It’s all quiet at SYL canal ground zero in Patiala’s Kapuri village
KAPURI(PATIALA):Even as politics on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal has once again taken the centrestage between neghbouring Punjab and Haryana, a sense of quiet pervaded Kapuri village of Patiala district, the ground zero of the contentious project, on Wednesday.
It was at this small village on the Punjab-Haryana border that the foundation stonelaying ceremony of the canal took place in 1982. The canal meant to transfer water from the rivers passing through Punjab to Haryana has long been a bone of contention between the two states.
Chand Singh, husband of village sarpanch Charanjit Kaur, says, “Water is an emotive issue for every Punjabi. I have seen several protests and marches at my village since the process of SYL was started. My experience says the SYL canal will not be constructed in the coming years. Punjabis will back whosever opposes it.”
Airing similar views, Dilbagh Singh, another village resident, said, “I don’t know much about politics but it’s clear that no political party of Punjab will allow the SYL canal. The party that allows the canal construction will be doomed.”
“In 2016, the Punjab government cancelled the acquisition of land for the project. Farmers were hoping to get their land back but this did not happen after the Supreme Court put a stay order on the process. Everything is in limbo since the foundation stone was laid. Only political drama takes place before every elections,” said Angrej Singh from the same village.
The then Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi had laid the foundation stone amid a massive rally on April 8, 1982. At the time, the Shiromani AKali Dal held a protest against the move.
In 2016, the ruling SAD tried to get political mileage by ‘returning’ the acquired land to farmers. The opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a march at the village, with Amarinder Singh declared that “he would not allow the canal in his lifetime”.
After the assembly elections, Haryana’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) even announced to dig the canal with its leaders and workers trying to enter Punjab. The state border was sealed for two days.