SUNEHRA PUNJAB PARTY LAUNCHED
SUNEHRA PUNJAB PARTY LAUNCHED

SUNEHRA PUNJAB PARTY LAUNCHED
Announces agenda for reform, regeneration and growth
Chandigarh, January 31, 2022: Sanjha Sunehra Punjab Manch which was established in
August last year under the leadership of Mr. K.C. Singh, IFS (retd.) today announced
political party Sunehra Punjab Party at a launch press conference at Hyatt Regency here
today.
Former Ambassador K C Singh (Krishan Chander Singh), Indian Foreign Service (Retd),
was Envoy to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Iran. He then was Additional Secretary
(International Organisations) & Coordinator Counter Terrorism inthe Ministry of External
Affairs, finally rising to the post of Secretary, Economic Relations.
Mr. K.C. Singh, National President of the Party, while speaking at the launch event said, “A
small but diverse group of individuals – civil, military, sports and civil society came together
to establish the Sanjha Sunehra Punjab Manch at end August, 2021. After five months of
holding interactive public meetings the common refrain heard was that change was not
possible unless good Punjabis stepped forward to occupy the political space getting vacated.
“Consequently, most Manch members endorsed the decision to register a political party with
the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission has approved the proposed
name, Sunehra Punjab Party,” he added.
Mr. Singh, said, to enable the people of Punjab to make the right electoral choice following is
the Party’s agenda for change and growth:
i. To overcome rampant corruption there is need for comprehensive administrative,
including police, reform and systemic changes. In particular, a commission should
be established to review the entire bureaucratic structure and maze of rules and
regulations. Police, excise, revenue department in particular need total overhaul.
ii. To put Punjab back on high growth path the three segments i.e., agriculture,
manufacturing and services need separate and focussed attention. Punjab’s Gross
State Domestic Product (GSDP) has following: Agriculture 27 %, manufacturing
24%, services 49%. The last two need to increase their share.
iii. Agriculture: Any model of growth for 21st Century Punjab has to be ecologically
safe and sustainable. The present wheat – rice crop cycle, dependant on high
fertiliser pesticide and water use is not sustainable. Crop diversification, including
sowing oil seeds and lentils, fruits and vegetables etc. is overdue. To wean the
farmers off their existing dependence on Green Revolution era grain growing,
needs a Second Green Revolution. This requires a 10-20 year plan which is not
achievable without external funding, MSP extended to new crops, State assured
supply chains and new markets in India and overseas. Global Warming will
impact crop growing as now practiced. R&D is needed by agricultural universities
and research institutions to genetically modify seeds for new conditions. Punjab
would need massive national and international funding for transition from the
existing agricultural scheme to a 21st Century model.
iv. Manufacturing: Punjab never fully recovered from the setback delivered to
manufacturing, first by militancy in the 1980s and then the collapse of Soviet
Union in 1991 which crippled the Ludhiana knitwear industry. The 21st Century
Industrial model has to be akin to the Californian mix of high technology,
agriculture-cum horticulture and clean industry. Air and water pollution and soil
degradation must be checked. As a land locked state in the north-west corner of
India, heavy industry is inappropriate. Talk of inviting automobile manufacturers
like Tesla is illogical as car manufacturers would prefer being on the coast. Punjab
model has to be built around higher institutions f excellence. Without Stanford
University there would be no Silicon Valley in California. SAS Nagar had a semi-
conductor complex established in the 1970s. But Punjab has failed to turn the area
into a chip – making hub, of which there is a global shortage.
v. Services: In the services segment Punjab has failed to draw tourist because of
neglecting historical buildings like forts from Maharaja Ranjit Singh period or
even spots like where Emperor Akbar was crowned. Despite excellent highways,
transportation and hotels have become political bacon in hands of politicians.
Religious tourism needs better coordination. Encouraging villages with forts or
heritage homes to welcome tourist.
vi. Education: To draw investment into Punjab the youth need quality education and
good health. Upgraded government schools need a Punjab model of curriculum,
trained teachers and well-equipped schools. Remote teaching via net-based
lessons can diminish the gap in quality of teaching in a rural or urban school.
vii. Health: Upgrade of medical facilities is an urgent need. Patients rushing to
referral hospitals with conditions which should be treatable at normal district
hospital creates a logjam at the upper level. Despite Union Government’s scheme
to upgrade health sub centres as Health Wellness Centres and Punjab Government
claims it has operationalized 2820 such centres, the availability of basic medical
care near the village is still erratic. At the core of this lies the problem of shortages
of doctors and medical experts. A complete rejig of the entire health system with
resources raise locally and abroad.
Mr. Singh said, “In keeping with Guru Nanak's teachings, empowering women to be fully
participative members of Punjab's social, political and economic growth is a priority with
Sunehra Punjab. We aim to give women their due through basic education and skill training
resources, safety, health facilities, gender parity and equality in professional growth.”
“The challenges are so severe and Punjab’s ecosystem so pronounced that to put it back on
the path to a ‘Golden Era’ would need leaders who have expertise at a national and
international level, and the ability to attract talent and use it. Punjab can be rescued. But only
if a comprehensive vision is laid down and path towards it laid,” Mr. K.C. Singh concluded.
A Vision Statement for Women
No state or people can progress if fifty per cent of them are disadvantaged and deprived. In
keeping with Guru Nanak's teachings, empowering women to be fully participative members
of Punjab's social, political and economic growth is a priority with Sunehra Punjab. We aim
to give women their due through:
Basic education and skill training resources
Every girl child will have the opportunity to receive education. No student will drop out of
school due to a lack of resources or facilities. Skill training and small scale business
initiatives will be available to tap women's inherent potential and help them be financially
independent.
Safety
We are committed to working for the safety of girls and women in every sphere- educational
institutions, workplaces, public places, and marital homes. Girls and women must be safe
from harassment and assaults of all kinds if they are to move around freely for education,
work and leisure. We will ensure a zero toleration policy for rape, molestation and assault at
all personal and public places. Without providing a secure environment for women, there can
be no empowerment.
Health Facilities
Hidden hunger, malnourishment and unattended diseases are much more common in females
than males due to a general attitude of neglect. The Maternal Mortality Rate in Punjab has
made no progress from the previous 122 per 100,000 cases. This scenario must change. We
will ensure adequate health facilities and maternal care for girls and women through our
health centres, community workers, schools and colleges.
Gender Bias
Unfortunately, gender bias has remained deeply ingrained in Punjab, including other North
Indian states, manifesting itself through depriving women of equal rights in various spheres.
Sunehra Punjab commits to work towards gender parity in society, education and workplaces,
equal opportunity for representation in all platforms, support to raise a voice against sexual
harassment, oppression or exploitation, and access to legal resources to fight for their rights.
The law and order agencies will be made responsive and sympathetic towards dealing justly
and swiftly with women's issues.
Protection and equality for professional growth
Regarding professional growth, a hidden bias against women across various professions often
makes them lag behind their male counterparts even if they perform better. Acknowledging
the multiple roles of women as caregivers, homemakers and mothers in addition to their
professional status, we will extend extra facilities like creches at the workplace and flexible
work hours for women. Educated, secure, independent, and empowered women are the key to
Punjab's well-being and progress.