CM Mann Proposes Chenab Water for Panjab

As directed by the Supreme Court of India, the Union Jal Shakti (Water Resources) Minister Chandrakant Raghunath Patil called for a meeting with Panjab and Haryana chief ministers on 9 Jul to resolve the long delayed Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue. After the meeting, Panjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, 'We are fighting for a few MAF of water. Now that the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is in abeyance, if we get 23 MAF from the western river Chenab, the whole dispute will be resolved forever. We can give water to Haryana, even to Madhya Pradesh.' This is problematic. India placing IWT in ‘abeyance’ is a violation of Pakistan’s rights to its rivers—Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus. For decades Panjab has stood for its riparian rights on its rivers Satluj, Beas, and Ravi and contests the SYL canal project over Haryana not being riparian to the rivers. Indian National Congress’ (INC) Member of Parliament from Patiala, Dr. Dharamvir Gandhi asked, 'How can a two-party international agreement (IWT, India, and Pakistan) be unilaterally cancelled under international law?' He also said Panjab is not riparian to Chenab and has no rights to the river. Panjab opposition INC Member of Legislative Assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira said, ‘River Chenab is 150 kms from Ranjit Sagar Dam and 140 kms from Shahpur Kandi Dam. How long will it take to make canals from river Chenab to these dams? Both dams have reached full capacity during monsoon season. Is he (CM) proposing we make a new dam? How long will that take? At least, over 10 years. What should Punjab and Haryana do in the meantime? The best solution to SYL is Punjab asserts its Riparian status and we close the project. The land has already been handed back to farmers. Haryana can use waters from river Yamuna.’ The land Khaira is referring to is the land acquired by Panjab government for the SYL canal which was returned to farmers in 2016 by the then Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party govt. Liv Forum’s recent report presents the issues and recommendations on the water issues in Panjab.

Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Eternal Throne, AT) officiating Jathedar (leader) Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj held a meeting with five Singh Sahiban (Five Loved Ones) on 14 Jul to resolve the ongoing standoff between AT and Takht Sri Patna Sahib (Throne, PT). The Singh Sahiban accepted the letter of Bihar-based PT withdrawing all previous edicts that declared Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, Jathedars of AT and Takht Damdama Sahib tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct). AT had received an email from PT that all edicts passed by it on 21 May and 5 Jul were withdrawn. In response, AT also withdrew the edicts issued against the PT management. PT management said they were dedicated to the supreme seat of Sikhs—Akal Takht, and will remain so. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has now called a special meeting of its members on 5 Aug to deliberate on the working of the five Sikh Takhts. SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan said the meeting will be chaired by the SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami. The move is to defuse tensions between the Takhts. Meanwhile, SGPC lodged a complaint on 15 Jul that it had received an email threatening a blast in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple). Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar confirmed receiving the complaint and said the police will crack the case and ensure security. He said, 'We are taking the help of the state cybercrime and other agencies and are hopeful that we will crack the case soon. We are taking this case very seriously. There is no need to panic.' Concurrently, on 10 Jul, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ajay Kumar Bisht alias Yogi Adityanath announced two new pilgrimage schemes Bauddha Teerth Darshan Yojana (Buddhist pilgrimage) and Panch Takht Yatra Yojana (Sikh pilgrimage). Yogi said both schemes will be implemented through an online application process to ensure transparent beneficiary selection and to prioritize economically disadvantaged applicants (earlier coverage).

On 11 Jul, during the hearing of the 1984 Sikh genocide case at Rouse Avenue Court (RAC), 70-year-old eyewitness Harpal Kaur deposed before special judge Jitendra Singh. Kaur said, ‘When I was standing at a footpath in front of Gurdwara Pul Bangash (on 1 Nov 1984), I saw accused Jagdish Tytler come in a white color Ambassador car from the roundabout and stop in front of Gurudwara Pul Bangash. Tytler and three other persons came out of the car. They asked the mob standing there to kill Sikhs, to loot the Gurdwara as they had killed our mother (former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.)’ Kaur added that she kept mum, fearing for the life of her only son who used to receive threats. She said she has now revealed the name of the Indian National Congress (INC) former Member of Parliament only after her son passed away in 2015. Noting the eyewitness appeared exhausted after the lengthy proceedings, the judge deferred the cross-examination to 12 Jul. The Central Bureau of Investigation had investigated the deaths of Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Gurcharan Singh and filed a chargesheet in May 2023. The agency has accused Tytler of instigating the mob, which resulted in the framing of charges of murder and other offences in September 2024. On 12 Jul, Advocate Harvinder Singh said, 'Kaur recognized Tytler because her husband Amarjit Singh Bedi was also a Congress (INC) leader and Tytler used to come to their shop.' Meanwhile, on 7 Jul, former INC MP Sajjan Kumar pleaded innocence in the alleged killings of two Sikhs, Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh in Delhi’s Janakpuri, and in another incident in Vikaspuri where Gurcharan Singh was set ablaze. Deposing before Special RAC Judge Digvijay Singh, Kumar stated he was being falsely implicated. On 25 Feb, RAC had convicted and awarded Kumar a double life sentence for the murders of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh. Kumar is already serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail for the killing of five Sikhs at Raj Nagar (earlier coverage).

The two-day special session of Panjab Assembly began on 10 Jul, but the first day was adjourned in just 11 minutes after obituary references. The Panjab cabinet has approved the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna (Chief Minister's Health Scheme) to provide cashless medical treatment of up to USD 11.6K to all the residents of the state at government and empanelled private hospitals. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, 'With this, Panjab has become the first state to provide cashless treatment.' A govt spokesperson said the scheme will be rolled out on 2 Oct. On 11 Jul, the second day of the session, the Assembly passed the Punjab Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Bill, 2025 with which Panjab's traditional sport of bullock cart racing will make a comeback. Bullock cart races have not taken place at the Kila Raipur Sports Festival in Ludhiana district since a Supreme Court of India ruling in 2014 banned the races for violating the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution against the deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Bhakra-Nangal Dam project of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), saying the state police has been duly protecting the installations for the last 70 years. The resolution stated that if the BBMB deploys CISF personnel, the Panjab govt will not bear the financial burden arising from such deployment. As the Assembly unanimously passed the legislation to grant university status to Rayat Bahra Professional University of Hoshiarpur and Chandigarh Group of Colleges of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, opposition Indian National Congress demanded a strong regulatory body that has powers to penalize and conduct inspections of the private institutions. On 15 Jul, the Panjab govt sent the bill proposing punishment up to life imprisonment for sacrilege to a select committee of the Panjab Assembly for it to seek public opinion on the proposed legislation (earlier coverage).

An investment outreach hosted by Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Ludhiana saw Panjab-based industrialists pledging USD 1.7B for projects in MP. Anil Sareen, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state general secretary said, 'While other states are offering incentives like cheaper land and tax breaks, Ludhiana’s industrial land prices are unaffordable. Add to that the deteriorating law and order situation—no wonder industries are looking elsewhere.' Gurmeet Singh Kular, president of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation, said MP was procuring 500K bicycles for free distribution to schoolgirls, a major boost for Ludhiana’s cycle industry. 'CM Mohan Yadav has also invited us to set up a full manufacturing unit in Bhopal or Indore.' Meanwhile, on 11 Jul, the Cyber Crime Cell of Chandigarh Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Panjab Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state chief Aman Arora on charges of defamation and criminal conspiracy for allegedly circulating a doctored video. The complaint was filed by Indian National Congress' Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa. According to the complaint, Bajwa had posted a video on 25 Jun on his official X handle criticising the state Vigilance Bureau’s treatment of Member of Legislative Assembly Ganieve Kaur, wife of arrested Shiromani Akal Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. Bajwa had drawn parallels with a similar case involving INC MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Bajwa said the AAP’s Panjab social media team edited the video to remove references to Kaur and her status as a legislator. The altered video falsely portrayed that Bajwa was defending Majithia. Concurrently, on 10 Jul, Panjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann mocked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his frequent foreign travels by naming fictional countries to highlight the obscure destinations. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs disapproved Mann's remarks. The next day, Mann repeated the comment in the Panjab Assembly. Panjab BJP protested against Mann. The remarks were in poor taste and Mann’s behavior was an imitation of how BJP leaders behave in public office (earlier coverage).

Sanjay Verma, a prominent businessman and co-owner of a well known tailoring showroom in Abohar was shot dead by three motorcyclists on 7 Jul. However, on 9 Jul, less than an hour after declaring the arrest of two men—Jaspreet Singh and Ram Rattan—in connection with the Verma murder, the Panjab Police said the suspects were killed in an encounter outside the city. Statements by ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders said the two were 'neutralized in an encounter' with police. Panjab AAP chief Aman Arora praised the police for 'eliminating gangsters' in an 'encounter'. Panjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan complimented the police during the special session of the state Assembly. However, the First Information Report (FIR) says the two were killed by their own accomplices when they took police to recover clothes and weapons used by the killers. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa called Panjab a ‘police state’ and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the killing of the two men. Panjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, who hails from Abohar and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the deteriorating law and order situation in Panjab. Earlier, on 5 Jul, two unidentified assailants shot Dr. Aniljit Kamboj at his clinic in Kot Ise Khan town in Moga district. The doctor sustained two bullet injuries and is currently on a ventilator and in critical condition. A family member, requesting anonymity, said Kamboj has been receiving extortion calls for USD 116K since 2022 from Canada-based Lakhbir Singh Landa, an operative of the banned organization Babbar Khalsa International. He also said that Kamboj was also given a security cover by the Moga Police but the lone gunman was withdrawn some months ago without providing any reason. Police admits, from January 2023 to March 2025, Panjab registered 569 FIRs related to gangster threats, including extortion and intimidation, with over 600 extortion and threat calls reported in 2023-24. The state faces challenges from over 500 gangs operating under 10 major networks.

After Sanjay Verma's killing in Abohar, Panjab minister and Aam Aadmi Party state chief Aman Arora posted on X, 'In New Punjab, criminals have two choices: surrender or face the law....No mercy for those who dare to disrupt peace.' This 'new Punjab', however, is over a year and a half old, as the state has been witnessing such police encounters since December 2023—a month that saw seven such incidents. The trend continued throughout 2024, with murder suspect Gursharan Singh and gangster Karanjit Singh alias Jassa Happowal killed. Social activist Harmilap Singh Grewal questioned the glorification, 'Such encounters are no deterrence to crime in the state. Big conspirators are sitting in jail. Police kill the shooters, and gangsters in jails nurture new ones. There is no signal that the encounters have been discouraging new recruits.' Meanwhile, on 9 Jul, assailants opened gunfire at Kap’s Café, a newly opened restaurant owned by Indian comedian and actor Kapil Sharma, in Surrey, British Columbia (BC). Germany-based Harjit Singh Laddi has claimed responsibility for the attack. He along with one Toofan Singh cited anger over certain remarks allegedly made by Kapil Sharma on Nihangs (traditional Sikh warriors) as the motive behind the shooting. This attack comes close on the heels of a spate of extortions wracking the South Asian community in BC. In November 2023, multiple rounds were fired at the White Rock home of singer-actor Rupinder Singh Grewal alias Gippy Grewal. In April 2024, Amritpal Singh Dhillon alias AP Dhillon’s North Vancouver property was the site of a drive-by shooting. In June of this year, bullets struck a trucking business tied to rapper Jaskiran Singh Aujla alias Karan Aujla in Surrey. According to World Sikh Organization President Danish Singh, 'This violence has its roots in Indian gang networks...gangs have ties to the Government of India. The disinformation and propaganda, including efforts to falsely link it to Khalistan and portray it as ‘Sikh extremism’, is a deliberate attempt to distort reality and damage our community’s reputation’ (earlier coverage).

On 14 Jul, 114-years old Fauja Singh, the iconic runner who earned the tag of world's oldest marathoner, died in a hit-and-run accident near his native village Beas, Jalandhar. At 89 years of age, Singh took to running seriously. Singh ran his first London Marathon in 2000. Singh competed in nine 26-mile marathons in London, Toronto, and New York donning turban. He was a torchbearer for the 2004 Athens Games and 2012 London Olympics. Meanwhile, in Australia, 24-year-old Bhupinder Singh has been sentenced to more than five years in jail for causing the death of Christine Sandford, a 40-year-old mother of two, in a high-speed crash in Adelaide. The accident took place in 2023 but the verdict was delayed as Singh pleaded for home detention instead of jail as he said practising Sikhs face religious hardship in custody, including ridicule, dietary challenges, and an inability to maintain their hair. Singh had pleaded guilty to causing death and expressed remorse. In the US, the Army changed rules on 7 Jul barring permanent shaving waivers. The Sikh Coalition has reacted to the updated 'facial hair grooming standards' policy. In a statement issued on 10 Jul, the Sikh rights group claimed that the policy shift was unwarranted as a beard does not create difficulty in the soldier's ability to serve, especially when kept due to religious reasons. Concurrently, on 9 Jul, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund hosted its 9th annual langar (community food) on Capitol Hill, Washington DC. Langar is a 500-year-old Sikh tradition which aims to build equality, regardless of faith or ethnic background. It also seeks to promote Sikh visibility at a time when political rhetoric has often been hostile to the religious group and minorities generally. In other news, a UK teenager has been arrested after religious items were defaced. Warwickshire Police said he broke into the Sikh Mission Centre on Marlborough Road, Nuneaton, England.

Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s 1 Aug tariff deadline, India and the US are close to finalizing a deal. According to Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, talks between the countries for a bilateral trade agreement are progressing at a ‘fast pace’. The Indian side has put forward a proposal that touches nearly USD 150-200B worth of goods trade between the two countries . India has maintained a firm stance on its key concerns, especially in the agriculture and dairy sectors. Sources have confirmed that there will be no concessions on critical items like wheat, rice, maize, dairy products, and genetically modified crops. India has clearly stated that these sensitive areas will remain off-limits in any trade agreement. All these areas affect Panjab because agriculture and dairy are the state’s main growth engines. However, Trump has said India could face an additional 10% tariff alongside other members of BRICS—a bloc of emerging economies he has labelled 'anti-American'. Meanwhile, Switzerland has officially completed the ratification process for a landmark trade partnership between India and the European Free Trade Association. Swiss Ambassador to India Maya Tissafi conveyed that the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement is expected to come into force in October. The agreement, signed after nearly 16 years of negotiations, is poised to reduce trade barriers and streamline customs procedures by opening up the Indian market to Swiss exports. Under the mega trade pact, the EFTA States plan to invest USD 100B in India over the next 15 years. This investment is expected to create 1M jobs in India but needs to be studied closely to see its effect on the dairy industry. Concurrently, India has rejected Australia's push for deeper tariff cuts on dairy and alcohol, hampering efforts to conclude the second phase of a trade pact by year-end. An interim trade pact signed in 2022 lowered tariffs on a range of goods, but negotiations on a broader Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement covering goods, services and visas have slowed, with dairy and wine emerging as key sticking points (earlier coverage).

Hundreds of residents of Talwandi Aklia and Karamgarh Autanwali in district Mansa opposed the setting up of a cement plant during a public hearing by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) on 14 Jul. Members of the Public Action Committee (PAC) mobilised people to participate in the public hearing and oppose the setting up of the red category industry. The representatives of the PPCB, Mansa district administration, and the cement factory owners Jindal South West (JSW) participated in the public hearing. As per the notification, JSW Cement Limited had proposed to set up a 6 million tonne per annum (MTPA) plant with two units of 3 MTPA each, and a standalone grinding unit in 48 acres of land. As per the Environment Impact Assessment Notification of 2006, the project proponent needed to obtain environmental clearance from the Indian Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. The hearing was part of that process. With this rejection by villagers, like with the proposed paper mill near Chamkaur Sahib on 30 Apr, industry would find it very difficult to set up the plants. Meanwhile, Chandigarh’s Horticulture Museum in Sector 16 Rose Garden, has remained shut for more than a decade. Inaugurated in 1973, the museum was designed as a unique space dedicated to horticultural education. The museum's caretaker Baldev (no other name) said, 'I have been working here for the past 10 to 12 years, and the museum was already closed when I joined. Now, it is only used to keep Rose Festival materials.' Similarly, the Mughal-era Bajwara Fort in Hoshiarpur district now lies in ruins. Believed to have been established in the late 15th century by Pashtun settlers from the Suleiman Mountains, during the Lodi era, Bajwara served as a strategic outpost to monitor the Hindu Hill Rulers. The fort finds mention in the Ain-i-Akbari as one of Hoshiarpur’s 36 palaces and was part of the Sikh Empire when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured it in 1825. It was later used as a military prison under British rule before being dismantled and left to decay (earlier coverage).