In March-April, out of the DAP fertilizer shipment sent to Punjab by the Indian government, 60% of the samples failed. Of the 40 samples taken by the agriculture department, 24 failed, and only 16 passed the standard quality.
Opinion
Was any action taken, or has inaction emboldened others, resulting in current black-marketing?
Once regarded as Punjab's natural party of governance, the Shiromani Akali Dal today finds itself fighting not just electoral battles, but a battle for relevance. After years of electoral decline, internal revolts, the fallout of sacrilege controversies, alleged mafia links, the farm laws episode, and the rise of new political challengers, the party is attempting yet another comeback ahead of 2027. But for many Punjabis, the central question is no longer whether the Akali Dal can win again, it's whether it has truly changed. Can a party rebuild public trust without first confronting the reasons behind its decline ? Or has the weight of its own legacy become its biggest political burden ? Has the Akali Dal become a party remembered more for its history than trusted for its future ?
कभी पंजाब की स्वाभाविक सत्तारूढ़ पार्टी मानी जाने वाली शिरोमणि अकाली दल आज सिर्फ़ चुनावी लड़ाई नहीं, बल्कि अपनी राजनीतिक प्रासंगिकता की लड़ाई भी लड़ रही है। लगातार चुनावी गिरावट, अंदरूनी बगावत, बेअदबी विवाद, कथित माफिया संबंधों के आरोप, कृषि कानूनों का विवाद और नए राजनीतिक विकल्पों के उभार के बाद पार्टी 2027 से पहले एक और वापसी की कोशिश कर रही है। लेकिन आज कई पंजाबियों के मन में सबसे बड़ा सवाल यह नहीं है कि अकाली दल फिर जीत सकता है या नहीं, बल्कि यह है कि क्या वह सचमुच बदल गया है ? क्या कोई पार्टी अपनी गिरावट के कारणों का ईमानदारी से सामना किए बिना जनता का भरोसा दोबारा जीत सकती है ? या फिर क्या उसका अपना गौरवशाली अतीत ही आज उसका सबसे बड़ा राजनीतिक बोझ बन गया है ? क्या शिरोमणि अकाली दल अब ऐसी पार्टी बन गया है जिसे उसके इतिहास के लिए तो याद किया जाता है, लेकिन भविष्य के लिए उस पर भरोसा नहीं किया जाता ?
Panthic politics was founded on the Sikh principle of Miri-Piri, where spiritual values were meant to guide political leadership, and political power was meant to protect the Panth, not divide it. Yet, in today's Punjab, Panthic politics often appears less about collective responsibility and more about competing claims of who is the 'true' Panthic voice. Every faction invokes the Panth, every leader claims to defend Sikh interests, and every disagreement is presented as a battle for the community. But when Panthic politics becomes a contest of competing claimants rather than a platform for collective leadership, is it strengthening the Panth, or gradually fragmenting it ? What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Panthic politics in Punjab today ?
