Jagtar Singh

  The above picture is of the ISIS –Khurasan terrorist who, the organisation claimed, carried out the attack on the Sikhs in the gurdwara in Kabul in Afghanistan. The name is Abu Khalid al-Hindi. The picture along with the claim has been released by Khaama Press news agency in Afghanistan. The report dated March 27 states: “ The offshoot of the Islamic State terror group, ISIS Khurasan, claimed that the attack on Sikh temple in Kabul was carried out by Abu Khalild al-Hindi. The Amaq News Agency, affiliated with the terror group released the photo of the suicide bomber who stormed the Sikh temple in Kabul city on Wednesday. The terror group also issued a brief statement claiming that the Sikh minority group was the target of the attack.” The story is headlined “ Abu Khalid al-Hindi carried out the attack on Sikh temple in Kabul: ISIS-K”. The media coverage of the terrorist attack on a Gurdwara in Kabul in Afghanistan killing 25 Sikh men, women and children indicate...

The world might not be the same again in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. The emerging situation is likely to dictate the countries to revisit their priorities. This is going to be the next major change after liberalisation during which the decision-making had shifted to the market forces. The market controlled global economy has now been hit hard by an unforeseen catastrophe. The top priority is going to be the health sector and revival of the economies hit   hard by Coronavirus under the new situation. It is in this context that the India and Pakistan, the two hostile neighbours, should redraw their security and developmental strategies. The two countries miserably lack resources for human development with major emphasis being on defence. The human development indices in both these countries are on the lower side. India and Pakistan are among the top buyers of armaments and weapons in the world market. It is in the interest of the arms industry that the hos...

  As Prime Minister NarendraModi announces 21-day lock down, Punjab faces a challenge that can’t be avoided. The wheat harvesting   and procurement operations in Punjab start within a few days. The enormity of this operation in this state is unlike not only   any other state in India but also any other region in the world. And the entire operation is time bound. The farmer has to prepare the field for the next crop while the state government has to move huge stock of wheat from the mandis to the warehouses. Punjab makes the highest contribution to the central food stock. The farming is intensive. The state is under curfew that was imposed as the people frustrated the attempts at lock down   as preventive measure against Coronavirus. The manpower involved   in this operation is huge. It may be mentioned that Punjab and Haryana have fully developed mandi system unlike the rest of India. The procurement operation lasts about a month. It is the ...

Going back to recent history is normal when a leader gives the call to change the destiny of the jinxed Punjab. This dream-selling can be traced to 1996 but that would be discussed later. The parallels have to be found in recent history. Cricketer turned politician and former minister in the present Capt Amarinder Singh government Navjot Singh Sidhu today launched himself on the political turf in a new capacity. He today talked of Dharamyudh   on his Jittega Punjab channel to give a new hope to the people. In people’s perception, he is a leader with credibility. His emotional approach has the potential to convince the gullible people. However, he reminds of Manpreet Singh Badal of 2011. A newspaper commented when he launched his Punjab People’s Party in March, 2011: “Former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal today changed Punjab’s political geography by launching People’s Party of Punjab (PPP)”. Manpreet had sworn by the soil of Khatkar Kalan, the ancest...

Punjab represents an interesting paradox. The perception of the very stable Congress government in this strategically located border state headed by Capt Amarinder   Singh, who in his first term had the image of being decisive and that of taking hard decisions, is now that of being non-functioning and a government on contract. Talk to any Congress person in the state and he would burst out. The Congressmen are still to have a feel that this is their own government although it has today completed three years in office. This is the government in which the domination is that of the bureaucrats. This was one of the major issues that had emerged during the recent Assembly session during which the Congress members gave vent to their feeling of being persona non grata. The inaccessibility of Capt Amarinder Singh is an old issue. He has further distanced himself from the people after shifting to his newly constructed private residence on the outskirts of Chandigarh. He no...