Since the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, the spirit of democracy in the state has been gradually strangled. Despite winning a historic mandate with 92 MLAs, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab has failed to represent the voice of the people. The reins of power, unofficially but unmistakably, shifted to Delhi. AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal began calling the shots, reducing the Punjab government to a mere puppet. What was meant to be a people’s government has turned into a Delhi-controlled extension office, devoid of autonomy and accountability.
Shockingly, none of the 92 AAP MLAs in Punjab dared to stand up for the state’s interests. After AAP’s humiliating loss in the Delhi Assembly elections, defeated and sidelined Delhi leaders were conveniently shifted to Punjab. Some came by force, others by greed — all found comfort in the luxury and power offered by the Punjab government. These outsiders have ravaged the state’s exchequer with impunity, misusing taxpayer money while ordinary Punjabis suffer from inflation, unemployment, and crumbling infrastructure.
In an insult to Punjab’s talented youth, plum positions in the state government were handed over to friends, relatives, and well-wishers of Delhi’s political elite. Punjab’s unemployed youths are left jobless and disillusioned, watching silently as opportunities are hijacked by outsiders. The hopes that rose with promises of employment have now given way to bitterness and betrayal.
Natural resources of Punjab, including river sand, land, and forests, are being looted brazenly. And yet, there is no opposition, no voice of resistance — not even from the ruling MLAs who were elected to safeguard the state’s interests. The silence is not just deafening; it is dangerous.
Take the example of 1158 professors and assistant professors — highly qualified individuals, including many who returned from countries like Germany, USA, and UK. They believed in the promises made by the Punjab CM and came back to serve their home state. But today, those same professors are protesting on the streets, humiliated and helpless, waiting endlessly for the government to fulfill its assurances. This is a brutal betrayal of talent and trust.
And now, the focus has shifted to destroying Punjab’s farmers through the controversial land pooling scheme. When Ropar MP Malwinder Singh Kang tried to calm farmers with a tweet assuring transparency, he was swiftly silenced. The tweet was deleted under pressure from Arvind Kejriwal, exposing the extent to which free speech is throttled within the party. If even an elected MP cannot speak without fear, where is the democracy?
The rot goes deeper. Elected representatives have become mute spectators, too afraid or too compromised to question the central leadership. Decisions regarding Punjab are being taken without consulting local stakeholders — village panchayats, farmer unions, and civil society — leading to widespread resentment. The very essence of democracy, where governance should be participatory and decentralized, has been hijacked by a command-and-control model imposed from Delhi.
What we see today is not just political failure, but a democratic emergency. The trust of the people has been betrayed, the institutions weakened, and the future of Punjab is being gambled away for political convenience. If this silence and submission continues, the day is not far when the people of Punjab will realize that their vote was not a mandate for progress, but a license for exploitation. The time to reclaim Punjab’s democracy is now — before it is lost forever.