11-BOOK REVIEW:TROUBLED WATERS OF PUNJAB   Part 4.
BY VIJEPAL SINGH MANN (2003)[112P] ISBN:81-7764-376-2
BOOK REVIEW: KAVNEET SINGH              
Chapter 5……
_Although the water supply now continued as before partition, Pakistan was now_ _genuinely worried……what right did India have in stopping supply of water……Could its_ _own stand be justified in the eyes of the international community?....[Page 18]_
It is mind boggling that lawyers-judges could decide on riparian rights and water issues when they have zero expertise in hydro engineering or agricultural economics.
Chapter 6……
_Now the biggest inconsistency in the tentative agreement of 1955 lies in the fact that the_ _maximum water requirement is in the month of sowing kharif, in May-June and in_ _November for Rabi. Thus, there is complete variance in the supply and demand of the_ _irrigation water as per flows of the river……[Page 26]_
It is amazing that the petty racist politics of the Center involving national leaders of India who were directly responsible for the incredible subjugation of the People of Punjab.
Chapter 7……
_The present areas_ _of (now) Haryana were very dissatisfied. Since a major share out of_ _the total water available to complete Punjab fell to share of Punjab areas, the farmers of_ _other areas were up in arms……under_ _the chairmanship of Shri Madan Lal, Chief_ _Engineer, Irrigation Works, Punjab……Pandit Ram Sharma was the Chairman…..[page_ _30]_
It is interesting to note that the experts and chairs of both the committees just happen to be Brahmin Hindus in a state where the majority of the people and farmers are Sikhs. Could any justice be expected under the circumstances?
Chapter 8……
_Political developments in Punjab upto_ _July 1985 were tragic……But in all probability the_ _real root cause of the problem was economic…...It was ignited and then sustained by the_ _pent up frustration of a young farm proletariat trying to meet the aspirations and social_ _obligations from a standstill agricultural economy. Why was_ _the rank and file from the_ _impoverished_ _peasantry?.....[Page 36]_
Mann has candidly put the whole picture in perspective for the average person who is trying to understand the root of the Punjab ‘problem’. Mostly logic and international law has been thrown out of the window; only power of the mighty Center with its communal politics at play with the ultimate vote bank in its sights and nothing else.