Skip to main content

Punjab police again pushing Sikh youth to radical domain by resorting to repression, fail to learn lessons


Ground Zero


Punjab police again pushing Sikh youth to radical domain by resorting to repression

 

The letter was unprecedented.

 

It was addressed by Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib Giani Gurdial Singh Ajnoha to Chief Minister Darbara Singh on December 31, 1981.

 

Jathedar Ajnoha said, “In case you don’t stop this, it might spark revolt among the Sikh masses and religious people like me might have to make sacrifices to stop it”. (Aggar Aap Ne Is Nu Na Rokiya Taan Ho Sakda Hai Ki Sikh Sangataan Vich Police De Virudh Bagawat Da Zazba Paida Ho Jaave Te Mere Varge Dharam Vich Vishwash Rakhan Wale Bandian Nu Aapni Kurbani De Ke Is Zulam Nu Rokna Pave.)

 

This was a letter against police repression on innocents in Punjab.

Almost four decades later when Giani Harpreet Singh who occupies the same seat of the supreme religio-political institution symbolising sovereignty of the Sikh doctrine, his taking up the same issue  was reminiscent of Jathedar Ajnoha.

 

Jathedar Harpreet Singh has been quoted in the newspapers saying, “It seems that the Sikhs are gradually being eliminated from India just like what was done to the followers of Buddhism. For the last few days, Sikh youth have been tortured and harassed mentally in police stations. When asked, cops said their mobile phones are being examined. They say these persons have shared posts on the social media”.

 

The harassment of the Sikh youth was one of the contributory factors to the rise of militancy in the beginning in Punjab. Fearing search operations by the army, many of the Sikh youth in the border districts crossed over to Pakistan when Operation Woodrose was launched after Operation Bluestar.

 

The harassment of the Sikh youth had intensified after the assassination of Nirankari chief Gurbachan Singh on March 24, 1980 in Delhi. The operation was carried out by Bhai Ranjit Singh with logistic support provided by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale he headed the Damdami Taksal at that time. He had also detailed Kabul Singh from Taksal to accompany Bhai Ranjit Singh.

The Sikhs in Delhi took out a procession on July 20, 1980 against this harassment of Sikhs.

 

There are striking parallels when the Punjab police and other security agencies have now intensified actions against the Sikh youth in the name of confronting radicalisation. It is the security agencies that have given more publicity to the other-wise non-starter Referendum 2020 campaign.

The latest case is that of Jaspreet Singh who was arrested under  the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and released after 16 days with the police telling the court that no evidence had been found during investigation.

 

Here is the statement issued by the police on his arrest:

 

“Chandigarh, June 30: The Punjab Police has foiled a major bid by Pakistan-backed terrorists to target socio-religious leaders and disturb the communal harmony of the state with the arrest of three members of the Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF). According to Punjab DGP, Dinkar Gupta, the terror module, busted on Sunday, was operating in various parts of Punjab at the behest of pro-Khalistani elements based in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UK. Gupta said one .32 bore pistol, along with 7 cartridges, has been recovered from the alleged terrorists, identified as Sukhchain Singh r/o Village Sehra, PS Ganda Kheri, Distt. Patiala; Amritpal Singh r/o Village Achanak, PS Boha, Distt Mansa; and Jaspreet Singh r/o Borewal Sohan, Police Station Majitha. Another of their associates, Lovepreet Singh r/o Kaithal, has already been arrested recently by Delhi Police, along with other KLF members.”

The modus operandi of the police continues to be the colonial even in the age of information technology and artificial intelligence.

 

It may be recalled that the youth used to go underground fearing arrest and torture by the police. This happened even during the Naxalite movement when the fake encounters started in Punjab.

The attitude of the political elite too remains the same and the issue is not that of the Akali Dal or the Congress being in power.

 

The civil society reacted strongly to the killing of gangster Vikas Dubey by the UP Police.

However, similar reaction to the state repression against political activists is by and large missing. Dissent is part of healthy democracy.

 

The security agencies need to study various dimensions of militancy in Punjab.

 

 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Damage to institution of Akal Takht symbolising Sikh sovereignty more important dimension of current crisis in Sikh domain

  Ideological Damage to Akal Takht most important dimension of Akali Crisis Ground Zero By Jagtar Singh The Sikh religio-political discourse entered a new phase on Baisakhi 2025 — the historic day on which Guru Gobind Singh, in 1699, created the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib, completing the ideological foundation laid by Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith. Significant developments emerged from the well-attended Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) conference held at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib on April 13. It was the first major public appearance of Sukhbir Singh Badal since his re-election as party president on April 12, marking his return to the helm after a brief interregnum. Sukhbir, who first succeeded his father, Parkash Singh Badal, as party president in 2008, resumes leadership of a party long dominated by the Badal family—an influence that has spanned over three decades, the longest in the SAD’s history. For months, the religio-political landscape of Punjab has remained i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Akal Takht intervenes to reset Sikh religio-political discourse

  Akal Takht intervenes to reset Sikh religio-political discourse Ground Zero Jagtar Singh Chandigarh, Dec 8: The Sikh religio-political domain has the tendency to dictate religio-political discourse of Punjab whose polity is different from other regions in the country. This is the state where a national dynamic minority is in majority. This minority was the third entity in all the political negotiations leading to India’s independence. What happened in Punjab on December 2 has to be reviewed in this backdrop as this development is going to have far-reaching impact not only on the future of the Shiromani Akali Dal but also the political tendencies at several levels. It is pertinent to mention at this stage itself that the Sikh religio-political discourse is presently affecting even India’s geo-politics, especially in the American sub-continent in the context of the activities of a section of the Sikh Diaspora. December 2 was unprecedented in the history of more than a c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Killing of Sidhu Moosewala is chilling reminder that all is not well with Punjab but not the time to indulge in blame game

  Something continues to be wrong with Punjab going by killing of Sidhu Moosewala Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   The killing of  Punjabi pop star Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu popular as Sidhu Moosewala is more than shocking. It has not only numbed Punjab but has triggered shock waves across the seas. The only inference that can be drawn from this tragic end of a young icon is that something is not right with Punjab, despite illusion created by degenerated political elite of so called normalcy. It is the system that has to return to normalcy. It has not. The unabated degeneration in the system at times tend to play havoc. This is not the time to play blame game. Rather this is the time to rise above parochial political interests. Punjab needs consensus to facilitate the return of this historically disturbed state and the injured psyche to return to normalcy. And it is not an easy task. What Punjab lacks at this juncture is a role model. After all, Punjab is not a state like any other...
Post a Comment
Read more