Shiromani Akali Dal General Secretary and party MP from Anandpur Sahib Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra has pleaded with the Narendra Modi government to change norms for crop insurance and compensation to farmers in case of crop damage due to natural calamities as the situation in Punjab was different from other states.He raised this issue along with several others from the platform of the Lok Sabha during the second year of his term. He is among the most vocal MPs in the Lok Sabha taking up issues from national to state and those that concern his constituency. Prof. Chandumajra has made full use of this highest democratic platform to articulate concerns of the people in his native state and highlight their problems.The important debates in which he made forceful interventions from Punjab’s perspective include that on intolerance with reference to Sikh history and thought to cite examples of extreme tolerance exhibited by the Sikh Gurus and their followers. In the process, he also attacked the Congress for its questionable role in the killing of Sikhs in November, 1984. Moreover, the Congress role towards genuine demands of Punjab had always been that of intolerance.
The Akali leader referred to the excesses committed by the Congress governments at the centre in apportionment of river waters and misuse of Article 356 to dismiss Akali governments. He highlighted the consistent struggle launched by the Akali Dal against Emergency.Yet another important debate in which he put across the tragedy confronting Punjab included suicides by the farmers rooted in deepening farm crisis.The important issues taken up include problems faced by the Punjabi NRIs, starting of international flights from Chandigarh-Mohali international airport, development of Anandpur Sahib as religious tourism hub and compensation to the farmers whose lands fall on the other side of the border fence. He demanded that original norms of 60 per cent representation to Punjab in Chandigarh administration should be restored at the earliest, besides allowing use of Punjabi as a medium in NEET competition.
Prof. Chandumajra also demanded that the House must adopt a resolution condemning Operation Bluestar, the army attack on the Golden Temple complex in 1984 while Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should apologise for the massacre of Sikhs in Delhi and other places in November, 1984.Other issues included punishment to the guilty of killing Sikh prisoners in Pilibhit, diret flight from Chandigarh to Nanded and development of Khatkar Kalan, ancestral village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, as a model village. Besides, he also pressed for the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab while focussing on the issues concerning his constituency.Prof. Chandumajra called for start of early construction of Mohali-Rajpura rail link that would connect entire Malwa region to Chandigarh