“Punjab is not just a state. It’s a deeply emotional and self-respecting society. Punjabis are resilient, proud of their history, and driven by sentiment. But over time, they feel they have been wronged, their sacrifices unrecognized, and their emotional and political contributions overlooked. They seek more than financial packages… they seek recognition, respect, and a sense of belonging. One must understand that ‘Pagri’ means not just turban but also symbolizes ‘Sardari’ — self‑esteem. The people of Punjab need a party that speaks from the heart, not just as administrators but as one of their own. That’s where BJP needs to position itself, with young, credible, honest, and uncompromised leaders who represent the spirit of Punjab.”
— Sunil Jakhar (Tweet)
This week, Sunil Jakhar’s message cut through the noise like a call to conscience. In the BOLO BOLO Show poll—featuring responses from over 5.2 million Punjabis—a resounding 76% strongly agreed with his statement. The verdict is clear: Punjab no longer seeks symbolic gestures; it seeks emotional justice and political equality.
Punjab’s crisis is not just economic—it’s existential. Factories lie dormant, employment is scarce, agriculture is collapsing, soil is toxic, and water has vanished—sacrificed over decades to serve the national interest. In return, Punjab feels used, misunderstood, and marginalised. Its past is full of trauma—Partition, militancy, sacrilege, farm crisis—and yet the national narrative has rarely paused to acknowledge the emotional and cultural toll.
Punjabis are a proud people: they are generous to a fault, but deeply averse to humiliation. They’ll offer a helping hand with warmth, but recoil when dignity is denied. Jakhar’s words resonate not because they flatter Punjab, but because they affirm its deepest hurt: a loss of respect.
This echoes my earlier op-ed, “Why the BJP Is Missing the Basic Point in Punjab”, published on May 15, 2025, where I argued that Punjab doesn’t want to be managed—it wants to be understood.
Political alliances can’t mask emotional disconnects. The much-debated BJP–SAD revival is a hollow fix. SAD today is politically unstable and morally compromised. Internal revolts, like the “SAD Bachao” movement, have rocked the party. It is under fire for conducting a membership drive bypassing the SGPC, and its president Sukhbir Badal has been declared ‘Tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious transgression) by both Takht Patna Sahib and Akal Takht—a rare and damning indictment from the highest Sikh authorities. These controversies—compounded by the unresolved Ram Rahim–sacrilege nexus—keep SAD mired in identity crises rather than visionary leadership.
What makes Jakhar’s statement significant is that it is not political. It’s cultural. It is not strategic. It is spiritual. It’s about dignity, authenticity, and equal partnership—values that run deep in Punjab’s DNA.
What Punjab demands is not charity—it demands recognition. It wants dignity, not dependence. It wants representation, not tokenism. It wants partnership, not paternalism.
Sunil Jakhar has voiced that demand with clarity and courage. The question now is: Can Indian politics rise to the occasion?