At TEDx Pathankot, Leader of Opposition outlines blueprint to transform Punjab from a border state into a bridge state linking India with Central Asia and Europe
Punjab Newsline, Pathankot-
Leader of the Opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Sunday presented an ambitious roadmap to reposition Punjab as India’s gateway to Eurasia while delivering the keynote address at the TEDx Caledonian event in Pathankot.
Bajwa argued that Punjab must no longer be seen merely as a “border state” but as a “bridge state” that connects India with Central Asia and Europe. Citing history, he recalled how under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Punjab’s goods travelled through Kabul and Central Asia before reaching Paris and London. “If centuries ago caravans could carry our products to European markets, there is no reason why in an era of highways and digital technology Punjab should remain locked behind barbed wire,” he said.
The Congress leader proposed the creation of an Amritsar–Rajpura Economic Corridor as the foundation of Punjab’s economic revival. Amritsar, he noted, was both a cultural capital and India’s closest land entry to Central Asia, while Rajpura can serve as Punjab’s logistical hub at the junction of major highways and railways. Between them, he envisaged a modern Silk Road, with agro-processing clusters, industrial parks, and logistics hubs powering Punjab’s integration into global supply chains.
Beyond economics, Bajwa described the corridor as a geopolitical bridge, one that could extend westward through Lahore, Tehran, and Istanbul to Europe. He compared its potential to Singapore’s rise as Asia’s maritime hub and Rotterdam’s role as Europe’s trading port. “Reopening the historic land route is not nostalgia. It is strategy. It is about reviving industries, opening markets, and giving our youth a future of hope,” he observed.
Placing his vision in the context of the India–EU Strategic Agenda, he stressed that Punjab could anchor cooperation across its five pillars — economy, connectivity, technology, security, and people-to-people ties. He highlighted that Europe’s Global Gateway initiative, with its €300 billion investment plan, made projects such as an Amritsar–Amsterdam Corridor strategically feasible.
Bajwa argued that prosperity offered the strongest guarantee of stability. “Barbed wire has never delivered peace. Business over bullets, trade over terror — this is the path forward,” he said, drawing parallels with Europe’s transformation from conflict to cooperation after two world wars.
Concluding his address, Bajwa described his proposal as “a roadmap for Punjab’s rebirth,” asserting that the state must stand at the centre of India’s engagement with Eurasia rather than remain on the periphery.