In a vocal address, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann of Punjab took a strong stance against the Congress party's support for the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in the early 1980s. Speaking at the 'Main Punjab Bolda Haan' debate organized in Punjab, the Chief Minister expressed his deep concern about the contentious issue.
Chief Minister Mann referred to the SYL canal as a tale of treachery, betrayal, and a grave injustice against Punjab and its people, perpetuated by their own leadership. He pointed out the uniqueness of Punjab's situation by emphasizing that while the "Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956" applies uniformly across India for resolving water disputes among states, a separate arrangement was made for Punjab and Haryana's water distribution in the "Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966."
The Chief Minister went on to criticize the Union Government for what he perceived as continuous discrimination against Punjab. He further denounced Punjab's leaders who had supported the SYL canal by presenting a white paper to justify the treacherous move, which he found deeply shameful.
Chief Minister Mann highlighted a series of events where Punjab's interests appeared to be sidelined. According to him, the Ravi-Beas waters were divided between Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40, as per the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966.
However, Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, through a notification dated March 24, 1976, forcibly altered this ratio to 50:50, much to Punjab's detriment.Furthermore, Chief Minister Mann criticized the actions of former Chief Ministers and politicians, such as Giani Zail Singh, Parkash Singh Badal, and the Akali Dal.
He accused them of prioritizing personal interests over Punjab's well-being, as evidenced by actions like receiving funds from Haryana for the SYL canal, acquiring land for its construction, and raising the banks of the Bhakra Main Line Canal to provide more water to Haryana.
Chief Minister Mann also drew attention to political agreements and acts that seemed to work against Punjab's interests, including the 1981 agreement dividing Ravi-Beas water, the 1982 groundbreaking ceremony of the SYL canal, and the Rajiv-Longowal accord of 1985, which played a role in furthering the canal's construction.
In the Chief Minister's view, these actions ultimately ensured that Punjab would not have a fair share of river waters in the future. He criticized Surjit Singh Barnala for overseeing the construction of the canal during his tenure.
Chief Minister Mann also addressed the inaction of Parkash Singh Badal's government regarding Section 5 of the 2004 act, as well as the adverse Supreme Court decisions against Punjab on the SYL issue in 2002, 2004, and 2016.
In conclusion, Chief Minister Mann emphasized Punjab's water scarcity and argued that the project should be reconsidered as the Yamuna Satluj Link (YSL) due to the drying up of the Satluj river. He advocated for the supply of water from the Ganga and Yamuna through the Satluj river, stressing that Punjab has been dealing with the issue for the past three decades and asserting that the canal's completion is an unrealistic goal.