Iran’s Leader Visits Delhi Gurdwara; War Impacts Students & Farmers

On 16 Mar, the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, Professor Ayatollah Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi visited Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in New Delhi with colleagues to attend the final prayers for Parduman Singh Chandhok. Chandok had played a significant role in establishing Gurdwaras in Iran. This and the previous Sikh delegation's visit to the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi on 9 Mar to condole Ayatollah Khamenei’s death underline the deep ties between the people of Panjab and Iran. Furthermore, in Panjab, multiple organizations like student bodies and farmers’ unions have come out in support of the people of Iran, condemning the Israel-US war on Iran. The ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf has also adversely impacted students and the business community in Panjab. Airspace closures and flight disruptions across the region have sharply increased travel costs, particularly for Panjabi students flying to the US or Canada via Europe. With countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Iraq and Iran closing or restricting their airspace, students returning to universities in the US and Canada are now paying USD 2,130–3,190 for flights via Europe, compared to USD 644–745 earlier. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India’s aviation regulator, has issued a travel advisory for the airlines asking them to avoid flying through nine airspaces. Meanwhile, with more than USD 13B worth of exports, China is among the largest fertilizer exporters now. As the war progresses, China is clamping down on fertilizer exports to protect its domestic market. In mid-March, Beijing banned exports of nitrogen-potassium fertilizer blends and certain phosphate varieties. Added to existing bans and export quotas for urea, only a handful of fertilizers—notably ammonium sulphate—are being exported. That means between half and three quarters—⁠potentially up to 40MMT—of China's 2025 exports are restricted for 2026. This would adversely affect farmers in India, especially Panjab and Haryana in the upcoming paddy sowing season. Meanwhile, the US has announced a temporary lifting of sanctions on the sale of 140M barrels of Iranian oil stranded at sea in an effort to cool down soaring global crude oil prices. However, Iran has said they don’t have surplus oil for Europe and the US (earlier coverage).

Kashmir donates for Iran Photo by The Hindu

Iran Thanks Indian People for Support; LPG Crisis Grows

After 14 Mar, when two India-bound tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz, on 23 Mar Iran allowed two more tankers to sail through. The representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, Professor Ayatollah Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi said, 'Our Indian brothers and sisters, regardless of religion, are supporting Iran, are supporting justice.' In another interview he said, 'Majority heart of Indian people is with Iran, they condemn oppression, they don't want war... We informed our people in Iran about the suffering of the people in India and they must support them.(sic)' Iran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali also said some tankers will be allowed through the Strait, though did not specify the number. The Iran embassy fund appeal has drawn a big response from India, especially Kashmir. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on 21 Mar to condemn recent attacks on critical infrastructure in West Asia and warned that such actions threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains. Additionally, the Federation of LPG Distributors of Punjab (FLDP) demanded an increase in gas cylinders to clear the backlog, expressing concern over the situation. It said that the oil marketing companies’ (OMC) sudden decision to increase the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices, raising domestic cylinder rates by USD 0.64 (INR 60) and commercial cylinders by USD 1.23 (INR 115), triggered panic among consumers who apprehended a potential supply shortage. FLDP president Gurpal Singh Mann said there was ‘inadequate supply’ of gas in the state, despite the union government and OMC claiming adequate availability. He added, 'The imposition of restrictive booking intervals, once every 25 days for urban consumers and once every 45 days for rural consumers, coupled with the temporary suspension of booking channels for three to four days, led to a surge of pending bookings.' Fraud phone calls on the pretext of LPG booking have become a significant concern in Panjab especially amid reports of perceived shortages, panic booking, and supply concerns linked to the escalating war in West Asia. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has mandated biometric authentication for all domestic LPG consumers (earlier coverage).

Laljit Bhullar Photo from X

Former Transport Minister Bhullar Arrested for Abetment to Official’s Suicide

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Patti, Tarn Taran district and former Panjab Transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar was arrested on 23 Mar in connection with the death of a Punjab Warehousing Corporation (PWC) official. A PWC, Amritsar District Manager Gagandeep Singh Randhawa committed suicide on 21 Mar by consuming poison. In a video recorded after consuming Celphos (Aluminium phosphide), Randhawa claimed harassment by Bhullar. Celphos is a commonly used fumigant for stored cereal grains and is often used by farmers and laborers to commit suicide. Bhullar has also resigned at the direction of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. In her complaint, Randhawa's wife Upinder Kaur claimed her husband was constantly pressured to allot a warehouse tender to Bhullar's father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar. Bhullar, his father, and his personal assistant Dilbagh Singh threatened Randhawa on 13 Mar at their residence, and forced him to admit he took a USD 10K bribe for allotting the warehouse tender to another party. Bhullar’s arrest took place after protests by leaders of Indian National Congress (INC) and Shiromani Akali Dal who jointly wrote to the union Home Minister Amit Shah. The leaders are also demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Randhawa’s death. Shah said he will order the CBI probe upon a written request from Panjab’s Members of Parliament. With Bhullar’s arrest, now two AAP MLAs are in jail. The other being Maninder SIngh Lalpura who was sentenced to four years in prison in Sep 2025 over the assault and molestation of a Dalit (marginalized caste) woman in 2013. Meanwhile, the Panjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution seeking Bharat Ratna—India's highest civilian award—for Dalit icon and Bahujan Samaj Party founder Late Kanshi Ram. The resolution came a day after Kanshi Ram's 92^nd birth anniversary. In another resolution, a Punjab Assembly Committee has recommended a vigilance bureau probe into the sale of eight tourist complexes of Punjab Tourism Development Corporation that were sold to private parties in 2006–07 under the disinvestment policy of the then INC government (earlier coverage).

Farmer checks his wheat field after rain outside Amritsar Photo by Indian Express

Rains Flatten Wheat, Potato Prices Crash, Farmer Beneficiaries Drop by 51%

After a spike in February and March temperatures in Panjab, Bathinda received 408% rainfall on 15 Mar. Heavy rains have impacted the growing wheat crop in Bathinda, Mansa, Barnala, and other districts. The earlier rising temperatures prompted farmers to over irrigate the crops, but when rains arrived, the soil was moist and the crops flattened under their own weight. Meanwhile, similar to previous years, shortage of storage space for food grains in Panjab still remains a concern. Since August 2025, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has moved 500KMT each of wheat and rice every month to the central pool. However, to ensure there is enough room for the 2026 wheat crop, the monthly movement of wheat must increase to at least 1500KMT. The rice industry is also grappling with inadequate warehousing capacity. Panjab is required to supply 10.2MMT of rice from the 2025 monsoon season's production to the central pool. Out of this, nearly 4MMT has been delivered so far, while around 6.2MMT of rice remains pending in the form of paddy and rice stocked in mills, awaiting delivery to FCI godowns. Concurrently, the union government has raised the commission rates to commission agents and cooperative societies in procurement of wheat and paddy, effective 1 Apr. Alongside, the potato crop had a bumper harvest but that has ironically pushed the prices as little as USD 00.011 (INR 1) per kg. Farmers in several parts of Panjab have started ploughing their crop back into the fields. Assistant Director Horticulture Department, Dr. Paramjit Singh, said that around 123K hectares were under potato cultivation this year. Simultaneously, replying to a question by Shiromani Akali Dal Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Bhagirath Choudhary said the number of beneficiaries under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi (farmers' incentive) has declined by 51% in Panjab over the past six years. The union government has mandated land seeding to verify land ownership through state records, Aadhaar (biometric authentication) based payments to beneficiaries' bank accounts for which they need to prove their active status. Choudhary said the state government had not pushed the farmers to fulfill these conditions, hence the decline in numbers from 2.3M beneficiaries in 2019 to 1.13M in 2025 (earlier coverage).

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Panjab Education Minister at a school Photo by The Tribune

Panjab Partners With World Bank for Education Reform; Reality Differs on Ground

Panjab has secured a USD 373M investment from the World Bank to overhaul its public education system. Panjab will now launch the second phase of its Sikhya Kranti (Education Revolution) reform. The six-year initiative, Punjab Sikhya Kranti 2.0, aims to pivot the state's schools towards global standards. The funding represents one of the largest educational investments in the region's history. However, an investigation found that out of the 31 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) with school-going children, including six state ministers, only one—Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana of Maur constituency, Bathinda district—is sending his children to study at a government school in 2025–26. During the state elections in 2022, reforms in education through its Sikhya Kranti initiative was one of AAP’s key promises. AAP promised to transform government schools into equitable and inclusive learning institutions. While there has been significant progress in learning levels in schools, with Panjab performing better than the national average in almost all parameters, the bias against government schools is clear. The AAP MLAs cited a range of reasons for not sending their children to government schools which amounted to an indictment of their own system—limited opportunities, quality gaps with private institutions, social or family pressure, lack of exposure to English, and reluctance to shift children to the state education board. Five non-AAP MLAs who were interviewed alleged that there was a shortage of teachers in government schools, and dismissed Sikhya Kranti as a scheme ‘only on paper’. They also objected to the government’s decision to change the medium of instruction from English to Panjabi in 2025. Additionally, the Department of School Education has directed government teachers to register as enumerators for the state’s Drug and Socio-Economic Census. The census will begin on 5 Apr and will cover every household in the state to identify the number of drug users and the types of substances being abused. However, the teachers criticized the move and flayed the government for imposing ‘non-academic’ work. Teachers had earlier also protested a similar move by the state government (earlier coverage).

Gang Canal Headworks at Ferozepur in 1920s Photo by EBNW Story

Panjab Demands USD 15.41B Water Dues from Rajasthan

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal called for a judicial probe into the status of the USD 1.34B State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) ‘to ascertain how the money was misappropriated’. The MP said crops across 400K acres of land were destroyed in Panjab in the 2025 floods, following which the union government announced compensation to farmers, which it said was not distributed and lying with the state under the SDRF head. Meanwhile, the Panjab government demanded royalty from neighboring Rajasthan for water supplied for its irrigation and drinking needs, claiming an outstanding amount of USD 15.41B. Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann said, ‘Under the 1920 agreement, 18K cusecs of Panjab’s water was supplied to Rajasthan continuously till 1960. However, after the Indus Waters Treaty, there was no mention of this arrangement. If we calculate dues from 1960 to 2026, Rajasthan owes Panjab the money.’ He further added that the Rajasthan government has not paid ‘even a single paisa for the past six decades’. Refuting such claims, a senior Rajasthan official said the state is a partner in the project and has also contributed its share of the financial expenditure for building the irrigation system. Questioning the basis of Panjab’s demand, the official added that the issue is already under consideration before an inter-state water dispute tribunal. However, this is not the first time this issue is being raised. Panjab's foremost expert on river water issues, Late Pritam Singh Kumedan, had in 2009 computed that while 10.6 MAF of water flowed to Rajasthan, Panjab had incurred a cost of USD 8.56B to extract the same amount of subsoil water to meet its irrigation needs. In 2009, he also wrote to the then SAD CM Parkash Singh Badal to raise the USD 8.56B demand with Rajasthan. Additionally, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said that funds to the tune of USD 61.3M have been released to Panjab during 2025–26 under the National Health Mission (NHM). Panjab has received over USD 248.62M crore from the union government under NHM between 2021–26 (earlier coverage).

Sikh Student Dies in Canada; 2 Deported for Links to Extortion Network

A Sikh student from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Gurkirat Manocha, died after being assaulted during a clash between two groups of youths in Canada on 14 Mar. Manocha was pursuing a Business Management Post-Degree Diploma in British Columbia (BC), Canada and had migrated 15 months ago. The family first came to know about the incident through other Indian students who contacted them on social media and later confirmed the information. Additionally, two men from Panjab, allegedly linked to a violent extortion network targeting South Asian businesses in Edmonton, Canada, have been deported. Arshdeep Singh was on a study permit from 2022 was deported on 19 Jan 2026, while Sukhnaaz Singh Sandhu who had been in Canada since 2016 and was previously linked to the Ruffians gang in Surrey, BC, was sent back on 3 Feb 2026. Both had been detained in Nov 2025 and were later found inadmissible by the Immigration and Refugee Board for membership in a criminal organization involved in extortion, arson, drug trafficking, and firearm offences. A nationwide crackdown has led to 35 deportations since August 2025. Meanwhile, a 32-year-old Sikh from Raikot, Ludhiana district was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Spain. The deceased, identified as Arshdeep Singh, had gone to Spain around eight years ago and had been working in a factory for over five years. Meanwhile, the Panjab police have registered a criminal case against Sikh preacher and former Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) president Baljit Singh Daduwal days after a clash following a religious ceremony in Shergarh village, Patiala district. The complaint, by current HSGMC chief Jagdish Singh Jhinda, alleges that following a bhog (prayers) ceremony on 17 Mar, Daduwal, along with seven associates, followed his vehicle for 10–12 km and attempted to assault him near Arno village on the Kaithal road, Haryana. On 21 Mar, Daduwal also attempted to take over the Miri Piri Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Shahbad, Haryana but HSGMC members chased him away. Simultaneously, the Supreme Court of India refused to consider a plea seeking a direction to declare the 10^th Sikh Sovereign Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary a national holiday saying there were already too many holidays (earlier coverage).

Christian Preachers Photo by India Today

Christian Orgs Condemn Shah’s Anti-Conversion Remark; ‘India an Electoral Autocracy’

Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led union government, accusing it of providing special treatment to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in Sabarmati Jail, Gujarat, while shielding him from Panjab police’s custody. Also countering union Home Minister Amit Shah 's recent pitch for an anti-conversion law in the state, Mann asserted that the ‘religious card’ would never work in Panjab and accused the saffron party of attempting to incite communal friction. Additionally, the Panjab Christian Movement and Christian Awareness Leadership also condemned Shah’s statement. The groups also appealed to members of the Christian community across Panjab to ensure the saffron party's defeat in the 2027 elections. Meanwhile, student leader Jashanpreet Singh Jawanda was shot at in Panjab University’s premises in Chandigarh on 17 Mar. The incident was reported near the Department of Botany during the annual students festival—Jhankaar. The incident has raised fresh concerns over security on the campus. A social media post, allegedly linked to the Davinder Bambiha, Gopi Ghanshampuria, and Kaushal Chaudhary group, claimed responsibility for the firing. The post named Balwinder Singh alias Doni Bal and Shaganpreet as attackers. According to police, four suspects arrived on a stolen scooter and allegedly fired two rounds in an attempt to target Jawanda, who is associated with a student union. The attack is also reminiscent of the fatal stabbing of another student during the annual festival in 2025 after which a ban was imposed on the Star Nights event. However, despite the ban, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of BJP, announced a line up of singers for the event in 2026, which concluded on 18 Mar but was later cancelled. Simultaneously, a democracy report by the V-Dem Institute of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden states that autocracies outnumber democracies in the world today with 74% of the world population now living in autocracies. The report adds that India is among the most populous electoral autocracies in the world, a zone it entered in 2017. Out of 179 countries, India ranks 105 on the liberal democracy index in 2026 as opposed to 100 in 2025 (earlier coverage).

Panjab CM Bhagwant Mann Photo by The Print

CAG Flays Panjab’s Fiscal Management, Administration Lapses

As the Aam Aadmi Party government in Panjab completed its fourth year, a report of the Panjab Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) warned of 'heavily stressed state finances' with debts and liabilities accounting for 44.27% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). The CAG report for the state’s finances for 2023–24 has put the total debt and liability figure at USD 37B. The budget presented on 8 Mar had estimated debt to touch USD 48B in 2026–27. The report says in rural areas 18,123 acres of village commons land are under unauthorized occupation, while 17 community welfare projects worth USD 99K sit either abandoned or unfinished. Six completed assets worth USD 832K were never utilized. Key failures identified include infrastructure waste, revenue leakage, and fiscal malpractice. Urban bodies failed to collect more than USD 13.5M in waste management charges. Auditors flagged more than USD 480K in unauthorized construction works and more than USD 220K in illegal advance payments to contractors. The audit found that 1,114 habitations were still receiving contaminated water as of April 2023 with piped water being supplied from unsafe sources. The report has exposed a near-total collapse of Panjab's emergency response infrastructure, revealing that the state's Dial 112 system is operating with an 86% shortage of required vehicles. CAG has pointed out deficiencies in the functioning of Regional Transport Offices, highlighting gaps in digital systems, delays in service delivery, and short realization of Motor Vehicle Tax. The audit highlighted weaknesses in VAHAN and SARATHI (transport related IT applications) noting that the absence of validation checks in business rules allowed violations of motor vehicle regulations to go unchecked. The audit also flagged non-compliance by vehicle owners, including failure to obtain permanent registration after expiry of temporary registration, non-renewal of fitness certificates for transport vehicles, non-application for permits in newly registered transport vehicles, and non-renewal of permits. Additionally, Panjab has ranked last among India’s 18 major states in the second edition of the Fiscal Health Index. Panjab scored 12.4 out of 100, the lowest for any major state (earlier coverage).

Representational Image Photo by Deccan Herald

10.

Report Flags Condition of Women in Panjab’s Jails

A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the condition of women in the Panjab jails, reflects a deep-seated institutional problem with regards to the treatment of women. The report flagged most jails in Panjab which did not supply the minimum required sanitary pads to ‘eligible’ women prisoners between 2020–23. Women inmates up to the age of 50 are entitled to 5–10 sanitary pads per month, based on the recommendation of the Medical Officer. However, the CAG found that 12 out of 18 test-checked jails, housing between 839 and 1,271 women inmates, failed to provide even the minimum five pads per month. The audit further noted that the average supply of sanitary pads per eligible woman inmate was far below the prescribed norm in 11 of the 12 jails examined, with District Jail Mansa being the only exception. Women inmates in Central Jails at Amritsar and Faridkot and Women Jail Ludhiana were forced to purchase sanitary pads from jail canteens. Mensuration is basic to every woman’s existence and health. It is deplorable that jails in Panjab don’t care to provide women inmates the basic necessities during mensuration. A society engrossed in machismo often fails to look beyond itself and ‘others’ the woman as a non-functioning part of the society. The denial of menstrual hygiene is also a reflection of ingrained systematic bias where women barely speak up for their demands and therefore are invisible in the system. The CAG report also highlights overcrowding in the prisons, which is in line with the Supreme Court of India’s directive on 22 Mar to all states and Union Territories to furnish updated details on prisons and steps taken to address overcrowding by 18 May. The SCI says that the data must include jail-wise capacity, total number of inmates, extent of overcrowding, steps proposed to address it, details of women’s prisons, and facilities for women inmates and accompanying children, including educational and medical support, along with aspects of prison administration (earlier coverage).

Notes

Updates

ITA: Thousands gather in Italy’s Cortenova for Hola Mohalla celebrations, showcasing Sikh traditions and cultural exchange (earlier coverage).
IN: Economic stagnation, job mismatch behind ‘distress migration’ from Panjab.
IN: India moves to secure 44% output from Canadian potash project to boost fertilizer supplies (earlier coverage).

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