Punjab News Express/Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: The issue of construction of Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to carry Haryana's share of water from Ravi and Beas rivers has become a rallying point for all major political leaders of state who are racing to grab power in Punjab. While ruling SAD and Congress have bounced back to old blame game, AAP taken the action to battle ground.
The issue has snowballed into major controversy after Supreme Court verdict in favour of Haryana at a time when assembly elections in Punjab are just three months away. The political fever is already soaring high due to early start of campaigning. The SYL issue has added more fuel to fire, all stake holders gearing up for agitation to protect the interests of Punjab.
It is interesting to note that Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) and Congress have won or lost many elections in the past on the issues of sharing of river waters between Punjab and Haryana and transfer of Punjabi speaking areas and Chandigarh to Punjab. Similarly in Haryana INLD, Congress and BJP have cashed on these issues. The entry of thir player the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) has rather made elections more interesting and new entrant challenging both SAD and Congress for their 'dubious' role in the construction of SYL Canal.
A blame game between SAD and Congress, blaming each other for 'betraying' peole of Punjab and allowing construction of SYL Canal has made it easy for AAP to blame both of them for the debacle. The SAD and Congress has their own set of excuses and blames which they are repeating time and again. The BJP which is ruling partner with SAD is confused lot since they have equal interests in Punjab and Haryana and incidently they are also running governments in Haryana and at the center. It is intriguing that if BJP is in in rule in both the states and also in center why it is hesitating to make an initiative to resolve the issue of water sharing amicably and why it is being allowed to become a bone of contention.
The SAD and Congress have their own interests in raking up the issue of SYL Canal which is God sent opportunity for the. SAD is facing strong anti-incumbency due to 10 years of rule and problems of drug menace, rise of mining, liquor and transport mafias and deteriorating law and order problem. SAD tried to make a communal divide by rasing the issues of sacrilege of Guru Grnath Sahib abd Qran Sharif but it boomranged since state police failed to arrest even a single culprit. Initially it tried to play the development card which lost its sheen too early due to exposure of ground realities on the social media. In such a situation bringing inter-state issues to fore front is only option for SAD.
For Congress it is difficult to project itself as an alternative to the SAD since it has ruled in the state for many years and contested the elections of same inter-state issues. When they had their governments in Punjab and at center, they failed to resolve the vexed issues. Capt Amarinder Singh had brought Punjab Termination of Agreements Act 2004 to nullify all previous acts of water sharing. It was considered a historial act but he failed to get votes in the 2007 assembly elections and Congress lost the elections.
The Government of Capt Amarinder Singh had mainly lost due to rampat corruption by his ministers and rule of a coutrie which Capt Amarinder failed to contain. Congress again lost in 2012, this time due to poll manupulations by SAD and over confidence of winning the elections. The drug problem had also started during his tenure but SAD-BJP government later fully organised this sector. Capt Amarinder failed to approach many rebels of his party allegedly supported by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal.
This time Capt Amarinder Singh is trying to make up his past mistakes and reaching out to people with new promises. But unfortunately he is carrying big bag of his past performance and also facing allegations of conniving with SAD due to certain corruption cases registered against him by the Badal government. Capt Amarinder Singh is unable to explain his stand on opposing CBI inquiry against Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia who is facing charges of being 'Kingpin' (as alleged by druig lord Jagdish Bhola) of the drug trade.
The most unfavourable point against Capt Amarinder Singh in and outside the party is his aristocrat style of working and his inaccesibility to common man and the party leaders. No doubt he is a crowd puller and enjoy the chrisma of being most popular leader of recent times. His major setback is factionalism in the Punjab Congress and it is feared that he may get a taste of it. The Congress had lost twice under his leadership. Cosidering this point, those waiting in the wings to replace him are sure that if he loses third time, it will be end of his political career.
AAP being a new entrant into Punjab politics is common target of Congress and AAP. The traditional parties are trying to defame AAP for its performace in Delhi. Arvinf Kejriwal is being targeted for being an outsider and being linked to Haryana. The SAD and Congress have alleged that he would not be able to do justice to Punjab since he has personal interests in Haryana.
Kejriwal is also being targeted for not issuing any statement on Supreme Court verdict on SYL Canal. Interestingly, if Kejriwal has not issued any statement, AICC vice president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi have also not spoken on the issue. The state leadership of AAP has issued statements to protect the interests of Punjab and also launched morcha from Kapoori. No national leader of BJP also issued any statement. Even the state leaders are in limbo.