The AAP Government in Punjab has decided to conduct a census to learn about the prevalence of drug abuse, covering every family in the state. This was announced by the state’s Finance Minister while presenting the budget on Wednesday. Titled ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’, it will be part of a scientific approach to dealing with this widespread problem that is impacting the state socially and economically.
It has to be said that the government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been steering its way quite adeptly in the sensitive border state. The efficient manner in which farmers blocking the Khanauri and Shambu borders with Haryana were evicted on 19 March indicates that it enjoys public support for its actions. The move may have been in coordination with the Centre, but the responsibility was taken by the state government.
Punjab’s has been a chequered history for decades now. In its early years, it was the leader in implementing, both, the green revolution and small-scale industries. It provided leadership at the national leadership in many spheres, including government, the armed forces, administrative services, as well as the public and private sectors. However, this deprived it of local talent. This human resource drain was aggravated by the emigration in large numbers to the developed countries. This naturally left only the ‘third level’ of leadership to run the state.
Matters deteriorated further when the advances made in agriculture and industry began to fade. Agriculture, which had received a boost from a number of concessions, became entirely dependent on these – the spirit of innovation disappeared. Mono-cropping and stagnant productivity meant that the sector became almost entirely fixated on government giveaways. On the other hand, the socialist policies of the early years prevented most upcoming industries from building on their success to higher levels.
Matters became worse when, learning from the American strategy against Russia in Afghanistan, Pakistan sponsored fundamentalist Khalistan terrorism. After this was brought under control, the use of drugs has been promoted among the youth. All of this created very difficult conditions for the political leadership. However, AAP emerged as a political ideology that provided hope to the people who were tired of the ‘established’ Congress and SAD. Hopefully, unless the interventions of the ousted Arvind Kejriwal bring an ‘outside’ element to the process, the line taken by Bhagwant Mann will find success. As long as he continues to identify with the aspirations of the people, he may be able to bring the state back on the right track.
