From despair to dynamism: Time to reinvent Punjab
Our own states provide enough models of good governance. We hope to replicate success of law and order in UP, achieve industrial success of Gujarat and emulate infrastructural achievements of Maharashtra
Decline, despair, and disarray are three words that describe Punjab of today. This is not the first time Punjab has faced such a turmoil and challenge. A century ago, the region was reeling from the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, where British troops fired on a peaceful gathering, killing hundreds. The colonial administration’s oppressive policies, including high taxation and farmer exploitation, led to significant economic distress.
Right since then, Punjab grappled with a complex mix of political, economic, and social challenges. The legacy of colonial oppression, mass migration after independence, coupled with internal divisions and economic hardships, created a situation of notable instability that impacted economic growth and social fabric. Yet, within a few decades, Punjab emerged right at the top amongst states of India. Whether in sports, agriculture, irrigation, MSMEs, education, energy or transportation, Punjab was at the forefront. Now, nearly half a century later, Punjab is once again facing a series of crises. It is time to reinvent Punjab and craft a new narrative.
During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Punjab, we presented him with a wish list. The wish list did not demand Mexican seeds to sprout another Green Revolution, nor did we seek technology imports from the West or aid from international organisations. Instead, we desired to replicate the success stories of Indian states, as crafted under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Our own states provide enough models of good governance and revival. We hope to replicate the success of law and order in Uttar Pradesh. We wish to achieve the industrial success of Gujarat. We aspire to emulate the infrastructural achievements of Maharashtra. We aim to mirror the tourism success of Uttarakhand.
Punjab is not seeking a model aping either the West or the East; instead, we are looking to replicate the BJP’s successful model in other states within Punjab. These four examples—law and order in Uttar Pradesh, industrial success in Gujarat, infrastructural achievements in Maharashtra, and tourism in Uttarakhand—have been tried, tested, and implemented by the BJP across India.
Punjab needs leadership with proven competencies and abilities to deliver these models in our province. For those who despair, history offers abundant examples of resilience. Germany was in ruins after the Second World War, yet during the 1950s and 1960s, it experienced a “Wirtschaftswunder” (economic miracle). Japan, devastated during the war, became a global economic powerhouse by the 1960s and 1970s.
The Korean war had ravaged South Korea, but today it stands as the world’s leading economy. The Vietnam War caused significant destruction, but the “Đổi Mới” reforms initiated in 1986 led to rapid economic growth and poverty reduction. Within India we have examples of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam, UP and Goa which rank amongst the best in GDP growth. Punjab can also seize a similar opportunity.
Contemporary Punjab has also been marred by a governance deficit, bureaucratic inefficiency, and administrative shortfall. From exemplary governance to populism, and from innovative administration to stagnation, the administrative journey of Punjab reflects significant shifts in priorities and effectiveness. Where once Punjab’s bureaucrats were celebrated for their strategic vision and integrity, the current landscape is marked by political pressures, economic strain, and willful kowtowing. From the heydays of MS Randhawa to PN Thapar, who oversaw the handling of the Partition-induced refugee crisis to the creation of Chandigarh and other key institutions of Punjab, the state’s governance has bottomed out. In the past, Punjab shared its administrative acumen with the rest of the country and lent legendary officers like SS Khera and Sarla Grewal. However, the state apparatus is now synonymous with a compliant administration that acts like tarot card readers, adept at reading politicians’ minds and acting as enablers of crass populism.
The BJP-model, successfully implemented across many states in India, is aspirational and feasible for Punjab. It strikes the optimal balance between inclusive growth and rapid development, backed by strong external and internal security, so that both the short terms and long-term concerns of our population are addressed. This is a proven and verifiable model without rank populism or adventurism that many sell as steroids only to harm long term interests that we have witnessed in some of our neighbouring countries.
The framework for reinventing Punjab exists, the leadership is ready, and Punjab is keen to regain its rightful place that it once occupied with tremendous pride.
In order to do so it is incumbent upon Punjabi’s to arrive at a crucial recognition: Narendra Modi has both the sound ability to solve our problems, and the unimpeachable intentions such a task inherently demands. Time and again he has made gestures and enacted policies exhibiting his veneration for Punjabis and the Sikh community. During the recent visit of the PM to Punjab, he reiterated his admiration for the people of Punjab and appealed to Punjabis to give his party an opportunity to deliver. These overtures extended in good faith should not be spurned, but seized upon as a solution. We must replace decline, despair and disarray with dynamism, development and determination.
(The writer is a BJP leader and former finance minister of Punjab. Views expressed are personal)
