Ground report: The choices before Punjab

The political setting isn’t any totally different as Punjab heads into meeting polls in lower than two weeks. There’s a drawback of loads: There are too many political events within the fray and folks aren’t certain what the political harvest would yield.

Historically, akin to the monoculture sort of farming practised within the agrarian state that sows paddy and wheat, Punjab has had two events for a very long time: Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). In 2017, a brand new social gathering made its entry: Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP). This yr, the variety of events has diversified. Disgruntled Congressman and former chief minister Amarinder Singh has fashioned Punjab Lok Congress and tied up with Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) and a few Akali leaders. There may be the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a farmers’ union social gathering, which, like AAP needs to alter Punjab’s politics.

Folks, nevertheless, level to an irony: Till final December, Punjab led an over-a-year lengthy farmers’ protest in opposition to the Centre’s farm legal guidelines. Whereas the Centre stated farmers would have had the liberty to promote their produce to any purchaser outdoors the state-regulated wholesale markets, farmers feared the legal guidelines would finish in a company takeover of their land and stockpiling of farm produce. They have been pitted in opposition to an elected authorities on the centre, however displayed acute political consciousness and resolve. That pressured the federal government to conform to their calls for. The legal guidelines have been in the end repealed.

The irony: quickly after the protests, the farmers discovered themselves within the midst of an election. They’re speculated to elect a authorities however might discover it onerous to make it accountable. This scepticism is palpable when one talks to farmers.

“This has been occurring for the reason that British left. It fits the state to disregard folks’s actual energy and distract folks by empty ritual of elections,” says Harinder Kaur Bindu, common secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan). “Do you keep in mind how militancy resulted in 1992? By calling for elections. Solely 23% voted, however a authorities was fashioned. Calling elections is how the state retains a canopy on who actually exploits folks–your entire political class.”

The political soup

The SAD-BJP authorities, whose regime resulted in 2017, was mired in controversies, with allegations that the management of the state assets had shifted to mafias in sand, gravel, transport and liquor even because the drug menace continued unabated.

Incidents associated to the sacrilege of holy books and locations of worship, and the killing of two protesters on the Behbal Kalan police firing fuelled the simmering discontent within the state—in October 2015, the police opened hearth at folks protesting in opposition to the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Congress gained the 2017 polls not simply due to the SAD-BJP anti-incumbency, but in addition as a result of its then chief Captain Amarinder Singh swore on the Sikh holy textual content to resolve Punjab’s woes. The brand new entrant AAP was seen with plenty of cynicism, significantly because it was hobnobbing with these projected as Khalistan sympathizers. The Maur Mandi blast was another excuse that drove many city Hindus to vote for the Congress.

Congress candidate Harminder Singh Jassi had simply completed his ballot marketing campaign on 31 January 2017, three days earlier than the final elections, when a strong bomb blast rocked Maur Mandi close to Bathinda. Seven folks, together with minors have been killed within the blast, and 14 have been injured.

Regardless of promising to rid the state of the dual evils of corruption and drug menace, the Congress did nothing after coming to energy. Thus far, there have been two judicial commissions, three police investigations in addition to a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the incidents of sacrilege and police firing. Equally, the Maur Mandi blast probe is hanging hearth.

The Congress additionally went again on its promise of waiving loans of farmers and labourers. Farm loans have been a delicate subject within the state. A lot of the Congress inactivity has not gone unnoticed, a lot in order that when Captain Amarinder Singh was just lately identified with covid-19 and declared that he would isolate himself, some folks requested: “However didn’t you isolate your self for the final 4.5 years?”

Although the Akalis have damaged their nearly 25-year-old alliance with the BJP now, farmers say that the social gathering initially supported the farm legal guidelines. To get the Dalit vote—32% of the inhabitants, SAD has aligned with the Bahujan Samaj Celebration this time and even promised a Dalit deputy chief minister.

As for AAP, Sangeet Toor, a journalist and activist, says that Punjab continues to really feel AAP doesn’t signify its pursuits due to Arvind Kejriwal’s working model. “AAP is conducting tiranga yatras and peace marches to venture Punjab as a disturbed space. Folks view it as a matter of Punjab’s honour. Persons are cautious of Kejriwal who, as the pinnacle of AAP and chief minister of Delhi, supported abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, notified one of many three farm legal guidelines, and is ambiguous over the discharge of Sikh political prisoners,” she says.

Over the past yr and a half, owing to anger in opposition to the farm legal guidelines, BJP had grow to be persona non grata within the state. It’s got a brand new lease of life after a tie-up with Captain’s Punjab Lok Congress. The current defections from Congress to the BJP and its ticket distribution are indicative of the social gathering gaining traction, at the very least amongst elite Sikhs and concrete Hindus—about 40% of Punjab.

Whereas SSM believes it ought to try to alter politics from inside, its dad or mum group, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), isn’t impressed. The union physique would like persevering with as a strain group and stay non-committal to elections.

Communist events which can be a part of SSM are fielding candidates beneath their flag. It must be seen how SSM fares when it represents just one constituency—farmers—and doesn’t have sufficient presence amongst each Dalits and concrete voters, or in Majha and Doaba areas.

Realpolitik

Late final yr, Congress selected some face-saving measures. It appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu because the Punjab Pradesh Congress chief. He was accountable for the ouster of Captain Amarinder Singh because the Congress chief minister. To counter the Akalis, Congress appointed a Dalit face, Charanjit Singh Channi, to the put up of chief minister. It was a daring step and signalled an enormous change.

Channi acquired 111 days to manipulate. One among his first strikes was to put the inspiration stone for a museum on Babasaheb Ambedkar. He granted funds to instructional establishments and introduced numerous welfare programmes: waiver of pending water and electrical energy payments, discount in tariffs on electrical energy and water, reduce in sand charges, and sops for police and sportspersons, amongst others. Channi’s picture acquired a lift on 5 January when Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled his Firozepur rally citing safety issues. Channi strongly defended Punjab and gained admirers throughout the board.

But, the problem with Congress is that former cricketer and opening batsman Sidhu isn’t seen as a lot of a group participant. He’s consistently at loggerheads with Channi. By anointing Channi because the social gathering’s chief minister candidate, Congress has shifted the narrative from Aam Aadmi (widespread man) to Garib Aadmi (poor man)—that many see as a sign of the autumn of Punjab which was the nation’s primary developed state a number of a long time again. It now must be seen how Sidhu initiatives Congress as a united home.

Earlier than declaring Bhagwant Mann because the chief minister candidate, AAP’s slogan was: ‘The entire of Punjab is with Kejriwal.’ It was an assertion however when SSM got here up in its place in Malwa, Kejriwal was piqued. Now, the slogan has modified to: ‘Punjab won’t be cheated once more’.

The Congress has appropriated Sikh prayers to coin its slogan: ‘Punjab Di Chardi Kala, Congress Mange Sarbat Da Bhala’—excessive spirited Punjab seeks welfare of the world’. Sikh our bodies have objected to it and the Election Fee’s phrase is awaited.

In the meantime, the competition between two commoners main the 2 main events—Mann and Channi—indicators an enormous departure from how till now the state has practised elitist politics.

Channi’s picture suffered a blow when the Enforcement Directorate just lately raided his nephew over sand mining and located ₹6 crore money within the latter’s possession. The Akalis had their share of issues, when, in December 2021, the Punjab police filed a case in opposition to senior chief Bikram Singh Majithia beneath the Narcotics and Psychotropic Act on the idea of a report by the Particular Activity Pressure. Now, the Supreme Courtroom has prolonged Majithia’s detention till after the elections. Whereas Captain Amirinder Singh retains taking pot-shots at Sidhu, the Akalis have declared that it will likely be Majithia who will tackle Sidhu in Amritsar East.

“These are the primary elections the place conventional Punjab-centric points—Satluj Yamuna Hyperlink canal , Chandigarh, Punjabi-speaking areas, 1984 riots, and so on—are usually not being raised by any of the primary events,” political analyst professor Harjeshwarpal Singh says. “As a substitute, the primary points are Delhi Mannequin (AAP) versus Punjab Mannequin (Sidhu), free electrical energy and water, pensions and so forth. AAP now stands for comfortable Hindutva, BJP for onerous Hindutva, and Congress for caste assertion. All that is intently associated to the top of Jutt Sikh hegemony and factors to the irrelevance of Akalis in state politics,” he provides.

Actual points

Famous author and Dalit activist Des Raj Kali has been travelling in Punjab to gauge folks’s pulse. “Whenever you hearken to unusual folks, you’re feeling depressed on how even hope is lacking. These elections are now not about core socio-economic points–training, unemployment, the impact of pandemic, well being, even agriculture. It’s as if the elections are being fought within the skies, not on floor,” he says.

Jaskirat Singh, an environmentalist who has labored for a few years to wash the polluted Buddha Dariya (a seasonal rivulet that passes by Ludhiana) and opposes the Mattewara Industrial Park on the banks of Satluj, says, “No political social gathering is elevating setting as a difficulty. Nobody is focussed on how the area’s water desk is depleting. Our rivers are poisoned with sewage and industrial effluent. Our forests are a measly 3.67% and lowering. However we don’t give attention to how we are able to get clear water and air. These are the true points. Except we are able to dwell and breathe, what’s the usage of all these welfare schemes or identification politics?”

Although AAP claims to be a celebration with a distinction, it has given at the very least 38 seats to leaders who stop different events and joined them. Congress, too, is being accused of nepotism in its seat allotment.

A well-liked joke goes: “It’s so chilly. If you happen to take a muffler, folks think about that you’re with Kejriwal; should you take a loi – massive scarf—you might be with Channi; should you take an previous scarf, you might be with Sidhu; should you put on a protracted coat, you might be with Badal”.

“A cursory have a look at the candidates’ checklist of all political events exhibits solely about 10% girls candidates have gotten tickets. AAP has introduced that if it wins, it’s going to pay each girl ₹1,000 for the following 5 years. Congress has bettered it by providing ₹2,000. In a deeply feudal and patriarchal society, the events are conveying that ladies are solely entitled to doles not equality,” activist Toor says.

Till now, owing to the third wave of the pandemic, the Election Fee had banned rallies within the state. When rallies begin, maybe after 11 February, the fog will substitute the rains. With no clear imaginative and prescient, all events will proceed to look as apparitions of one another. The core subject is belief deficit in political events.

As of now, just one side is evident: Punjab is in a state of flux and in contrast to 2017, it gained’t be a sweep for one social gathering. In a contest between Congress and AAP, there may very well be a hung meeting the place different events may play the king-maker.

(Amandeep Sandhu is the creator of PANJAB: Journeys By way of Fault Traces.)