Elections approach, prickly issues between Punjab and Haryana back on the poll menu

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The last attempt to solve these disputes was made post Operation Bluestar in July 1985, after Punjab had been through its most turbulent period brought on by terrorism due to these disputes. As per the then accord, Chandigarh was to go to Punjab while the Hindi-speaking areas in the Abohar- Fazilka belt would go to Haryana. A tribunal was constituted to settle claims on the Ravi- Beas waters which were to flow to Haryana through the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

The Eradi Commission, which handed an interim report in 1987, submitted its recommendations suggesting that Punjab get 5 million acre-feet (MAF) of water and Haryana get 3.83 MAF. The river water dispute then moved to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of Haryana by urging the Centre to complete the canal but the instructions have been caught in legal wrangling.

The state Congress is now promising to bring the waters.”We are committed to bringing our share of SYL waters to the state. It’s time that the Central government cooperates with the state and gets the river completed as per the directions of the Supreme Court,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala told The Indian Express. He contested the suggestion that these issues crop up only during elections. “It is true that certain other topical issues take over but these are emotional issues of 2.5 crore Haryanvis.

We have passed a resolution in the House and hope that the central government will come forward to complete the remaining portion of the canal as per Supreme Court orders,” Surjewala said, adding that Punjab tries to bully the government on the issue of Chandigarh. The Opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), however, strongly contests the Congress observation. “It was a Congress government in Punjab that brought the Termination of River Waters Act which hampered the construction of the canal. The party only wants to take political advantage by raising these issues otherwise it is the Congress that has deprived the people of the state of their claim on river waters and Chandigarh. It is only the INLD that would get these issues solved,” said senior INLD member Ram Pal Majra.

State Congress president Ashok Tanwar counters citing the INLD’s proximity to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Tanwar said that apart from the SYL waters, the Badals have also opposed the state on the issues of Chandigarh and a separate gurdwara management Committee. “The INLD has also sided with the Badals on these issues. I am surprised that the INLD wants people
of the state to vote for it when the party has been working for the interests of Punjab by joining hands with the Akali Dal,” Tanwar said.

The Haryana BJP, however, has high hopes because of its government at the Centre. It was Anil Vij, leader of the BJP Legislature Party, who urged the ruling Congress government to take a delegation to Prime Minister Narendra  Modi. “People of the state are emotionally attached with the issues.

These are rightful claims which are denied to us by the Punjab government. It is better if these are solved as early as possible,” said Vij. Across the border in Punjab, the state’s leaders operate in a similar shrill voice stating that not a drop of water will be released to Haryana. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal ironically faces flak here as well due to his ties with the INLD. This despite the SAD-BJP government having made its stand clear by contesting Haryana’s contentions in the Supreme Court. “Badals have sacrificed the interests of Punjab for their own. Forget about claiming Chandigarh, Badal has never even raised this issue. He would never doso as his property worth crores is in Chandigarh and he would not like it to be a part of Punjab. Moreover, he doesn’t want to annoy people in Haryana also as he has his liaisons with INLD’s Chautalas,” state Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa alleged.

The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), however, states that it will only accept a democratic solution to the problems but has made it clear on which side of the divide it is on. When the Haryana Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution to take a delegation to the Prime Minister, the Akali Dal too passed a resolution at its core committee meeting reiterating its stand that Punjab won’t share even a single drop of water and that the state has the lawful right on the SYL waters.

SAD general secretary and advisor to the CM, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, reiterated his party’s commitment to a democratic solution.”We cannot say that we want Chandigarh as our individual capital. When the new government took over, the Chief Minister reiterated this demand in his first ever memorandum to the Prime Minister. How can anybody say CM has never taken up these issues?” Grewal asked.