Modi’s Punjab Poll Strategy: A Step in Pragmatism

  Enticing the Punjab electorate today with pragmatic manthan and  churning out pure makhan after  seven decades of muddy political turbulance,  is a herculean task for any national leadership.  There is no doubt in any  statesman’s mind that State of Punjab is  a very valuable jewel in the federal structure of India; and yes from  many centuries and regimes. Apart from facing agressive attacks from the North, Punjabi soldiers have defended their country in all wars across borders and Punjabis have made their mark by hard work,  fellowship all over the globe.

Even from the era of Mahabharata, India (the Bharat) had invaders thru’ Hindukush, Kandhar and Persia entering the sub-continent through northern border states of Punjab, Sindh and Takshashila.

Coming back to 1940s and post Independence era, the states of Punjab  and Sindh in the north-Western India, (Bengal in the east) suffered lakhs of casualties in   ethnic Muslim-Hindu clashes caused due to main political  Party- Congress under Gandhi-Nehru acceding to Jinnah’s demand for Partition.  Not to be left behind, some leaders of Punjab fell into the traps  of British government’s designs of handing over an unstable India to  the confident but ideologically divided  leadership  of  Congress. Partition of India was the immediate blow to the country struggling for Freedom and seeds of Khalistan  sowed then started bristling over the lands of fertile Punjab, still bleeding  from division of the old State extending  from Delhi to Lahore , Nankana Sahib and Kabul.  The Riyasat of Maharaja Ranjit Singh  had already been reduced to a one-thirds. Then having fulfilled  their demand for a Punjabi Suba in 1966 (again  losing large areas to Hindi speaking  Haryana, and Shimla, Dharmshala, parts of Hoshiarpur, Una to Himachal in the deal.

The Akali leadership of that time comprising of Gurnam Singh, GS Tohra, Jagdev  Talwandi, PS Badal, SS Barnala  realised their blunder; the State  was suffering shrikage instead of grabbing parts of west Punjab they had lost to Pakistan, including Nankana Sahib, Lahore and Kartarpur Saheb !

Ultimately a coalition govt. of Akali-BJP was formed under late Gurnam Singh in March 1967 and later under Prakash Singh Badal and SS Barnala to harald an era of peace in Punjab. The three decade rule of Badal and Congress also saw many unsavouring episodes including Operation Blue Star, killings of former Congress  CM Darbara Singh and more  prominent personalities including Indira Gandhi,  the head of central Govt and a retired Army Chief.

After a long time, a pragmatic politician who reads the pulse of Punjab very well is at the helm in the Centre.  In the on-going  Lok Sabha polls,  Narendra Modi as PM of the country and top leader of the largest political party BJP, has played an  innovative but pragmatic political game.  In about 3 years its rule, Aam Aadmi Party has not been able to project a credible leadership in the State or Central scene, Akali Dal is unable to fill the gap caused by the demise of former head and CM Badal, Congress yet searching a strong leadership in the State and Centre,  BJP  has projected a mix of non-political  and non-controversial team by  offering candidates like Tarajit Singh Sandhu, a former Ambassador to the United States, from a respected  Amritsar background,  Hans Raj Hans, a Punjabi suffi singer and ex-MP from Delhi  and Ravneet Singh Bittoo, the grandson of ex-CM Beant Singh, Parneet Kaur, wife of former CM Capt. Amarinder Singh and others ignoring  BJP’s old war-horses ….. !

                                                                                                                                                                                      (  …. to be continued- Editor)