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Punjab’s angry youth and the wait for a statesman
Guest Column: The political space is largely crowded with people devoid of farsighted public-centric thoughts, intellect and vision. The state needs statesmen with higher purpose of life who can understand and translate public aspirations above and beyond personal ambitions.
The youth of Punjab is angry. The anger is not merely palpable but is writ large in their hearts, minds and on faces. The exodus of youth in droves to foreign shores leaving behind their peers, parents and properties is one manifestation of the systemic malaise plaguing the State’s systems.
The violent outpouring of young farmers in the year-long farmers’ agitation on Delhi borders, although kept under control by an experienced kisani (farmer) leadership, was a pointer to something hurting them deep down. Open aggression witnessed during the widespread agitations by a cross-section of youth who are employed, partially employed and unemployed, just before the Punjab assembly elections cannot be termed a routine protest against the State not acceding to their ‘genuine’ demands. A large assembly of youth with radical mindset at the cremation and bhog of Deep Sidhu, actor-turned-political orator, is a clear indication of something boiling deep down at the bottom of the collective psyche of Punjabi youth.
The tech-savvy millennial youth living in a global village, thanks to the widespread smart phone networks, feels cheated when he compares himself with his age group inhabiting other parts of the world. It’s high time for the leaders of the state and society to sit up and take cognizance of the apparent disgust among the youth.
Ideology neutral political class
The anger of the youth is against the state governance in general but more so the way politicians treat people after wresting power through means which are devoid of decorum of democracy. The present political class has become ideology and goal neutral. Power is sought in perpetuity to secure personal position and wealth expansion even by decimating the institutions of society and the State. Democracy requires voters’ heads. Therefore, ingenious means have been invented for securing the nods of heads during elections. The elections are won but people, their issues and their aspirations are lost immediately after the poll din is over. Vote seekers turn into rulers with a feudal mindset.
The State system controlled by permanent and political executive fails to ensure basic government functions of providing security of person, property and dignity to a common man, leave aside issues such as the environment, which are neglected both in concept and action. With over 20 lakh court cases pending with different organs of the state, the justice delivery system is burdened. The youth does not seem to see any ray of hope.
Culture of revolt and violence
The culture of revolt and the mindless violence, prompted by British rulers and the myopic political leadership of the time, was witnessed by Punjab in the 1947 upheaval in which 10 lakh Punjabis were killed, maimed and uprooted. It was just 20 years after the Partition pangs that Punjab again saw the bout of a decade-long violence propagated by ultra-left ideology of cleansing of class enemies. The slogan of this movement that revolution comes out of the barrel of the gun and not the ballot box still finds resonance in the backwaters of Punjab, particularly in Malwa and Majha.
Again, it was in the 1980s that Punjab faced decade-long violence when radicals among Sikhs were seeking political autonomy. The geopolitical shift of axis in the early ’90s and the policies of reforms undertaken by the Union government caught the fancy of Punjabi youth as an opportunity to expand their global presence and also raised their aspirations of a better life. Nostalgia for the land of their mothers and Gurus kept them closely tied to the roots. They nurtured the twin desire of building Rangla Punjab back home and nurturing their own lives in greener pastures of foreign lands.
Undercurrents bordering on unrest
During the 2017 assembly elections in Punjab, the politically aware NRI Punjabi youth after their experiences abroad, joined the local youth, in hordes, with a dream of bringing a change in the patriarchal political functioning. In focus was dignity and a better quality of life in their motherland through best state governance practices as followed in developed societies. But their dreams got woefully shattered as politicians of all hues ditched them by embroiling themselves in issues that had nothing to do with improving the living standard, delivery of justice, control of drugs, employment opportunities and corruption-free governance.
The crisis of governance is riddled with illegitimate power centres, shattering the age-old command system from top to bottom, an insensitive but risk-averse permanent executive, unbridled but selectively power wielding police force and self-serving but egoist political class. Drug menace, unemployment, expensive yet low quality unregulated education system especially higher education, disconnect of state’s apparatuses with its citizens, injustice to people at large at the hands of political, official, police and muscle powers, delayed justice are the symptoms of decadence and not the causes of the deep rot. Under such circumstances it does not need a naysayer to portend the undercurrents of society bordering on unrest.
The political space is largely crowded with people devoid of farsighted public-centric thoughts, intellect and vision. The state needs statesmen with higher purpose of life who can understand and translate public aspirations above and beyond personal ambitions. The only hope remains if the 2022 elections could throw up a statesman in the political ring, who could aptly navigate the destiny of Punjab as a king philosopher. As they say, hope sustains life.
The writer is a retired Punjab IAS officer. Views expressed are personal
