SYL divides Haryana leaders over going to Punjab to campaign

CONSTABLES RACHPAL Singh and Major Singh stood outside the historic gurdwara on a cloudy afternoon in Bargari village of Faridkot, Punjab. It was outside this gurdwara that the Guru Granth Sahib was found desecrated on October 12, 2015, the first in a series of such instances. The protests that followed were marked by a lathicharge in the villages of Kotkapura Chowk and firing in Behbal Kalan, which killed two men.

Since then, the gurdwara has been guarded round the clock, said Raj Singh, ragi of the gurdwara. “Initially a heavy police presence used to be outside all the time,” Singh said. “It was gradually reduced to five persons at a time. For the past two months, it has been reduced to two persons at a time, working in shifts.”

“The Guru Granth Sahib had also been stolen from this gurdwara on June 1 that year. In neither case has any trace of the culprits been found,” said sewadaar Jagroop Singh, serving tea to the sangat.

The desecration and the subsequent police action are the issue with which the Opposition is going to voters in Jaito constituency. The contest in the Congress-held seat in triangular, featuring Mohd Sadik (Congress), Master Hardev Singh (AAP) and Suba Badal (SAD), son of former agriculture minister Gurdev Badal.

“Anger over the firing remains, though it has gone down with time,” said Angrej Singh, walking by the gurdwara. Gurmail Singh, returning from the fields in soiled clothes, agreed. “Then, villagers would not allow SAD leaders to enter Bargari,” he said, “but now we welcome all campaigners. We will decide on the day of voting.”

The families of both firing victims have decided. Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjeet Singh were killed on October 15, three days after the desecration. This led to widespread protests in Punjab, a period during which there were more instances of desecration.

“Why should we vote for the Akalis, which never gave us justice? My father’s killers have not yet been punished,” said Sukhraj Singh, Krishan Bhagwan Singh’s son. And Krishan Bhagwan’s wife Veerpal Kaur said, “The government gave us compensation and is making a community centre in my husband’s name, but only to save face.”

This family lives in Behbal Khurd village. In Saravan Bodla village, Gurjeet Singh’s father Sadhu Singh was just back from the fields. Once working in Kenya, he came home in early October and has stayed back.

“If anyone asks us, we will say never vote for Akalis. They did not give us justice and we will seek justice from the new government after the polls,” Sadhu Singh said.

Construction of a community centre after Gurjeet was started recently. Gurjeet’s brother Jagdeep and Krishan Bhagwan’s son were given jobs as senior lab assistants in government schools at Rs 5,000 per month, with a promise of pay on government scales after two years. “Jagdeep was earning more than Rs 50,000 in Kenya but now works for Rs 5,000... I too have come back,” Sadhu said. “And what have we got? The killers have not been punished, officials don’t talk to us properly, and no ruling party leader has visited us after the bhog.” He echoed the other family: “We are waiting for a change of government.”

Both major Opposition candidates promise to punish those responsible. “I tell them that once our party comes to power, we will reopen inquiries and punish the culprits,” said Sadik, the Congress candidate, while Master Hardev too promised punishment if AAP comes to power. SAD’S Suba Badal, for his part, said, “The inquiry is going on, we are yet to reach a conclusion, so it is not fair to blame the government.”

Villagers were not forthcoming about their choice. “Let the day of voting come,,” said Yadwinder Singh of Behbal Khurd. “As of now, people are keeping their options to themselves. Moreover, the candidates are yet to come to us,” said Ikhattar Singh.

The village has three panchayats. Amritpal Singh Paali, SAD sarpanch of Bargari, did not answer questions, saying he was busy. Villagers said the government has failed to develop roads as sanctioned, though they agreed it has provided gas connections to BPL families. NOT ALL political leaders in Haryana are keen to campaign for their respective parties in Punjab. Following the Supreme Court’s decision on the Sutlej-yamuna Link canal, they are divided between campaigning in Punjab and “protecting Haryana’s interests”.

Since the November ruling, which says Punjab cannot terminate the SYL agreement, parties across Haryana have demanded implementation while the Punjab government has said the state has no water to spare.

The Haryana BJP has put a condition for its support to its Punjab counterpart. “If the party leadership asks us to campaign in Punjab, we will do so,” said Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala. “But our stand is clear. We want Haryana to get its rightful share of water and will not hesitate to raise this issue in Punjab. It is with this condition that we will campaign.”

Haryana minister Capt Abhimanyu is joint in-charge of the Punjab polls on behalf of the BJP. CM Manohar Lal Khattar has said he will campaign if the party asks him to.

The Haryana Congress is divided. PCC president Ashok Tanwar said the party will support its Punjab candidates, arguing that only when there is a Congress government in Punjab will they have someone to approach for Haryana’s rightful share of water. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on the other had, said he will not campaign unless he is assured that Haryana will get its share of water.

“Amarinder Singh [Punjab Congress president] abrogated the water sharing agreement when he was chief minister of Punjab,” recalled Hooda, who has campaigned in earlier Punjab elections. “I will campaign only when Amarinder assures me that when the Congress comes to power, he will promise Haryana its share of water.”

Since reorganisation in 1966, several issues have remained unresolved between the two states including right over Chandigarh and a separate high court, besides SYL. “These issues have been there since the inception of Haryana... These can only be resolved through dialogue which is possible if we have a government of our party,” said Tanwar.

Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal has repeatedly said he will not allow a drop of water to go out of the state. He once announced this on stage in the presence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP chief Amit Shah.

This has earned criticism from Haryana’s INLD. The INLD, which has campaigned for Badal’s SAD in Punjab over the years, has this time declared that it will not do so. INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala has instead been asking both the BJP and Congress to clarify their stands on SYL. The INLD has been trying to build up campaign to start digging for the SYL canal on February 23 unless the SC decision is implemented by then.