Jagtar Singh

      Tohra associates chosen to lead SGPC signals qualitative shift towards Panthic domain Ground Zero Jagtar Singh The annual election of the office bearers of the statutory Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee this time has been characterised by a qualitative shift in the Panthic matrix. This perhaps is the first time that the central leadership of the Akali Dal controlling this body has not attracted any criticism after a long time. Constituted under the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, the SGPC manages the sanctified Sikh historical shrines in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh. The office bearers of this body of its only kind in the world to manage religious institutions are elected annually at the general body meeting barring the first set of office bearers after the general election who have a term of two years. Like in any parliamentary system, it is the party that gets the majority that reserves the right to elect office bearers and as such, there is

      Success of Phase I of farmers struggle is defining moment against anti-people policies   of Modi government   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh The repeal of the three draconian farm laws in the Parliament today by the Narendra Modi government is a historic moment for this the most peaceful and the longest struggle by farmers witnessed in free India that is also a milestone in the fight against exploitative regimes at the global level. This victory is also likely to contribute to shaping up the political discourse in the coming times. Implemented through ordinance in June 2020 when the country was gripped by Covid, these bills were rammed through in Parliament without discussion. The ordinance route is resorted to mainly due to the urgency of the situation but there was no such compulsion. It was the rough-shod method of adopting this legislation that raised question marks over the intent too of the Modi government that had touted this initiative as pro-farmer. However, th

    Action against Akalis perceived to be vendetta politics can boomerang on ruling Congress in Punjab   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh The members of the core committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal led by its president Sukhbir Singh Badal today courted arrest near the official residence of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to lodge protest against what has been alleged as the design to implicate party leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the case of drug smuggling. His name came to be linked to drug smuggling when one of the arrested persons Jagdish Bhola blurted out his name in front of the media while being produced in the court. That was the time when Majithia was a minister and a powerful one. The matter rests there despite several probes including by the SIT constituted by the Punjab government whose report under sealed cover was submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court a long time back awaiting further action. What forced today’s actio

    Farmers struggle rooted in Punjabi psyche   creates   new model of resistance for toiling masses   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh For the toiling masses across the globe resisting exploitative models of corporate development dictated by the theory of free markets, November 26 would go down in history as the defining moment. It was on this day in 2020 that the farmers from Punjab took a long leap and in the process, has created history by   making India’s all-powerful Iron Man Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce the repeal of the three controversial farm laws that would have opened the doors of the farm sector to the corporate sharks. It is the model that empowers the people to confront the brute power of the state through perseverance and resilience. And a salient dimension of this model is the empowerment of women whose participation in this long fight is historic. Women from rural areas of Punjab and Haryana have never been seen joining the menfolk at such a massive

      Navjot Sidhu starts projecting himself as The Face, continues to question approach of CM Channi Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   They shared the stage today at Baghapurana in the Malwa belt in Moga district. However, a few hours earlier, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu expressed reservations on the functioning of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in his tweets in the context of the cable network issue. Channi had earlier made the announcement capping cable network rate at Rs 100 per connection wading into the domain of TRAI according to which the rate of Rs 130 for the basic bouquet. Sidhu had referred to his own proposals made from time to time on this issue that had entered into the poll narrative in 2017 and its hangover continues. More important was the tone and tenor of his speech at Bagha Purana at a Congress rally that earlier was also addressed by Channi who had made it clear that the party was supreme. Sidhu presented himself as the mythical Deli

    Punjab witnessing competitive populism from Rs 100 to Rs. 1000   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   Bidding for votes has started in Punjab. Punjab has entered the phase when the competing political formations start influencing the choices by offering what has come to be known as freebies that otherwise is the   measure to provide immediate relief especially to the people on the margins and it is this very section that exhibits more enthusiasm on the polling day. Earlier, such offers used to be made mainly in the manifestos. This state slated to go to the polls in February 2022 during the last 48 hours witnessed two ‘Aam’ chief ministers trying to outdo each other at several levels going even by the pictures that the newspapers in the region have flashed today. This included their interactions with auto drivers too. They addressed their respective audiences on November 22   separated by about 70 kms. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi   who is impressing the p

    Free trade from Attari-Wagha border can be anti-dote to tension between India and Pakistan   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is at one level Corridor to Peace in the framework of teachings of Guru Nanak of universal brotherhood and egalitarianism. Venom spitting politicians should visit the Kartarpur Sahib shrine where Baba Nanak spent   his last more than 17 years and demonstrated his model of ideal society based upon his teachings of love and human dignity cutting across all barriers. The devotees going to Kartarpur Sahib are welcomed by common people including women and children with abundance of love. This is the place where one forgets the present tense relationship between India and Pakistan. Kartarpur Sahib is island of peace. This is personal experience of this writer too and one is overwhelmed from the love received there and this love is not sponsored by the ISI. Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu too was speaking in this ba

      Repeal of farm laws may dictate new permutations and combinations in Punjab polls arena Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   The historic victory of the farm struggle that otherwise is still to be taken to the logical questions has not only dented the carefully crafted image over time of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being   the Iron Man but has also questioned his credibility going by the qualified reaction of the farm leaders to the announcement of repeal of the controversial three farm laws. The narrative might have been different in case he had directly interacted with the farm leaders and made the announcement in their presence as that would have facilitated in creating concensus on the modalities for facilitating immediate withdrawal of farm struggle and vacation of dharna sites at the gates of Delhi at three places. But then the farmers were not given even a hint at the time when they were administered the shock of implementation of the three laws through ordinance

    Success of farm struggle is defining moment in confronting corporates aided divisive agenda of BJP   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh Rectifying blunders is not the sign of weakness but strength of a strong leader. Prime Minister Narendra Modi perceived to be Iron Man of contemporary Indian politics has demonstrated his capacity to undo the wrong. He has announced repeal of the three controversial laws that aimed at handing over the farm sector and the food trade to the corporates. The promulgation of these laws through ordinance in June 2020 had sparked the farm struggle with Punjab as the epicentre. The farmers struggling for their very survival were attacked by the Sangh Parivar and its affiliates aided by the tames media as Khalistanis and Naxalites. The farmers in Punjab are mainly the Sikhs. This the longest and the most peaceful agitation attracted global attention as it had questioned   free market model of development that is anti-people. The issue was no more th

    Akali Dal must keep on evolving and reinventing itself while maintaining basic character Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   The Shiromani Akali Dal is not just a political party. It is an institution of the Sikhs. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is not just a body elected by the Sikhs to manage their historical shrines in the region that once was Punjab. Both of these institutions of the Sikhs   have played vital role in the religio-political dynamics of this dynamic community for a century since their creation within about one month of each other in 1920. The SGPC was formed by the representative gathering of the Sikhs, including from Sikh battalions,   at Akal Takht on November 15, 1920 followed by the Akali Dal on December 14. Both these bodies have supplemented each other ever since. The SGPC along with the Akali Dal has played a major role in shaping Sikh dynamics and occupies distinct place in the Sikh religio-political matrix. The appeal of Akali Dal ch

  Pro-Punjab utopian agenda of Navjot Sidhu competes with pro-people actions of Charanjit Singh Channi   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   That Punjab over the years has turned into non-performing asset despite changes in management is undisputable. The issue is as to how to make this once the most advanced state in the country turn the corner. However, despite the hyperbolic narrative of Punjab having become laggard state and this dimension is reinforced by the official data too, the living style of people has turned more lavish and the riches of the ruling elite continue to multiply at astonishing rate. With the   latest change in the management (state government), two distinct approaches have come up. One approach is pro-people in the short run by way of immediate relief especially to the weaker and marginal sections represented by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and the other of taking long term measures as advocated by the state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu

        AAP collapsing in Punjab as  Kejriwal fails to understand psyche of Punjabis   Ground Zero   Jagtar Singh   The situation is ironic. The Aam Aadmi Party is collapsing in Punjab, the state where people still aspire for change as the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal are now perceived to be the carbon copies of each other with just marginal difference. The reason has to be found in the perception of Punjab by its central leadership. Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister who created this party and continues have his iron grip over it, has failed to understand the psyche of Punjab and the Punjabis. Punjab is one state whose religio-political dynamics is different from all other states in the country. The parameters and the framework that form the strategy of the parties in other states are not relevant here. Punjab is still the most secular state despite the fact that its political dynamics is dictated by the Sikh religio-political dynamics. Even the period of militancy that