E-Paper
All-party meet: Centre’s actions have left Punjabis feeling alienated: Harsimrat Badal
Speaking at an all-party meeting in Parliament on Sunday, a day before the beginning of the monsoon session, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said there were no communal clashes in Punjab even during the militancy era or the 1984 Sikh genocide in Delhi but same is not true anymore.
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday sought steps to prevent the spread of fanaticism among the youth in Punjab, while stating that the “compromised” law-and-order situation in the state has become a cause of concern.
Speaking at an all-party meeting in Parliament on Sunday, a day before the beginning of the monsoon session, Harsimrat said there were no communal clashes in Punjab even during the militancy era or the 1984 Sikh genocide in Delhi but same is not true anymore. She expressed concerns about the recent developments, including the rocket-propelled grenade attack on the intelligence headquarters in Mohali and the murder of famous singer Sidhu Moosewala with an AK-74.
She said that Punjabis are feeling alienated because the central government has assured to allot land in Chandigarh to Haryana for a separate assembly.
“Punjabis believe that Chandigarh is their capital and it will eventually be transferred to the state,” she added condemning the Punjab government for raising similar claim instead of opposing the home ministry’s move and protecting Punjab’s right.
In the meeting, she also pointed out that ban on Sidhu Moosewala’s song ‘SYL’ and Kanwar Grewal’s ‘rihai’ have intensified the feelings of alienation.
Both songs talked about protecting the river waters of the state and the release of the Sikh detenues but ban on such songs have adverse consequences, so it should be lifted.
Other issues such as proposal for converting Panjab University into a central university, creation of a separate UT cadre in Chandigarh and implementation of central pay rates and erosion of the status of Punjabi language have added to people’s sense of insecurity.
She asserted that irresponsible rhetoric in Punjab has also vitiated the atmosphere, while referring to the comments of newly elected Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann who has described Shaheed Bhagat Singh as a terrorist.
