India, April 9 -- Over time, a powerful perception has taken root in Punjab-that the state's strategic space across governance, economy, security, and socio-cultural life has been constrained. This perception is neither wholly accurate nor entirely misplaced. It is the product of a long historical arc, institutional experience, and, most critically, contemporary governance failure. To understand what truly ails Punjab, one must move beyond binaries and confront a more uncomfortable truth: The state's predicament lies as much in autonomy deferred as in accountability diminished.

The state's historical grievances are real and cannot be dismissed. Political settlements such as the Nehru-Tara Singh Pact and the Rajiv-Longowal Accord promised...