Seeing the painful condition of the country that was known as ‘Punjab, the most beautiful country in the world’, the land touched by the feet of Gurus, Pirs and Rishis, the fertile Punjab of five rivers, the land of universal brotherhood with ‘Punjab living in the name of Gurus’, the sword, arm and food bank of India, tears started flowing from my eyes. The Punjab that the current Aam Aadmi Party government had made a sacred promise to create ‘Rangla Punjab’ again in the 2022 assembly elections, was nowhere to be seen. Political, economic, social, religious, geographical and cultural chaos was found in every corner and on every side of Punjab. Whichever vein of Punjab they tried to touch, it was seen groaning with terrible pain and agony. This is the truth of Punjab rising and setting, Punjabis living all over the world!
Gas Chamber:
Both Charda (population 3.17 crore) and Leh (population around 13 crore) Punjab have today become ‘gas chambers’ with deadly pollution filled with fire and smoke. Along with the state and central governments of the time, Punjabis themselves are also responsible for this shameful and terrible situation. This blame is not ours, but the Supreme Court of India is making. Its two different benches have held the respective state governments responsible for the pollution and smog epidemic in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. It has become difficult to breathe in these regions. Laws made regarding pollution are being flouted. Making, selling and using polluted crackers continues. The state, bureaucracy and people are not stopping the process of stubble burning. According to the Supreme Court’s decision, 7029 cases of stubble burning have come to light in Punjab and 643 in Amritsar district (the actual figures are much higher). The air quality index in Mandi Gobindgarh reached the most deadly 241, Jalandhar 217, Ludhiana 203. Farmers found the expenditure on stubble management machines wasteful. The situation is so bad that now it has gone beyond their heads. All parties consider it their duty to come forward to stop the pollution epidemic.
The first suggestion to tackle this epidemic together between the two states of Punjab came from the Chief Minister of 13 crore Punjabis of West Punjab, Biba Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The air quality index in Lahore, the capital of West Punjab, has reached the extremely deadly 210. Life has become difficult for children, the elderly and the sick. 4000 patients were admitted to Mayo Hospital Lahore, 3500 to Jinnah Hospital, 4500 to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, more than 2000 to Children’s Hospital. The entire West Punjab has become a ‘gas chamber’. A ‘special war room’ has been set up in Lahore to deal with the situation.
The extremely shameful and shocking comment of Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, on the concern and suggestion of the Chief Minister of Punjab, regarding the gas chamber, made all the Punjabis bow their heads in shame. They said, “I was saddened by a Pakistani woman earlier, now you too should do the same.” Where is the royal feast and where is the Ganga oil. Where is the representative of 13 crore Punjabis, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and where is the concubine Arousa. We all apologize to the Punjabi woman of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, for the comment of our Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister does not know that the gas chamber situation is so dire that the plane of the Vice President of India, Jagdish Dhankhar, could not land in Adampur, from where he was to attend an international conference on ‘Transformation of Agri-Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change and Energy Transition’ at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. He had to make an emergency landing in Amritsar and cancel the program and return to Delhi.
Filth:
Filth is spread in every city, street, village throughout Punjab. All cities stand on the gutters of deadly smelly gases. Half of Punjab is suffering from dengue, chicken pox, respiratory diseases, dirty drinking water and cancer, intestinal diseases due to vegetables and fruits soaked in pesticides. Sarpanch, Panch, Councilor, Mayor, related bureaucrats are enjoying positions, are involved in corruption, fraud, and fraud. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ policy has died. The villages adopted by the MPs for cleanliness and development are making their faces red. This filth is further increasing the ‘Punjab Gas Chamber’.
Farmer Tragedy:
The condition of Punjab’s farmers is getting worse and worse day by day. Their suicides are continuing continuously. The central procurement agency is backing away from purchasing crops. Even God seemed to be repenting from the loot and destruction of farmers regarding the purchase of paddy recently. For fifteen days, farmers and their paddy were seen wandering in the markets. They were forced to sell paddy at a loss of Rs 150 to 500 per quintal. If they had protested, they would have been victims of the police and administration’s beatings. In neighboring Haryana, the purchase was done in minutes and seconds and the money was in the accounts. The double engine government that was Due to the delay in wheat sowing, farmers had to burn stubble. The central and state governments did not provide baler machines. At the behest of the central government, corporate houses are acting like giants in the state to swallow the farmers of Punjab. The AAP government is helpless before them. Remember that farmers are still the backbone of the Punjab economy.
Food Industry:
The food industry in the state is in a bad condition. It is playing with the lives of the people. Verka, Amul are giving up. The hotels, dhabas, street vendors, sweets, dry fruit industries are completely polluted. After landing at Delhi airport, I was forced to return to Canada after being infected with the polluted food of the hotel, gas chamber, and viral for about three weeks. A few years ago, the District Health Officer in Gurdaspur district was Dr. Balwinder Singh Bajwa, who is today the chairman of the Punjab Medical Council.
The committee had been blowing its nose at this polluted food industry through daily surprise raids. Due to the connivance of the bureaucracy, the negligence of the government and the ignorance of the people, the polluted food industry is destroying the health of Punjab.
Police failure:
Both the former SSP of Gurdaspur district, the Chief of Police Gaurav Yadav and the Chief of the Vigilance Bureau, Varinder Kumar, are honest, strong and courageous officers, but their hands are tied due to the compulsions of the government. Almost half of the police are still engaged in maintaining the IIP culture. Half of the personnel in the police stations are busy in government, judicial and administrative work. Then how can 10-15 constables, AISI or inspectors control gangsterism, drug sales, thefts and extortion? They lack vehicles, technology, modern training, daily dharnas, protests, sieges, and hunger strikes from above, and the situation is out of control. Jails have become uncontrolled dens for crime, extortion, and drug trafficking. It is not in its power to stop the crimes of the Pakistani and Indian drone industry. The Union Home Department is only capable of roaring. What is its contribution in stopping crime by expanding the BSF by 50 km? Without encroaching on the rights of Punjab, the achievement is zero.
Political turmoil:
The BJP government at the center is taking conflicting and oppressive decisions for Punjab every day. The issues of Chandigarh, water, Punjabi-speaking areas, agriculture, border, MSP are constantly being maintained. Now the new conflict is the notification regarding the allotment of 10 acres of assembly construction in Chandigarh to Haryana. A group of fools in Haryana is not allowing the construction of a capital at Kurukshetra or any other central place, which is essential for its development and sovereignty. Now there will be a commotion on this issue.
The Shiromani Akali Dal, which fought for the legitimate demands of Punjab and defended its rights in a militant manner, has been destroyed by the stubbornness of one man, Sukhbir Badal. The Jathedars of the Takhts have been declared salaried since August 30, 2024 due to his mistakes and crimes, he is pressuring the Jathedars through his capitalism and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to impose the salary of his choice on the Jathedars. The dilemma of the Jathedars is whether they should take a decision like Jathedar Akali Phula Singh or like the infamous Giani Gurbachan. The Panth will not forgive the shortcomings, which Sukhbir Badal has rejected. In such a serious situation, Sukhbir Badal’s resignation from the post of president is a positive step that can help pave the way for Panthic unity. Late arrival, early arrival.
The Punjab government, administration and the Chief Minister are in a dilemma every day because decisions, policies and practices related to Punjab are being imposed on them by the unconstitutional Delhi authority. Congress, BJP, Akali, Left are also divided and are unable to stand up for the interests and rights of Punjab. The political turmoil during the four by-elections is proof of this. It seems as if Punjab is yearning for a dynamic leadership like a strong, decisive, militant, and visionary Maharaj Ranjit Singh.
