5 reasons why Punjab needs its Captain
With elections a little over ten days away, Punjab’s political arena is at its frenzied best. The highly charged political atmosphere provides a stark contrast to the lazy chilly Punjab weather these days. The fight for power has for the first time become a triangular contest, moving away from the usual two-party game.
As has been the trend in recent elections, this fight too has become a clash of leaders. For the electorate the choice lies between the Badal duo, hoping to score a hat-trick of successes for the Akali Dal; or Captain Amarinder Singh, who is trying to secure a crucial victory for the Grand Old Party; or Arvind Kejriwal and his band of boys seeking to expand their political footprint outside Delhi.
The Punjabis are certainly spoilt for choice, a situation we no doubt love being in.
If history has taught us anything it is that no ship has set a successful sail without an able captain at the helm. Today, Punjab is a sinking ship desperately looking for its captain. Captain Amarinder has always been loyal soldier for Punjab. It is but natural that he is best suited to save the state from sinking any further.
Here are five reasons why Captain Amarinder Singh is the best bet for Punjab:
Everyone’s Captain
Captain has a mass following like no other leader in Punjab - people absolutely love him. For a young voter like me, he is the "celebrity" whom we all want to be like. He's articulate, smart, can speak Punjabi and English with equal élan, can take up the most complex arguments, is fearless and yet a grounded son of the soil.
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| Captain Amarinder Singh has a mass following like no other leader in Punjab. |
Huge crowds come, sometimes just to catch a glimpse of him. The selfie requests are never-ending and his power to pull crowds across the state during his public gatherings is phenomenal. For many, his indomitable style is the main attraction.
Man of his words
In this era where politicians make hollow promises, mislead people and come out of hiding from their holes only once every five years, he has been one person who has always backed his words with actions. Whether it was his stand on Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, or in the past when he took on his own party for the sake of Punjab, he is in stark contrast to the image of the ugly Indian politician that we all have in our heads.
So believe him when he says he will bring back the heydays of Punjab.
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| Everybody loves Captain. |
Able administrator
47 years in politics has not only made him an able administrator, it has given him the experience and tact which is required to steer Punjab away from its imminent doom. A statesman at the helm with a proven track-record is what Punjab needs right now.
It was during his tenure that the most important decisions on the SYL issue, agricultural loan waivers and setting up of SC Commission were undertaken.
For Punjab's bright future there are no other logical options to consider. On one hand is someone who has been, in the past past ten years, directly responsible for Punjab's ruin. On the other is an anarchist, the highlight of whose government has been sitting on dharnas and blaming the central government for their incompetence.
Visionary
On December 25, Captain released his nine-point action plan to bring about much needed progressive change and development in Punjab which has almost crumpled down in the 10-year Akali misrule. The nine-point agenda encompasses the key problems plaguing Punjab at the moment, including drug menace, unemployment, farmer debt, women empowerment, water crisis and so on. Its a well thought, clear, comprehensive approach that will ensure all sectors work in tandem.
To explain it in the simplest of terms, it’s like a Swiss Army knife, it has a tool to deal with any difficulty or situation that may arise. Instead of thrusting longish multiple manifestos down our throats, Singh has made solid promises to make Punjab prosperous again.
A Punjabi who has stood by Punjab
What you stand for defines you and Captain Amarinder has always stood for Punjab even during its darkest days.
Our respect and honour is of the utmnost importance for us Punjabis. Who better than the true son of the soil to lead us back to our glory days? He will fight for Punjab and Punjabiyat. He has done it before and I have no doubt he will do it again.
Great leaders set out to make a change. His campaign has focused on one thing: fighting for Punjab. And when the issue at hand is the honour, prestige and future of Punjab, it would be wise to hand over the reins to Captain Amarinder Singh who has performance to back his promise.
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