Expectations would be certainly high
Charanjit Singh Channi has been declared as the CM face of Punjab by the Congress. Almost one third (32 percent) of Punjab's population is Dalit, which is the highest for any Indian state. The Dalit voters are many in numbers in the state and their expectations would be certainly high from the Channi if congress party wins. There are numerous issues of Dalit community in Punjab and Channi should pay heed to that since Channi is the only hope for them. Besides, Channi should also take care the predicament of other communities too since being a CM is the huge responsibility and one should perform it with dedication and conviction.
SAAHIL HANS
Vote for those having good credentials
Rahul Gandhi has played a trump card with the naming of Charanjit Singh Channi as the chief ministerial candidate. But, only if the Congress party gets a majority of seats in the coming assembly elections, Dalit Chief Minister will get for the Congress majority of SC and BC votes. Since Independence, Congress used to get good number of votes from these classes all over the country. But its percentage declined over time as many parties got their votes. Previously it was vote-bank politics for the Congress. No more. Many parties promise many things to the voters, particularly the SC and BC population. Subsequently, they don't fulfil their promises. It is true of all the parties. With the SC and BC population more than 30%in Punjab, the Congress may get majority of their votes. Is the Dalit CM face answer to all the problems of those communities and ensure redressal is a moot point. With many parties in the fray, it's unlikely that any single party will get majority of seats. I think there would be a hung Assembly and a coalition government would be in the chair. People have to be watchful and vote only for the party and candidate whose work and credentials are reliable and good. Now the ball is in the court of the people.
JS Wadhwa
Dalit votes hard to resist for anyone
The Congress's initiative of declaring Channi as the CM face in the state elections is nothing but a desperate political maneuver with the sole motive of enhancing the prospects of winning elections. It has nothing to do with uplifting the Dalit community and removing the poverty as claimed by Congress leadership. The candidature of Channi is nothing more than an attempt of using Dalit narrative to garner maximum votes to retain power in the state. But how far the exercise is going to benefit the party is a serious subject of debate. Akali Dal has also tried to woo Dalit votes by promising deputy chief ministership to a Dalit candidate for which even alliance with the BSP was formed. Dalit votes which constitute roughly 32% of Punjab electorate are hard to resist by power greedy political parties which otherwise have lost their credibility due to wide spread corruption, patronised and unabated nexus of various mafia gangs with the government earlier headed by both Akali Dal and Congress.
Jagdish Chander
Political system need extensive reforms
As the polling date to Punjab Assembly is getting nearer, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to garner votes to their favour. This time, it is a multi pronged contest among candidates as pre-poll alliances are far less. Now that the election campaign is at full momentum, political parties are making various strategies and offering all kinds of sops to allure voters. To fetch favour of 40 per cent SC/ST population of the state, every party is proposing higher berths to them in government, on coming to power. As the winning margins in these polls are anticipated so close, they are all out to polarise the society on volatile line of caste, creed and religion for electoral gains. Surprisingly, the major issues like mounting debt burden amp; depleting groundwater concerning the State are left to occupy the back seat. After declaration of next CM's face by AAP and SAD, Congress party has also announced incumbent CM Channi as their face for another term. Though the objective is to attract Dalit votes by signalling to address their core issues, it is paradoxical to predict that the communal card may tilt the electoral balance to their side, since the party is fighting broad dissent over ticket allocation besides anti incumbency. Notwithstanding some improvements in the past, our political system still demands extensive reforms, where division of votes on caste amp; creed basis has to be curbed. Also, mushroom growth of political parties without material presence creating complicity in electioneering process, needs to be reviewed . Broadly speaking, without any clear road map to fulfil the poll promises, the woes of common man will not end. It is, therefore, vital that the command of the state should vest in the hands of capable CM but equally significant is to act with a defined and collective vision for the welfare of entire society, that comprises of electorates with varied ethnicity and plurality.
Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath
Populist schemes upsets state economy
Congress has decided to play power game on the issue of Dalits by projecting the present Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as its CM face in the state to woo the Dalit vote bank. Congress is focusing on Dalits vote bank but the issue arises that whether it will succeed in securing more votes of Dalits than the other political parties who have their core cadre of Dalits in BJP, BSP, and SAD (B). Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has already announced liberal policies during his tenure. Populist schemes are always announced in the pre-poll period but if implemented in the post election period upsets the economy and further exceeds the state's debit. Punjab is already under heavy debt from the Centre. Wait and watch is the ultimate result to be witnessed after the counting of votes, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.
RAJAT KUMAR MOHINDRU
Bid to divert attention from real issues
Amid accusations of non-performance, severe internal wrangling and large-scale defections, the Congress announcement to pick the incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to lead the party in the upcoming Assembly elections is solely aimed at wooing the crucial Dalit-OBC vote-bank that has a sizeable population in Punjab. They, too, are euphoric about it and feel proud of Channi's 111 days governance which has been better than that of Capt Amarinder Singh. Given his poor family background, they think that they have finally got a leader who can well understand their problems and anxiety. But the ED raids and arrest of his nephew in a money laundering case may create trouble for Channi and the Congress. Whether and how this "garib ghar ka beta" manages to get Dalit votes in an interesting high-stake multi-cornered contest, only time will tell? There is no denying that political parties today go overboard to frame policies for the corporate houses, please the common people by offering a variety of freebies and divert attention from the real issues concerning them. Channi has openly declared that education, health and employment are his priorities; it has a special appeal for the marginalised sections which bear the brunt of inadequate infrastructure in these areas. Moreover, they face problems of equal socio-economic rights, untouchability, residential plots and cultivatable land. But to keep his commitment will be a formidable task as Punjab is in dire financial straits. It needs strong political will and determination to rein in the sand, liquor and transport mafias that are looting the state exchequer to take Punjab on the road to development. He has to fulfil other key promises such as sacrilege and drug trafficking issues and farmers' woes.
D S Kang
Govts failed to address core Dalit issues
The Congress high command's decision to announce Channi as the chief ministerial candidate in the run up to elections to the state legislature is well thought-out, strategic and politically adroit. As he "understands the pain and requirements of the poor people of Punjab" the grand old party has sent a strong message that it is serious about empowering the SCs, OBCs and other weaker sections of society which have hitherto been neglected. Despite attention, successive state governments have failed to address core Dalit issues for their socio-economic and political empowerment. Dalits which constitute 31.5 per cent of the state electorate are in an upbeat mood and believe that, unlike Capt Amarinder Singh, Channi has the potential to perform and improve their lives. But his detractors blame him for indulging in caste and identity politics only to beat anti-incumbency. The question is: will this low-profile, mild-mannered Dalit face be able to pull votes from other communities also? Even if he manages to take his team along and ensure electoral victory, will it have a strong bearing on the state's social economic and political landscape? There is scepticism about Channi's commitment to champion the cause of the Dalit community. If he succeeds in solving the multiple problems it faces like poor access to education, healthcare, land rights and pitiable living conditions, the Congress will project itself as a potential challenge to the BJP juggernaut in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Simran amp; Tajpreet S Kang
Addressing Dalit issues should be top priority
Charanjit Singh Channi has been declared Congress CM face because he comes from a poor family and understands their problems. But how will he eradicate poverty and redress core Dalit issues if appointed the CM, seems to be a pipe dream. Actually, Channi has been declared a CM face for many reasons such as keeping an eye on 32% Dalit population that can tilt the scales in favour of Congress, to checkmate Navjot Sidhu, the becirc;te noire of Captain and Channi governments; to rein in Jat Sikhs dominated politics in Punjab and to show the people of Punjab that they need a CM who is from a 'Gareeb ghar' . Is he really Gareeb? Anyway a CM face is not the answer to all the woes of Dalits. It is the Dalit vote bank policy that has worked in favour of Channi . The party wants to keep the pot of caste, colour, creed and religion boiling for extracting political mileage. Poverty is widespread not only among the Dalits but also among other communities. The poverty cannot be eliminated in a short time; rather it is a long term goal. How will Channi be able to prevent corruption and the high- handedness of the bureaucracy to eradicate poverty, is anybody's guess? He doesn't have any magic wand to alleviate the lot of his clan. For that he will have to develop and implement rapid and sustained economic growth, policies and programmes in areas like health, education, nutrition and sanitation allowing the poor to participate and contribute to the growth. That seems to be quite a tall order as Channi won't be allowed to function independently by Sidhu and his ilk.
Tarsem S Bumrah
QUESTION
As Punjab votes on February 20, what should voters keep in mind while deciding which party should be at the helm of affairs for the next five years. What vision should one have for a prosperous Punjab while exercising franchise?
Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (February 17)
