Panjab Assembly Guards Waters, But Resolutions Leave Much Desired

On 5 May, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Panjab conducted a special Legislative Assembly session to guard its rivers’ waters. The need arose from neighboring state Haryana demanding 8.5K cusecs extra water when the state has used 103% of its share of water and Panjab is still supplying them 4K cusecs of drinking water. Panjab objected and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB)—which falls under the union govt.—replaced its Director of Water Regulation Panjab cadre Akashdeep Singh with Haryana cadre Sanjeev Kumar. BBMP called for a meeting with a day’s notice when its rules mandate seven days. In the Assembly, members of all parties vociferously defended Panjab’s rights and unanimously passed the resolutions: Panjab govt. will not give a single drop of extra water to Haryana from its share other than 4K cusecs currently being given as a humanitarian gesture; condemned the illegal and unconstitutional manner in which Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called the BBMB meeting; Panjab’s concerns and rights are ignored; therefore, BBMB must be restructured; invoked Riparian status on rivers Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas and asked why is their water diverted to other states? The 1981 agreement was based on river flow levels that are significantly lower today and called for a new agreement; and called for repeal of the Dam Safety Act, 2021. While the elected members patted themselves on saving Panjab’s waters, the fact is repealing the Dam Safety Act, 2021 for Panjab still needs the Governor’s approval. Ajaypal Singh Brar, from Misl Satluj points at other discrepancies, ‘Until when will Panjab supply 4K cusecs of water to Haryana? Why is no date mentioned? Why should BBMB be restructured and its dams not belong to Panjab?’ This is a demand from the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, 1973. He further adds, ‘When criticizing the 1981 agreement and stating rivers are Riparian to Panjab, why is a new agreement being proposed? Panjab has always maintained that its waters cannot be shared.’ Indian media has reported the resolutions as ‘not a drop’ to Haryana, completely ignoring Panjab’s humanitarian stand and other points.

On the tension building up between India and Pakistan after the 22 Apr Pahalgam attack, on 2 May, US vice president James David Vance said, ‘Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that doesn't lead to a broader regional conflict.’ A day later, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said it is his responsibility to work with the armed forces and give a ‘befitting reply’ to those who cast an evil eye on India. At the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Pakistan 'requested closed consultations' on the tensions between the two countries. Pakistan is currently a non-permanent member (on rotation) of the 15-nation UNSC. India is not in the UNSC. Neither India nor the UNSC has issued a formal statement after the talks but Indian media is screaming Pakistan was rebuked at the meeting. On 5 May, Indian Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh and Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on preparedness in case of a retaliatory strike by Pakistan. There was no official statement on the meeting. Ever since India imposed sanctions on Pakistan, there have been a slew of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC). Unprovoked firing from posts across the border have simultaneously taken place all along the LoC in multiple sectors. Meanwhile, on 24 Apr, the National Investigation Agency told the Supreme Court of India that the proceeds of the 2,988 kg heroin consignment worth USD 2.5B that was intercepted at the Gautam Adani owned Mundra port by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in September 2021 were 'used…for funding terrorist activities of' the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati also said that a retired customs official who cleared the consignment was found dead. On 5 May, Panjab Police arrested Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih who were allegedly leaking sensitive information about Indian military installations in Amritsar to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (earlier coverage).

Amid the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan on 26 Apr, on behest of Border Security Force, Gurdwaras (Sikh place of learning and worship) asked farmers to wind up operations in the 21,600 acres farm lands between the Indian wired fence and the 553 km international border. For people along the border, these announcements are an indication of action on the border. On 2 May, Ferozepur Cantonment in Panjab carried out a drill from 9-9:30 PM to test wartime readiness. Though Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma told citizens not to panic, the drill has created anxiety in six Panjab districts. Meanwhile, Pakistan has kept the Wagah gate closed since 1 May, refusing entry to its citizens after India’s post‑Pahalgam visa crackdown, leaving many stranded. Sikh groups from Panjab organized langars (community kitchen) near the Attari side. An eighty‑year‑old paralysed over‑stayer, Abdul Waheed Bhat, died of illness on a bus at Attari before handover to Pakistan. Among those stranded and affected elsewhere are Lahore‑born Saeeda Sagir Fatima, resident of Srinagar for more than forty years. The shut gate halted her forced exit and Saeeda asked in tears, ‘May our final breath be on Indian soil.’ Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) police clarified that Shameema Akhtar, mother of Shaurya Chakrarecipient Constable Mudasir Shaikh, was not on the deportation list. In Uttar Pradesh the status of three‑month‑pregnant Maryam of Bulandshahr and Seema Haider, who entered India via Nepal, remains pending as authorities finalize guidance for about 1K Pakistani spouses on long term visas. Amid this, intelligence warned of sleeper cells hoping to carry out retaliatory killings, prompting J&K to close 48 of 87 tourist sites. Sikh pilgrim turnout through the Kartarpur Corridor to Darbar Sahib, Pakistan—the final resting place of Guru Nanak—has fallen from a daily 425 to 152 on 30 Apr. While the union government has not addressed the citizens of India on the possibility of war, on 5 May, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced countrywide mock drills on 7 May to test war preparedness (earlier coverage).

Indian National Congress (INC) Member of Parliament (MP) and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s 21 Apr appearance at Brown University, US drew attention on 3 May after a video showed a Sikh student Gurpartap Singh questioning him over the INC’s role in the Operation Blue Star, 1984 Sikh genocide, and the life sentence given to former INC MP Sajjan Kumar. Gurpartap said Sikhs lack full freedom of expression in India and accused the INC of failing to reconcile with the community. Gandhi replied that many wrongs occurred before his political career yet he was willing to accept responsibility for every mistake in the party's history. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT department head Amit Malviya shared the clip on X, claiming Gandhi was being ridiculed worldwide. BJP national spokesperson RP Singh demanded Gandhi prove sincerity by expelling Jagdish Tytler, Kamal Nath, and Sam Pitroda from the INC, noting Pitroda’s past ‘hua toh hua’ (whatever happened, happened) remark about the violence. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal asked, ‘Why does the INC leader still continue not only to shield but also to reward killers of thousands of innocent Sikhs with plum posts in the party?’ Panjab INC chief Amarinder SIngh Raja Warring condemned SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s call for Gandhi’s apology saying she should also apologize for her great-grandfather, Surinder Singh Majithia who honored General Reginald Dyer on the same evening that hundreds of innocent people were killed at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919. In a parallel development, on 28 Apr, the Supreme Court of India ordered the expeditious trial of 11 Kanpur cases arising from the 1984 Sikh genocide, stressing inordinate delay. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh directed Central Forensic Science Laboratory to reconstruct the illegible forty‑year‑old First Information Report. Separately, on 3 May, the Punjab and Haryana High Courtissued notices to the Panjab government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after parents of Canada‑based student Jaspreet Singh petitioned for a court‑monitored CBI probe into his 13 Mar death near Nabha, alleging a staged encounter (earlier coverage).

On 3 May, Akal Takht (Eternal Throne; AT) officiating Jathedar (leader) Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj announced that the Panth (Sikh Collective) will refuse permission for Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar’s proposed movie on Sikh martyr Hari Singh Nalwa. He declared that Sikh Gurus and martyrs are sacred figures and commercial portraits violate long‑standing Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) resolutions of 1934, 1940, 2003, 2015 and 2022. Speaking at a conclave of Sikh scholars, artists and panthic organizations at AT, Gargajj urged filmmakers to focus on social themes such as Seva (selfless service) and Langar (community kitchens) instead of exploiting heroic history. He said animation and AI content threaten Sikh identity and a joint SGPC–AT committee will draft a formal film policy. Earlier the Jathedar became the first AT leader to attend a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD; Amritsar) foundation‑day Ardas (prayers) inside the Takht (throne) complex since the party split from the parent SAD in 1994. He told the gathering that all splintered Akali factions must bury differences and share AT as a common platform. His appearance drew a swift counter from Damdami Taksal, Sant Samaj and allied Nihang (traditional Sikh warriors) groups headed by Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa Dhuma, issued an ultimatum demanding the SGPC cancel the recent appointments of Gargajj and Baba Tek Singh Dhanaula as Takht Jathedars and restore their predecessors by 10 May, or face monthly five‑hundred‑strong sit‑ins outside SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s village residence starting 11 June. Meanwhile, the SGPC has extended to 20 May its call for written proposals on codifying rules for appointing or removing the AT Jathedar. Submissions received so far seek an Amritdhari candidate with at least a graduate degree or Giani certification, prefer postgraduates in Sikh studies, fix a 4‑year tenure renewable once, mandate selection by SGPC members and sitting Takht chiefs, and require a two‑thirds SGPC vote for dismissal. Akhand Kirtani Jatha’s twelve‑page paper recommends permanent departments for research, diaspora relations, education and media under the Takht secretariat.

The Indian union government has postponed the scheduled 4 May meeting with Panjab-based farmer unions after the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) (Non-Political) insisted on excluding representatives of the Panjab govt. from the discussions. In a letter dated 1 May, the union govt. urged the farmer leaders to reconsider their stance, emphasising the importance of state participation in a federal setup. The farmers had requested to exclude the Panjab govt. which had betrayed the farmers by arresting the leaders after the last round of talks on 19 Mar and how police dismantled the year-long protests at Shambhu and Khanauri interstate Panjab and Haryana borders. The irony is the demand was being made from the union govt. which along with Haryana govt. had blocked the farmers path to Delhi and forced them to camp on roads. The farmer unions gave a call to protest outside Shambhu police station and symbolically block trains and roads for one day on 5 May. However on 4 May night, the police picked up many farmer leaders including SKM NP chief Jagjit Singh Dallewal from their homes and detained them. Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann warned all 'institutions, organizations, and unions' against blocking of roads and stopping trains during peak wheat harvest season. Meanwhile, on 30 Apr, hundreds of people gathered at Chamkaur Sahib for a public hearing against the proposal to establish a paper mill in 200 acres of land. The land is between Sirhind canal and Buddha Dariya. Before the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process began, the Punjab Pollution Control Board invited residents to voice their objections. The Public Action Committee, Mattewara Morcha (front), filed a formal complaint, highlighting concerns over environmental degradation. The proposed site is also close to a region of immense religious and historical significance, and the committee pointed out that such industrial development would show blatant disregard for cultural and spiritual values. In the final show of hands, the people voted overwhelmingly against establishing the mill (earlier coverage).

By 3 May, Panjab’s government agencies procured 10.3M metric tonnes (MT) of the 11.7M  MT wheat that arrived in grain markets while private traders lifted 928K MT, pushing total purchases toward the 2006 record and paying farmers USD 28.7 per quintal. Payments of USD 2.1B have reached 628K growers at 2,885 centers. However, heavy rains recorded at 1,500% above normal between 1–2 May, soaked 169K MT still unsold and slowed grain lifting to 5.8M MT, leaving more than 6M MT exposed. Farmers in Ferozepur and Fazilka reported damage and asked for compensation as wind speeds hit 91 km/h. At the same time, Panjab also faced 1,052 wheat‑stubble fires between 1 Apr and 3 May, up 50% year on year, led by Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala. Punjab Pollution Control Board urged in‑situ residue management and behavioural change. Seeking risk cover after repeated weather losses and fires, Panjab’s govt. will request inclusion in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme; PMFBY), ending a nine‑year refusal. A draft state agriculture policy is promised by June. Maharashtra scrapped its INR 1 crop insurance after bogus claims soared from 11,731 in 2022 to 380K in 2023. Farmers now pay the standard PMFBY rates of 2% for summer crops and 1.5% to 5% for other seasons. Meanwhile, Haryana continues to outpace Panjab on reforms: indebted farm households fell to 48% versus Panjab’s 54.4%, average debt is USD 2,160 against USD 2,410, and the state that pays USD 83 per acre to shift from paddy, has spent USD 395M since 2018 on stubble‑management machinery guarantees MSP on all crops and offers village‑wide voluntary crop insurance. Experts say Panjab must diversify from its 86.8% rice and 97.9% wheat reliance and adopt Haryana‑style incentives, mechanization and direct payments to curb rising debt projected at USD 41 billion by March 2025 (earlier coverage).

After Panjab government’s 7 Apr order banning hybrid paddy seeds for the forthcoming summer transplantation season, on 28 Apr, the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) urged the union govt. to intervene, warning that growers could lose USD 94-118 per acre because hybrid rice typically yields five to six quintals more grain and is officially notified for cultivation. FSII chair Ajai Rana said the prohibition removes roughly one month of a small farmer’s earnings and filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court; hearing is due later in May. The state argues hybrid varieties deplete groundwater and give poor milling recovery. FSII has submitted Punjab Agricultural University, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and International Rice Research Institute data showing total milling recovery of 70‑72.5% and head‑rice above 60%, exceeding Food Corporation of India norms. Farmers from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha met Muktsar deputy commissioner Abhijeet Kaplish on 6 May to demand exemptions to the hybrid seed ban in waterlogged tracts where cotton has disappeared because traditional Pusa Rice paddy seedlings dry out. Farmer from Kotli Dewan village, Muktsar, Gobind Singh said only hybrid paddy succeeds in those soils while Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Dakonda) district president Puran Singh Vattu warned the ban pushes families toward debt. Farmer leader Jarnail Singh Roranwala asked the govt. to test soil and water samples from affected blocks and permit hybrid cultivation before the 15 May start of direct seeded rice and 1 Jun nursery transplanting. The group plans mass protests if no reversal comes. Panjab’s notification currently allows only state‑approved Pusa Rice transplant varieties and keeps the transplant window staggered by district to manage groundwater. FSII counters that hybrid rice uses less water per kilogram of grain and reduces stubble burning. Seed dealers report uncertainty with stock booking for summer crops 2025. The dispute places farmers, scientists, industry and the state at odds as the sowing calendar approaches and the PHHC weighs the ban’s legality against previous scientific approvals and farmer dependence on hybrid seed.

On 30 Apr, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers that directs Department of Transportation (DoT) Secretary Sean Duffy to tighten roadside checks so every commercial truck driver must read traffic signs, answer public inquiries, and complete records in English. The order states English is the national language and existing federal rules on driver English proficiency have not been strictly enforced. The Sikh Political Action Committee predicts around 150K Sikhs work in the US trucking industry. The Sikh Coalition said it is ‘deeply concerned’ the new inspections could block Sikh and other immigrant drivers and asked the DoT to consult affected communities before issuing guidance. Industry associations asked for reasonable timelines and federal help with language training. The DoT has not released an implementation schedule. Meanwhile, more than 100 attorneys planned to leave the US Justice Department civil rights division by the 29 Apr deferred‑resignation deadline after political leaders reopened the programme. New division chief Harmeet Kaur Dhillon said the office will apply federal civil rights statutes and welcomed the departures by staff who prefer police consent decrees. Current and former lawyers said existing personnel handled investigations into policing, voting, and housing that may slow down significantly or close. Meanwhile, a judge of the Southern District of New York ruled that Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was not served a summons in Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s civil suit when Doval visited Washington on 12–13 Feb. Secret Service agents blocked two attempts to serve Pannun’s civil suit summons at Blair House checkpoints. One server left documents at a Starbucks 100 feet away but the court found service incomplete because papers were not given to hotel staff or security as required. The suit alleges an assassination plot involving Indian national Vikash Yadav. Meanwhile, in response to the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and tensions between India-Pakistan, on 1 May Pannun posted a video telling Sikh soldiers not to fight if the two countries go to war and said Sikhs should serve langar (community kitchen) to Pakistani troops (earlier coverage).

In the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) merit list released 30 Apr featured four achievers from Panjab. Phagwara’s Sidaq Singh ranked 157 on his sixth attempt after home study during the pandemic, Jalandhar’s Arushi ranked 184 using district coaching, Ludhiana’s Jaskaran Singh ranked 240 after leaving Indian Revenue Service probation to improve his rank, and Hoshiarpur tehsildar (revenue officer) Larson Singla ranked 936. The exam drew 992K applicants, 583K took preliminary tests, 14K cleared the mains, 2.8K faced interviews, and 1K were recommended for service. In Sikh education, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee released November 2024 Class I and Class II Dharam Prachar (Religious preaching) examination results, awarding scholarships worth about USD 55.4K to 2,928 students and issuing certificates to promote knowledge of Sikh history and Rehat Maryada (code of conduct). Concurrently, the Panjab government notified revised pension benefits for around 400 retired teachers and 100 family pensioners from govt. colleges and universities who left service before 1 Jan 2016 under the Seventh University Grants Commission Pay Scales. Pension is fixed at 50% of notional pay as of 1 Jan 2016 and family pension at 30%, with arrears from 1 Oct 2022 to be paid in four quarterly instalments, costing roughly USD 4.6 M. Meanwhile, mid‑day meal data for academic year 2024‑25 show 1.5M of 1.9M enrolled govt. schoolchildren received meals, leaving about 385K without coverage, most notably in Bal Vatikas (kindergarten) and upper primary classes. The Union Ministry of Education approved a USD 43.9M budget for 2025‑26 under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (Prime Minister’s Mid Day Meal) scheme, including USD 27.5M share by union govt. and USD 16.4M state share, and directed Panjab to address enrolment decline of nearly 60K, low meal uptake in several districts, lack of laboratory testing in seven districts, and limited health screenings that reached 68% of students (earlier coverage).