Punjab at the Crossroads: A Call for Peace, Unity, and Sensible Politics
By Mukesh Devrari The trouble in Punjab started as the central and state governments failed to fulfill the basic developmental needs of the people. Punjab has been in the news for all the wrong reasons for the last ten years. The Congress government in Punjab, led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, must be partially blamed for the trouble brewing in the region today. Though his nationalist credentials are unquestionable, during his tenure, Punjab slid into drug addiction. Also, it would not be fair to blame only the former Congress government for the deteriorating situation in Punjab. The BJP once had a very strong presence in Punjab. In fact, Punjab consistently sent BJP members to the lower house of Parliament, including Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sunny Deol, until recently. Still, PM Modi and his coterie isolated the leaders of their own party in Punjab and failed to address their political aspirations. Congress and the SAD also lost credibility due to rampant corruption ov...