of the Congress. They ruled by rotation and it became sort of an unwritten agreement between them. Great hype was given to projects of public welfare, but it all remained on paper due to rampant bureaucratic red tape and allied corruption.
Health and education sectors became big casualties of these evil times. The overall environment became polluted, metaphorically as well as literally. Power came to be centralized with the throne of the Chief Minister, surrounded by an army of nominated advisors, police and bureaucratic administrators. Real leaders and elected representatives became obsolete and were ignored. Municipal Corporations, Village Panchayats, Block Committees and District Councils were rendered redundant bodies and absolutely marginalized.
All rights were usurped by the bureaucracy.
The 3rd and 4th Fronts were formed, from time to time, by leftist parties, Aam Aadmi party, People’s Party of Manpreet Singh Badal, Lok Bhalai Party of Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, Bahujan Samaj Party, Akali Party of Simranjit Singh Maan, Akali Party 1920 of Ravi Inder Singh and Lok Insaaf Party of Bains Bros. from Ludhiana, with all of these making sincere endeavors to provide an alternative with support from the public, who were fed up and desired change. Amarinder Singh has lost the public confidence due to unfulfilled promises. Akalis got maligned in the aftermath of the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and other religious matters. BJP has been in the doldrums due to the three black laws against the farmers.
Again, all of this is leading towards another major politico-economic crisis, all the new parties have failed to develop vote banks despite massive support from the Punjabi diaspora, worldwide.
Today, a great vacuum is verily visible. The Center is really adamant about the black laws and is desperately trying to demolish and malign the farmers’ agitation by deployment of nefarious tactics and arm-twisting. Entire Punjab is in the worst crisis. A divide has been created between the farmers and the wholesalers, due to introduction of online trading of the produce. GST and other financial aid have been stopped by the Center with the ulterior objective of crushing Punjab and Punjabis.
Now it’s only some months when Punjab is to go to the polls. All parties are vying to get votes of the farmers who have successfully kept all politicians, at bay from the agitation. The BJP finds itself at the lowest ebb in Punjab. So, the BJP may either compromise with the farming Unions or it may mend fences with the Dalits, OBCs and SCs by propping up their leader to become the face of the prospective CM or it may bring forward some prominent and popular Sikhs.
The Akalis, AAP, Congress and BJP are all trying hard to woo the people. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and BSP are toying with the idea of forming a 4th Front. Election manifestos, public rallies, leaders Confabulations andworkers conclaves are in full swing.
However, the pertinent query remains whether any political outfit or any conglomerate is empowered enough to stabilize the crumbling economy of Punjab, thereby filling the vacuum due to which the youth is restless and flying abroad and farmers are looking for avenues to safeguard their identity and existence. Punjab is in the throes of the menace of land mafia and overall corruption.
(The author is President Punjabi KalamnaveesPatarkarManch(Regd.),Punjab, India, and Chairman Punjabi Virsa Trust (Regd.), Phagwara, Punjab, India. He can be reached at gurmitpalahi@yahoo.com)
(Translated from Punjabi into English by Amarjit Singh Anand)