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. This is the region that is characterised by aggressive but humanistic religio-political dynamics. The geo-political reality here throws up its own challenges. It is because of interplay of various forces and at various levels that moves need to be initiated to evolve consensus at the religio-political level. This consensus should be followed by consensus at the level of economy.

People are groping in the dark and it is this situation that produces tragedies.

The political players are narrowing down the problem to the curtailment of security cover. The ruling AAP had earlier projected the pruning of some people as some big ‘achievement’ to hit the VIP culture.

However, in a state where a battalion of state police is earmarked for the protection of the chief minister, results can’t be achieved by reducing the security cover of  just one section. Why should the family members of those in power irrespective of the party should move around under police protection?

Punjab Bhawan is less than a kilometre from official residence of Punjab chief minister. However, one has to see the convoy when the chief minister goes to Punjab Bhawan from his residence. This has been so all along. Even an ambulance can be seen trailing the convoy even for this short distance. This road that at one time used to be thoroughfare was closed permanently on one side during mid eighties.

Perhaps nowhere else in the country such vulgar display of this VIP culture is witnessed. This is what the people hate.

If a political leader in Punjab is the most sensitive on any issue, it is his/her security. This applies equally to bureaucrats and police officials.

Punjab is one state where the police structure is top heavy and it is difficult to count the number of IGs and ADGPs.

But the problem is that the state police chief at times lacks the power to transfer even a Thanedar. The political leaders are more interested in having police officials of their choice in their respective areas. And there are some officers who have the knack of always having privileged postings, whichever the party is in power. This is true of the present regime too.

The political class must realise that the lives of each and every person in the state are equally precious. The lives of the political elite are not more precious than the ordinary people.

It is the security of each and every individual at the socio-economic level that the state needs to ensure rather than focussing on the few.

The political class is attacking the ruling party for curtailing security cover of the people mainly in opposition. They might be rightly indignant but then this is not security but a privilege and such privileges must go.

It is the socio-political and economic environment that needs to be rejuvenated and made secure and this is what calls for evolving a consensus.