The real issues set to take a back seat

“Why do Punjabis want to come to Canada?” A question that has been asked a number of times at various platforms be it the social networking sites, gathering of Indo Canadians, and even among the Punjabis too. This is not only asked by the natives, but also by other Indo Canadians ethnic groups. And the reasons are not apparently different than the reason for which most of the Indians like to come to Canada.

Punjab carries a different image than the rest of the India as a state that is prosperous, flourishing, developing; has ample water and the brute force of the people to support its tag of being the grainery for whole of India. Though unemployment is the reason why Punjabis come to Canada, reducing land holdings being the other. With over 150 engineering and management spread over 50362 kilometers, the quality has been such that the pass out have to stay unemployed. The students who study hard in Punjab when not get job opportunities they prefer to go to a well settled country where there is promising future for their hard work as compared to country like India.

However, the attitude of the political leadership there, that is the underlying cause. All papers of the state carried a front page story that had the headline – “186 techies join Punjab Police as constables, will get Rs 10,000 for two years.” The story also shared that of the 257 trainees who were commissioned last week, six hold MTech degree, while 180 are BTech graduates. It is a horrendous and dreadful situation to be in and one is unable to even fathom the depths of something that is as terrifying as this. However, it didn’t evoke any response from the political leadership-neither from the government nor from the opposition parties. The youth is taking desperate measures to survive and the political leadership cares two hoots for the generation next! That demolishes the very perception of the state, as one with people full of vigor, who are vibrant and full of zeal to climb the ladder of the life. But the leadership of the state is least concern about the quality and the type of the ladder is now available to the youth. Migrate to Canada, by any means and those who can’t have to opt for jobs well below their standard acquired education.

The political parties are happy that the Panthic agenda is back in Punjab politics. The recent Assembly session saw the tabling of the report of Justice Ranjit Singh Commission, constituted to find out the culprits behind the firing in Behbal Kalan incidents of sacrilege and the session called on taking strict action against the former chief minister Prakash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal who was the Home Minster in the previous government. Since then, the Akali Dal is busy organizing rallies to impress and get back some of its voters that have gone away from the party.

In response, it has been getting brickbats only, whereby people have not only boycotted the rallies but has also made the Akali leaders take a retreat. Congress not to be left behind is also organizing rallies to counter the claims of the Akali Dal. The major opposition party in the state the Aam Aadmi Party, now split in two have their own axe to grind. In other to stay relevant in the politics of both the splinter groups are going out all out to establish a base with the voters.

Going by the new “rally culture” that is widespread, it is almost certain that the Panthic issues will be the core of the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls next year while the real issues will take a back seat. As such the leadership has forgotten the problems of drug menace; farmer suicides, unemployment and these are likely to be lost in the din of the Panthic issues. The ruling Congress now seems to be going slow on taking action against the Badals, it is not difficult to understand who will suffer the most, the common man of Punjab.