Why proposal to build Haryana Vidhan Sabha complex in Chandigarh has united Punjab political parties

A chronology

During the tenure of erstwhile Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana had sought from the Centre a portion of onshore to conception a abstracted Vidhan Sabha gathering successful the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

Subsequently, the UT’s medication decided to allocate 10 acres of premier onshore adjacent the railway presumption for the intent successful instrumentality for 12 acres of onshore successful Panchkula (in Haryana). But the transportation of the onshore successful Panchkula did not person biology clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

On Wednesday (November 13), Haryana claimed to person obtained biology clearance that would assistance get the operation of its caller Vidhan Sabha analyzable started. This riled up parties crossed the governmental spectrum, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, and Punjab husbandman unions who assertion that Chandigarh rightfully belongs to Punjab.

The Chandigarh story

During British rule, Lahore utilized to beryllium the superior of the erstwhile Punjab province. After Partition, erstwhile the metropolis went to Pakistan, Shimla was made the impermanent superior of Indian Punjab.

But past Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru envisioned a modern metropolis arsenic the superior of the bluish authorities — giving the commencement to the thought of Chandigarh. In March 1948, some the Centre and the authorities authorities chose a determination adjacent to the foothills of the Himalayas for the operation of the planned city. As galore arsenic 22 villages successful Kharar were acquired for the construction.

The maestro program for the metropolis was developed by Le Corbusier, recognised universally arsenic 1 of the pioneers of modernist architecture. “The City of Beauty” officially became the superior of Punjab connected September 21, 1953. Then President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the caller superior soon after, connected October 7 that year.

Dispute betwixt Punjab & Haryana

Punjab faced different part erstwhile the Hindi-speaking, Hindu-majority authorities of Haryana was carved retired nether The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.

Chandigarh, which laic astatine the borderline betwixt the newly-carved authorities and Punjab, and became the communal superior of some the states with properties divided successful a 60:40 ratio betwixt Punjab and Haryana. It was besides fixed UT status, which brought the metropolis nether nonstop power of the Centre.

At that time, past Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had announced that Haryana would get its ain capital. There was adjacent a little connection to disagreement Chandigarh into 2 parts, which was yet rejected.

On January 29, 1970, the Centre announced that “the superior task country of Chandigarh should, arsenic a whole, spell to Punjab.” The authorities of the time was forced to marque this announcement erstwhile Fateh Singh, person of the Punjabi Suba movement, threatened self-immolation if Chandigarh was not transferred to Punjab.

But Haryana was fixed impermanent accommodation for moving offices successful Punjab’s civilian secretariat and besides abstraction successful Punjab’s Vidhan Sabha. The authorities was told to usage the bureau and residential accommodation successful Chandigarh for 5 years until it built its ain capital. The Centre offered Haryana a assistance of Rs 10 crore and a indebtedness of the equivalent magnitude to Haryana for gathering a caller capital.

Haryana’s refusal to budge

But 58 years person passed since Haryana was carved out, and Chandigarh remains the associated capital, overmuch to the displeasure of Punjab which has agelong maintained that its assertion implicit the entirety of the metropolis is “undisputed”.

As galore arsenic 7 resolutions reiterating Punjab’s assertion implicit the metropolis person been passed successful its Assembly, astir precocious successful 2022 by the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party authorities of Bhagwant Maan. And determination is statement crossed enactment lines connected this substance — arsenic seen by the Congress, AAP, Shiromani Akali Dal, and adjacent the BJP criticising Haryana’s latest move.

Haryana, connected its part, has ever recovered ways to sidestep Punjab’s claim. Reacting to the outcry connected Thursday, Haryana curate Anil Vij said that Chandigarh volition lone beryllium Punjab’s if the authorities transfers “the Hindi-speaking areas [in the city] to Haryana” and gives completes the operation of the “Satluj Yamuna Link canal”, the waters from which would immensely payment Haryana.

In 2022, past Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said that “Chandigarh is the superior of Punjab and Haryana…aur dono ki hullo rahegi (and it volition stay the superior of both).”