BKU president Balbir Singh Rajewal terms PM Modi’s promise another ‘Jumla’
First resolve SYL issue, then bring Indus water for Punjab farmers: BKU to Modi
By Raju William
Ludhiana, January 27, 2017: Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Punjab is not the least impressed by PM Modi’s promise of stopping water of Indus river and giving it to Punjab farmers. He made the promise of more water to the state’s farmers while addressing the election rally today at Jalandhar.
BKU president Balbir Singh Rajewal has termed it as another poll time ‘jumla’. “The PM should first ensure to resolve the nagging issue of stopping river waters from flowing through Punjab to other states via Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal,” he demanded.
Pitching for more water to Punjab farmers, PM Modi said his Government has decided that Indus water going to Pakistan should be given to India. He had made a similar statement in November last year at a function in Bathinda. “That water belongs to the Indian farmers,” he had said.
A political issue as the SYL row has become over the years, it can be resolved politically. There could be no better time of resolving it since BJP led government was formed at the Centre in 2014. “Since BJP shared power with Akalis in Punjab, the Centre should have no problem in resolving it in the interests of Punjab farmers,” argued Rajewal.
But in absence of any such gesture that would have established Modi government’s sincerity towards Punjab farmers, his Jalandhar and Bathinda statements are being viewed as unconvincing. For Rajewal it is simply an election gimmick, another instance of political ‘Jumla’ made to befool farmers of the state.
“Tell us, why we should believe Modi. BJP had promised to implement Swaminathan Committee recommendations during parliamentary election campaign in 2014. What happened? Even Akalis made similar promise,” he said. Rajewal was one of the top farmers’ leaders who were the first ones to protest at Pathreri village in Ropar district when digging of SYL was started in 1986. Their opposition led to stopping the digging for two months.
Rajewal recalled having been called for a meeting with CM Barnala who had requested them not to come in the way of stalling the digging. “CM Barnala told us that his government could be dislodged if SYL Canal wasn’t constructed. There was the Congress government at the Centre then,” said Rajewal to build a perspective to establish political insincerity in resolving river waters issue for farmers’ benefit.