Chandigarh: On December 27, a day before the scheduled meeting on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal between Punjab and Haryana, Laljit Singh Bhullar, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Cabinet Minister from Punjab, proposed merging Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh to form a "Maha-Punjab." Bhullar argued that Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were created by splitting Punjab, and now the larger state should be reinstated by merging them.
Bhullar advocated for including Chandigarh in this merger and accused the then-central government of dividing Punjab to create Haryana. During a media interaction in Bhiwani, Haryana, Bhullar stated, "Haryana and Punjab are brothers. Haryana is the younger brother, and Punjab is the elder brother. The BJP is trying to create differences between the two brothers. The separation (of states) should be demolished. The Centre should consider merging Himachal Pradesh and Haryana into Punjab so that we can become one. Chandigarh should also be included. It was Maha-Punjab earlier. There was a time when there was only one chief minister of Punjab. The Centre should reconsider merging the three states. People of Haryana will be happy too."
Bhullar's statement came in response to media inquiries about his views on the SYL (Sutlej-Yamuna Link) matter. Instead of providing a direct response, Bhullar called for the merger of Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh into one state.
The Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal, once completed, aims to facilitate the sharing of water from the rivers Beas and Ravi between Punjab and Haryana. Before the formation of Haryana, undivided Punjab was allocated 7.20 MAF (Million-acre feet) out of the total 15.85 MAF water from Ravi and Beas. Rajasthan received 8 MAF, and Jammu and Kashmir got 0.65 MAF as part of the allocation.
After the creation of Haryana, a notification was issued allocating 3.5 MAF to Haryana out of the 7.2 MAF allotted to Punjab before reorganization. In a reassessment in 1981, the water flow from Beas and Ravi was estimated at 17.17 MAF. Punjab was allocated 4.22 MAF, Haryana 3.5 MAF, and Rajasthan 8.6 MAF.
In 1982, PM Indira Gandhi initiated the construction of the SYL canal in Kapoori village, Patiala. However, Akalis launched a protest movement named Kapoori Morcha against it. In 1985, PM Rajiv Gandhi signed an agreement with Akali Dal chief Sant Harchand Singh Longowal for a new tribunal to assess the water. Shortly after, Longowal was killed by terrorists in Punjab.
In 1990, the chief engineer and a Superintending Engineer working on the project were killed, leading to the halt of canal construction. The Punjabi Suba movement, advocating for an autonomous Punjabi-speaking state, resulted in the formation of Haryana as a majority Hindi-speaking state.
This historical context sets the stage for the ongoing discussions and tensions surrounding the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal between Punjab and Haryana.
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