As the election draws closer, the political discourse in Punjab continues to be dominated by ‘religious issues’. But many voters, especially youth and farmers, feel it is an attempt by political parties to divert attention from the real issues of unemployment, drug abuse and trade, and agrarian distress.
As the campaign gained pace across Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could be seen repeatedly raising the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue.
The ruling Congress, on the other hand, is attacking the Akalis on the “Bargari sacrilege” of 2015, and the Kotkapura-Behbal Kalan police firing incident that followed it. In Patiala, home town of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, a Punjabi University student Navdeep Singh strongly feels that if a country needs to progress, it cannot afford to get stuck in its past, be it on religion or any other issue.
“Political parties in their manifestos promise to give jobs but later, when it comes to implementation, there’s no accountability. In 2014, the BJP government promised to gives jobs but what happened? The same is the case with the State’s Congress government here — promises were made but there is nothing on the ground. I feel the time has come to evolve a mechanism where the manifesto of political parties should be made a legal document, which, if not implemented, could be challenged under the law,” said Mr. Singh, who is pursuing doctorate in Economics.
“As I complete my doctorate, I would want to venture something on my own. I am not averse to a job but the problem I have been witnessing, especially in the private sector, is the non-availability of a job in keeping with the qualification. If I get a job that is below my qualification, then what’s the whole point of getting an education? It’s one of the reasons that India is facing the problem of a ‘brain drain’,” he said.
Lost turf
In Patiala, the Congress candidate, former Union Minister Preneet Kaur, is embroiled in a battle to reclaim the party’s lost turf as the seat is set for a triangular electoral contest. Ms. Kaur, wife of Capt. Amarinder, tasted bitter defeat at the hands of Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Dharamvira Gandhi in 2014 Lok Sabha poll.
Another student on the campus, Jaswant Singh, shared similar sentiments: “Unemployment is a big issue here, but the main political parties have been raising ‘religious issues’ to divert attention from real issues. Youth from Punjab are going to foreign countries in search of jobs. There is no guarantee of a job even after completing my studies. These days, there are hardly any jobs in the government sector. The private sector offers jobs but then, there’s no job security there.”
Patiala, which has traditionally seen a fight between the Congress and the SAD, is witnessing a triangular contest this time with AAP rebel Dr. Gandhi fighting as a joint candidate of the Punjab Democratic Alliance.
The SAD has fielded former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra as its candidate. The AAP’s Neena Mittal is also in the fray.
Patiala-based farmer leader Avtar Singh Korjiwala of the Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta (Dhakonda), points out that political parties continue to adopt an indifferent attitude towards the farmers’ plight.
Also, in this election, there is hardly anyone talking about the drugs menace in the State, he added.
“Be it the ruling Congress or the SAD-BJP, no one cares for us. Now they are raising ‘religious issues’ to deflect attention from their failures. Our Union is urging farmers across the district to boycott the elections. If they don’t want to boycott, then farmers should opt for NOTA (None of the Above),” Mr. Korjiwala said.
