M A I N   N E W S

Oppn boycotts Jacob’s Address
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 1
The Opposition today boycotted the customary address by the Punjab Governor to the Vidhan Sabha here. All Congress MLAs, led by their leader, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, and seven ‘’unattached’’ Akali MLAs headed by Mr Inderjit Singh Zira, walked out of the House when Lt-Gen. J. F.R. Jacob (retd.) was 20 minutes into his Address.

As soon as General Jacob started reading from his 84-page Address, Mr Zira and Chaudhary Jagjit Singh stood up and started making parallel speeches, forcing the Governor to occasionally speak more loudly. Mr Zira also wore a black cloak on which was printed “Where has Rs 350 crore for farmers disappeared?” The obvious reference was to the promised relief announced for the farmers during the last paddy procurement season.

On his part, General Jacob presented the performance card, for the past four years, of the government. He raked up dormant issues reviving memories of the first Address to the Vidhan Sabha on March 5, 1997 by the then Governor, Lt-Gen. B.K.N. Chhibber (retd.). Those issues were the transfer of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas left out of Punjab to the state and resolving the river water issue by following nationally and internationally accepted riparian principles.

The address also referred to other contentious issues, including Centre-state relations, when General Jacob pointed to the need for cooperative federalism. In other words, he laid stress on decentralisation in planning and development programmes and the setting up of a truly federal structure. To quote: “I would like to reiterate here that while the advisability of retaining Article 356 and similar other Articles in the Constitution needs to be looked into afresh, the entire gamut of Centre-state relations must undergo major changes in order to make the Centre and the states equal and proud partners in national development”.

The address, punctuated by the thumping of desks by the Treasury Benches, tried to impress upon the House that the government had created a bridge between potential and promise, transforming promise into performance. Also, it had reversed the old political policies pursued by the previous regime (the Congress was not named but the reference was obvious), based on confrontation and switched to ones based on conciliation and consensus aiming at equitable social justice and economic development.

Ironically, where the parallel speeches by Opposition members, the walkout and slogan shouting did tantamount to “insult” to the constitutional head of the state, their action also belied what the concluding part of the address had hoped and wished for. In the concluding paragraph, General Jacob had said: “I have no doubt that decent democratic conduct will remain the distinguishing mark of the debate and discussion in the House”.

The Address also made reference to the three consecutive wins of the ruling parties in the Assembly byelections in Majitha (Majha), Nawanshahr (Doaba) and Sunam (Malwa). While thanking the people for peaceful, free and fair democratic exercise, he congratulated them on successfully fighting the bitter legacy of the past decade or so.

The Governor mentioned the government commitment to peace, amity, communal harmony, all-round development, upholding the dignity of Punjab, Punjabis and Punjabiat and pledging to protect and preserve the Nation’s unity and integrity by defending its borders and feeding its hungry millions.

The address, without naming the Congress, made a veiled attack on it for the misery and woes caused to Punjab. He spoke in defence of the ruling parties ensuring upholding of the rule of law, making the state free of fear and transparent governance with inbuilt administrative accountability and responsibility.

The Address, while giving a resume of departments, inter alia admitted that the financial situation, despite a visible turnabout, was under “stress”. The Address was replete with statistics to hammer home government achievements.

The Address mentioned the setting up of an Urban Development Fund on the lines of the Rural Development Fund and schemes for the socio-economic welfare of all sections. A special evaluation of the border area development programme was also envisaged.

There was mention of continuing violence and terrorism aided and abetted from across the border (Pakistan was not named) and the killing of innocent Punjabis in Jammu and Kashmir and also the relief Punjab had sent to Gujarat. General Jacob also mentioned some new programmes aimed at giving greater thrust to agriculture, power, education, social welfare, administrative reforms, policing, etc, aimed at making Punjab a world leader in knowledge and technology, marching steadily into the new millennium with moral and spiritual surefootedness. The discussion on the Governor’s address will conclude on March 12, starting March 5.