'My Resignation Is To Express Our Deep Anguish Over SYL Issue'

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President Amarinder Singh recently resigned as the Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha to protest against the "injustice" meted out to the people of Punjab following the November 10 Supreme Court verdict on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water sharing agreement. As the Punjab assembly elections inch closer, Bula Devi talks to him on Aam Admi Party, Sutlej Yamuna Link judgement, demonetisation and more...

The scrutiny committee of the Congress party met on Nov 23-24. Have the tickets been finalised?

The meeting was not meant for scrutinising seats per se. There are 34 members of the Punjab Pradesh Election Committee. They wanted to meet the scrutiny committee individually. So two days were spent in the interaction. We are meeting again.

When will you announce the first list?

The Congress Election Committee will be meeting on December 3 and another day at a later stage. I am sure that the first list will be announced on December 3.

Your formula of one ticket per family, which is also the Aam Admi Party formula, has created bitterness among many aspirants. Do you think it was the right move ahead of the elections?

Well, I don’t know when AAP announced it. But we announced it right at the beginning. I got the permission from the CP (Congress president Sonia Gandhi) about four-five months back and I announced it.

But a lot of people are unhappy over the decision…

I called my wife, son and brother. I told them that all of us cannot be fighting the elections. If we have to set precedence then we have to do it. In fact, my brother got very offended last year and left the party too. It took me one year to bring him back to the fold. Once a candidate is given ticket his direct relations won’t be entertained. We are not counting if those whose grandfather or great grandfather had been given ticket.

What made you take this drastic measure? You knew this would antagonise a lot of people.

What can be done when others are not getting chance? Younger generation is growing up with disillusionment. They feel that they will not get a chance since they don’t have godfather or access to the Congress family. I have seen throughout my life how they feel completely left out and bitterness grows and about 70% population of the state is below 40 years of age.

How do you plan to infuse energy amongst the youth?

Youth will get huge chance in the coming elections. Of course, winnability factor will weigh maximum when tickets are distributed. If a youth can win seat, he will be given ticket without hesitation. Ticket allocation will be judged carefully because we cannot afford to lose our seats also. So all factors will be kept in mind before distributing tickets; afterall it’s a numbers game finally.

How do you plan to tackle leaders such as Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo? Dullo recently said that a Dalit should be the next chief minister.

We recently met Bajwa and he is very cooperative; there is no problem. So is the case with Dullo. As far as chief ministerial candidate is concerned, it is completely Congress president’s decision. Dullo is entitled to his views like me and others. But final decision rests with the Congress president. The party will do exactly what Sonia Gandhi wants and she will take a decision keeping the larger interest of the state in mind.

So what does that mean, you haven’t been given a green signal as yet?

Well, when the whole campaign is around me…

What has been the contribution of Prashant Kishor?

A lot… . I think he did a great job in strategising and in bringing people to the fold. He played a role in bringing (Navjot Kaur) Sidhu and Pargat (Singh) to the party fold. What is his objective? It is to put all efforts to make us get elected apart from planning the whole campaign such as Karza kurki khatam, Ghar ghar naukri and so on.

But senior leaders of the party are quite unhappy over his interventions in party affairs.

Well, he doesn’t interfere to such an extent that people have to think that he is running the party. A lot of people think that he is going to call the shots and distribute tickets. They are being presumptuous. It is not at all like that. Actually it was I who brought him in and not the AICC. I wrote to the vice president who in turn asked me to wait and finally when he brought Kishor in, he took him for Uttar Pradesh also.

What about the status of your resignation from the Lok Sabha?

It has been accepted. I sent the resignation on November 11 when the judgement on the SYL came. I was however told that I have to appear in person. I did so and it has been accepted.

Timing has been quite strategic?

No, I had always said that I am not interested in Parliament at all. I left Parliament in 1984 after the Bluestar. I didn’t want to come back to Parliament. But when CP insisted that I fight Amritsar that I agreed…. The point is Amritsar is in west Punjab and I am from Patiala in east Punjab. I have never really been happy in Parliament; I am never at ease. I have been MLA five times; I prefer to work in the field of Punjab; it gives me more satisfaction than being in Parliament.

Does your resignation on the SYL issue really help?

It is to express our deep anguish. People don’t seem to understand; they think that it is the Supreme Court order and we must all fall in line. But they forget that we have responsibility towards our state also. I moved the termination of the Act in 2004 and all previous agreements. The ground situation has to be realised. This judgement of the Supreme Court is based on presidential reference on four questions which are all legal and constitutional; none on ground realities. That is why we went to the President so that before he implements, it we should apprise him of the ground realities. All places have dried up; there is no water. If Government of India or the Supreme Court has to intervene then they will have to do it right from the beginning.

Is there also a fear factor that water issue can revive terrorism?

We must understand that the terrorism in Punjab started with the passage Anandpur Sahib Resolution in the ’70s and what was the principal issue — not Chandigarh, not Punjabi speaking areas — it was water. Water has been the most critical factor. Why did I take the decision to resign? It was because the Centre asked me to hand it over to the CPWD. I have seen 35,000 people die in Punjab over water so how could I allow that to happen? We came here, took Fali Nariman’s opinion and moved ahead.

If they think that they can get water through Punjab, let me tell you Punjab will not be peaceful. It's very crucial for Punjab. All of southern Punjab  is in the tail end of the canal systems. We anticipate 10 lakh acres of land to go dry if we have to share water. In this area all sub soil waters is saline, not potable; it is blackish in colour and one can’t drink it. So they drink from the open canal systems and cancer is prevalent there. It is called the cotton belt. All pesticides go into the water and some people drink that water also. Cases of cancer is prevalent there.

Now, if potable water doesn’t come to this area we will have 10 lakh areas going dry, six lakh people dying. Do you think when they cannot feed their children and the economy of the area gets shattered, they will sit pretty. This is the same area which witnessed uprising against land lords in ’50s and it was the prime naxalite belt in the ’60s. This is the same area where we have had farmers’ suicides also. It is a very poor area. So if they are pushed like this, they will have no choice but to pick up guns. I foresee anarchy and violence. Neighbours are waiting to back them with weapons and all. We still have Khalistan elements sitting in Lahore. So this is my fear and therefore I will oppose it tooth and nail. I don’t want Punjab to become another Kashmir.

I have suggested to the President for setting up of a tribunal to ascertain the water availability and only then one can talk about giving water. You cannot put cart before the horse.

When three states are involved in the issue, shouldn’t it be resolved through dialogue?

It is such a contentious issue that they will never agree. They never agreed to take up our case on riparian principal which is internationally accepted between countries  i.e., only those states have right over the waters which have basin from where natural flow of water comes. We tried to push this principal but it was not accepted. Haryana is neither a basin state nor are they a riparian state of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers, much as Punjab is not a riparian or basin state of the Yamuna river. In 1966 when Punjab was divided it was in 60:40 ratio; 60 for Punjab and 40 for others. Waters of Sutlej, Beas and Ravi were divided. But we didn’t touch Yamuna; 5.5 MAF goes to Tajewala barrage in Haryana. So after the creation of the state, how does Haryana have a claim over Sutlej when we are not claiming Yamuna waters? Haryana has 40% land and 12 MAF waters while Punjab gets 8 MAF against 60% land.

Demonetisation has emerged as a major issue in the upcoming Punjab elections. Do you think it has sidelined other important issues, such as drugs menace, illicit liquor, farmers’ debts etc?

Yes, demonetisation is a big issue, not only for Punjab but also for the entire nation. But to say that it has sidelined other issues would not be correct. The people of Punjab have suffered the problems of mafia rule, drugs, illicit liquor, agricultural and industrial ruin for too long to forget them in a hurry. What demonetisation has done is to aggravate the woes of the people, who were already suffering under the Badal misrule. It is like the proverbial last straw for the tormented people of the state. So eventually, it has become another nail for the Badals’ coffins, and, together with the other issues, will ensure the end of the Akali-BJP rein in Punjab.

What role do you see Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) playing in the coming polls in Punjab? Do you see them offering a serious fight and emerging as a threat to the Congress’ prospects?

Arvind Kejriwal and his party have already become redundant on the Punjab election playground. While there were never any chances of AAP coming to power in Punjab, any hopes they might have had of giving a serious fight in the coming polls have been totally crushed by none other than Kejriwal himself. His continued silence on SYL, his failure to connect with his own party workers, leave alone the people of Punjab, his inability to understand and relate to Punjab’s problems, the disaster he has made of his rule in Delhi – there are instances galore to show that AAP, clearly lacks a policy for the state and therefore it has absolutely no place in Punjab’s psyche. And the people of Punjab are clearly beginning to see through their gimmickry, as is evident from the no-show of the AAP road shows and the poor response at Kejriwal’s own rallies.

During your interactions with the people in the state, you have made a lot of promises to various sections – from the farmers to industries to the youth and Dalits. Is this just election posturing or do you see yourself being able to actually deliver on your promises?

This is not the first time I’ve made promises to the people of Punjab, and not the first time I will keep them in letter and in spirit. The people of the state will vouch for the fact that if I’ve ever made a promise I’ve kept it. So there is no question of not delivering on my promises. The promises I have made relate to serious issues, be it the farmers’ debts, tens of thousands of youths’ lives destroyed due to drugs, or the plight of the Dalits, or the SYL issue. So how can I even think of not delivering on them? The people of Punjab trust me, as they know I have never once defaulted on my promises to them, and I will never break their trust. They know that my promises are not mere election posturing but a serious commitment to promoting their interests once the Congress comes to power in not too distant a future.

You have a reputation of not giving time to the State. How much time do you think you can give for growth and development of the state back?

That the Badals have brought the state to almost irrevocable ruin and destruction is there for all to see. I will not therefore say that I will turn things around, and bring the state back on its path of progress, within days or weeks or months. It will take time, maybe two-three years or maybe my entire five-year stint. But I can assure the people that the process of bringing the changes will begin the day I take oath as chief minister. Policy implementation to bring about the necessary change will start immediately, without a day’s delay. And it will be done on war footing, so that the lives of the people start showing palpable change, for the better, sooner rather than later. I will ensure that not a single life is lost to drugs, farm debts or demonetisation. I will make sure that the people of my state are not made to suffer any longer, and those who are responsible for their current plight are brought to book.

You have repeatedly requested the Election Commission for early elections. How would that ensure a more conducive environment for free and fair polls?

Of course the Akalis led by the Badals have already seized control of all the important institutions that play a definitive role in securing free and fair elections, such as the police, the civil administration etc. And they continue to blatantly misuse public money and official machinery to their own advantage. However, with the elections drawing closer, they have adopted a reckless disregard and seem disinterested to even maintain a semblance of credibility. The brazenness with which they are going about vitiating the political atmosphere in the run-up to the elections is worrying. I have said it earlier, and I’ll say it again – if things continue the way they are, for too long, I worry major violence taking place in the state during the elections, beginning with the campaign.

Two contentious issues continue to plague the Punjab Congress. Firstly, the rift in the Punjab Congress over tickets to turncoats and secondly the confusion arising out of Sidhu not joining the party instead his wife and Pargat are in the party fold now. To what extent would these two issues impact the party in the forthcoming polls?

Neither of these issues is serious enough to merit any consideration, leave alone impact on the forthcoming polls. As far as tickets are concerned, the Punjab Congress has unanimously authorised CP to take the final decision. In such circumstances, there is no question of any differences on the issue within the Punjab Congress. As for Sidhus’ joining, the decision was completely theirs. We were always ready to welcome Navjot Singh Sidhu as well as other members of his Awaz-e-Punjab. He must have some good reasons not to join himself while asking his wife, Dr. Navjoy Kaur, and colleague Pargat to join.

You have said these are the last elections you’re going to fight. So what after the polls, or after 5 years, as the case may be?

Well, there’s a lot I would like to do – spend more time writing and reading, and more time potting around in my garden, once I am free of my political responsibilities and compulsions. I know that is still five years away, so I am not making extensive plans as of now. But definitely, I am looking forward to the time when I can do all those little things that I have always wanted to but could not do because of paucity of time.