Opinion: Thorns in Punjab’s throne
By Jaspreet Kaur The results of the Punjab Assembly elections this time were astonishing as well as historic. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) not only won 92 seats with a 42% vote share, it also defeated many veterans, including SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and former Congress chief minister Amarinder Singh, who has now floated […]
By Jaspreet Kaur
The results of the Punjab Assembly elections this time were astonishing as well as historic. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) not only won 92 seats with a 42% vote share, it also defeated many veterans, including SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and former Congress chief minister Amarinder Singh, who has now floated his own party Punjab Lok Congress, of the State’s traditional parties. The elections were unique and more complex in many respects, and seemed multi-faceted. The people of Punjab have not only given their mandate to AAP but have also put huge responsibilities and hopes upon the shoulders of the new Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
The new government faces the same challenges as before. This Assemble election was different from the previous ones because it was a non-agenda based. No party contested on the basis of any major issue — they were either seen indulging in mud-slinging or luring the people with enticing promises.
Pressing Issues
There are many urgent and sensitive issues in Punjab that should have been the basis of all political parties’ narratives, but these are sidelined by them. Punjab’s debt is the most relevant issue and demands immediate consideration. It is increasing by the day.
The Congress-led Punjab government left the State with a projected debt burden of at least Rs 2.82 lakh crore by the time its five-year term ended this March. When the Congress government took over the reins of the State in March 2017, it got the legacy of Rs 1.82 lakh crore outstanding debts from the SAD-BJP alliance government. However, populist announcements and cash disbursements in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly polls campaign would undeniably increase the State’s debt burden beyond the projected Rs 2.82 lakh crore. The first and foremost challenge for the new government will be to tackle this growing debt.
Poor Health, Infra
As Punjab is predominantly an agricultural State, it needs a well-planned and comprehensive agricultural policy. Agricultural and small and medium enterprises dominate the State”s economy. The agricultural sector contributed 25% to the State GDP in 2018-19. The growth rate of the sector was only 2.3% in 2018-19, compared with 6% for the State”s economy as a whole. But no policy related to agriculture was put forward by any political party. Punjab is ranked 19th in growth rate among the States of India.
The problem of unemployment in the State is also serious. Due to the ongoing privatisation and poor state of the public sector, the youth of Punjab is forced to go abroad. The condition of the education system in the State is critical. Many schools and colleges are without teachers. Punjab’s public health infrastructure is in a state of disrepair due to the apathy of the government and lack of funds.
Regional Issues
In this election, no political party spoke on regional issues plaguing the State like water, Chandigarh issue, Punjabi speaking areas, Punjabi language question, incidents of sacrilege etc. The recent cancellation of the representation of Punjab in Bhakra Beas Management Board and Dam Safety Bill faced stiff resistance from the people and there is unrest in the State on these federal issues.
Besides, the Dalits, comprising 30% of the population, here has its own issues. They are entitled to 33% of the share in the village common land based on the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) Act, 1961. But no political party has supported it openly and they still await their share. Problems facing women were not discussed by any political party and did not form part of any leader’s speech. Of the total 1,304 candidates in the Assembly election, there were only 93 women, making up just 7% of the total candidates. The equal representation of women is not on the priority list of any political party. Moreover, no political party has an answer regarding drug trade, sand mafia and the deteriorating environment of Punjab.
The new government will have to find a solution to these challenges without which Punjab cannot be taken forward in the right direction. The aggression of the people against the traditional parties was because they continuously ignored the above issues. People have high hopes and for the Mann government, it is not going to be an easy task.
(The author is Research Scholar from Punjabi University, Patiala, and associated with Peoples Pulse, a research organisation based in Hyderabad)
