Episode no.5 This interview was conducted on 23 April 2022 with Professor Pali Bhupinder Singh. In the beginning , the journalist asked him who has the right to Chandigarh? Punjab or Haryana? He said that surely Punjab has the right. He said that in 1966, when the Punjab Reorganization Act was made, it was decided to give 300 crore rupees to Haryana and Chandigarh was built by deserting the villages of Punjab, which is the right of Punjab (parental state). Anx Punjab’s issues have never been properly dealt with. As during the partition of the country, the Sikh leaders did not take a written assurance from Nehru that the Sikhs would be able to form their own separate state. As once during Rajiv Gandhi’s government, a decision had been taken to give Chandigarh to Punjab, which was again changed due to pressure from the Haryana government. If we talk about the canal water of Punjab, then instead of giving its canal water to Pakistan, Punjab has been giving it to Rajasthan, for which no money has been given to Punjab till date.Continuing the conversation, he said that Amit Shah or the BJP government raises such planned issues to trouble the Punjab or Bhagwant Mann government. Or to question the AAP in the upcoming elections in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.Apart from this, Bhupinder ji said that the central government has always been afraid of the people of Punjab because the people here are rebellious.When the journalist asked Bhupinder ji as a friend of Bhagwant Mann, what is his opinion about CM Mann, he said that it would be too early to comment on the newly formed government. But Bhagwant Mann is concerned for Punjab and he will never tolerate pressure from Center or Kejriwal and will stand for Punjab.And he will never break the trust of Punjabis because people love him. But we will also criticize the mistakes of Bhagwant Mann’s government.Talking about the member of Rajya Sabha, Paliji said that the selection of members has been done completely wrongly. Members should be able to talk about the issues of Punjab. He said that the state of Punjab is a cultural unit which should have its own rights but every state should have its own rights. Rather, India is not a country but a Union of States. In the end, he said that whoever will speak for the right of Punjab, we will support him.
-kulwinder kaur