By Kajal | Opinion, Newstic.in
When floods submerge homes, the waterline does not stop to check party affiliations. It does not pause at the border of a constituency. Yet, as Punjab reels under the worst floods in fifty years, the nation has once again slipped into familiar trenches of political blame.
The images from Gurdaspur and Amritsar — farmers wading through waist-deep waters, children clutching torn schoolbags, cattle carcasses floating in fields — are more than a humanitarian crisis. They are a reminder of how little has changed in our disaster response playbook. Relief comes, yes, but it comes unevenly. Promises are made, but they rarely match the urgency of the suffering.
Aid and Accusations
That BJP-ruled states and the Delhi government stepped forward with immediate cheques is commendable. Quick cheques and goodwill gestures are fine, but they don’t close the yawning gap. Punjab needs the Centre to step up with a real relief package, not just silence.
Congress wasted no time in filling the void, accusing Delhi of sidelining Punjab. Fair or unfair, the sense of being ignored often cuts as deep as the floods themselves. In moments like these, silence from the Centre echoes louder than any promise of sympathy.
The Prime Minister’s Visit
The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being billed as a test of leadership. But symbolism will not be enough. Farmers here aren’t looking for ceremonial visits or speeches. They want seeds in hand, cash to start again, and real safeguards against floods that now arrive with frightening regularity.
Should the Prime Minister arrive empty-handed, the anger simmering in relief camps may only harden. A concrete package, even if modest, could ease that bitterness and restore a sliver of trust.
Beyond Nature: Neglect
Was this purely an act of nature, or an outcome of decades of neglect? The debate over illegal sand mining versus monsoon fury is a distraction. Both are true, and both need answers. Climate events are becoming harsher, but governance failures have made them deadlier.
Punjab’s embankments have been patched and repatched for years; floodplains have been encroached upon with impunity. This disaster is not just about too much rain — it is about too little foresight.
The Way Forward
Relief must come fast, but resilience is what will decide Punjab’s future. The state’s call for ₹14,000 crore in aid and long-pending compensation isn’t just about numbers—it’s about survival, about whether farmers can rebuild with some hope of stability.
Policy experts agree. “Every flood is treated like an emergency,” said one analyst. “But Punjab needs resilience. Otherwise, we’ll be back here in five years, writing the same headlines.”
Conclusion
The Punjab floods 2025 are more than a regional calamity. They are a mirror to India’s larger challenge: how we respond when nature collides with politics.
Punjab Floods 2025: Relief Pours In From BJP-Ruled States, Congress Slams Centre Over ‘No Package’
We can choose the easy path — blame, delay, tokenism. Or we can choose the harder one — empathy, urgency, accountability.
As flood-hit Punjab waits for relief that is real and lasting, the country must decide whether we will let politics drown out humanity.
