Chandigarh row: Centre’s move adds to distrust in Punjab

The Central government’s pushback on the proposed legislation to let Delhi run Chandigarh directly follows an uproar in Punjab that even the BJP’s state unit was forced to lend its voice to. After the fiasco over restructuring of the Panjab University governance model, the Centre’s latest move has only managed to add to a sense of distrust and resentment. It’s well and good that there’s been a retraction and the Bill will not be piloted in the upcoming winter session of Parliament. That still warrants answers to some tough questions. What exactly is the thought process in Delhi regarding Punjab and Chandigarh? Why this sudden urge to effect contentious changes that are bound to trigger protests in the border state? More importantly, why is there little effort to initiate a dialogue or debate, relying instead on an almost surreptitious fait accompli methodology?