Memorial function for Balwinder Jatana in Golden Temple complex marks new shift in Sikh religio-political discourse

 

Memorial function for Jatana in Golden Temple complex adds new dimension to radical discourse

 

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

 

The song 'SYL' of now slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was banned in India within days of its release probably because it had hailed Balwinder Singh Jatana as the hero.

Organised by the hardline organisation  Dal Khalsa that continues to stick to the demand for Khalistan though now through democratic means, the death anniversary of this Malwa area commander, for the first time, was today observed in the Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) complex along with Charanjit Singh Channa.

The presence of Golden Temple Head Granthi Giani Jagtar Singh and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Harjinder Singh Dhami at the function organised at Gurdwara Thara Sahib next to Jhanda Bunga yet again provided legitimacy to the radical politics from which the Shiromani Akali Dal has otherwise tried to distance from time to time.

It is not for the first time that such function has been observed in the Golden Temple complex.

The ‘martyrdom day’ functions of Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, the assassins of prime minister Indira Gandhi and Sukhdev Singh Sukha and Harjinder Singh Jinda who gunned down former army chief General A S Vaidya in Pune are observed at Akal Takht and are organised by the SGPC.

However, both these cases are associated with Operation Bluestar, code name for army attack on the Golden Temple complex in June, 1984 when Mrs Gandhi was the prime minister. General Vaidya was the army chief at that time. In the collective Sikh psyche, a person who has avenged or confronted attack on the Golden Temple is a hero and the examples of numerous.

However, it is for the first time that a function of a militant leader associated with a militant action not associated with Operation Bluestar has been observed. In the terminology of the government, such actions are categorised as terrorist actions.

Channa was the person whom Jatana had replaced as Babbar Khalsa area commander when he went abroad. Channa had returned  and was killed by the security forces along with Jatana.

Jatana was the militant activist who had gunned down Satluj Yamuna Link Canal chief engineer  M L Sikri and superintending engineer Avtar Singh Aulakh in Chandigarh.

This controversial canal constructed to carry waters from Punjab to neighbouring Haryana was almost 90 per cent complete by that time. Not a brick has been added since then.

A brief history of this jinxed project is necessary here. Following reorganisation of Punjab in 1966 leading to creation of Haryana and separation of hill areas that became part of Himachal Pradesh, the waters of Punjab rivers too were divided. The provision in the Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966 was that the prime minister would intervene in case Punjab and Haryana failed to arrive at mutual agreement. Mrs Gandhi announced unilateral award in 1976 favouring Haryana in the absence of such settlement.

Governments changed at the centre and in Punjab and Haryana in 1977 with Akali Dal coming into power in Punjab with Parkash Singh Badal as the chief minister and Chaudhary Devi Lal in Haryana. Both these leaders were known to be close to each other. They decided to start construction of SYL Canal in Punjab as work was already going on in Haryana. The first notification for acquisition of land for this project in Punjab was issued by the Badal government in February 1978 and announcement was made by Devi Lal in Haryana Assembly in March while quoting notification numbers. The objection from SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra stalled this move.

Haryana then approached Supreme Court to get the 1976 award implemented and Punjab had to follow. Mrs Gandhi, after her return to power in 1980, laid its foundation stone at Kapoori village in Patiala on April 8, 1982 and the Akali Dal started the agitation. The Akali Dal under Sant Harchand Singh Longowal  made commitment to construct this canal as part of the Punjab Accord that he signed with prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on July 24, 1985. Sant Longowal was gunned down on August 20, 1985 for ‘betraying’ Punjab.

It was Jatana who finally stopped the construction of this canal. Jatana with his action stopped the construction of the canal for which the first notification to acquire land was issued by the Akali Dal government under Mr Badal.

Haryana continues to demand completion of this canal.

It is a political canal now as much more water can be conserved through water harvesting and modern methods of irrigation than the amount this canal is to carry. This canal is just not needed but the pot is kept boiling.

 The issue under focus, however, is not the canal but yet another shift in Sih religio-political discourse in the context of Jatana memorial function that is the first in a different context.

It may be mentioned that a function was organised in this very complex on August 31 in the memory of human bomb Dilawar Singh who had killed Beant Singh. That function, however, was organised by the family. His family has made the booking for several years in advance.

Mr Dhami also made the announcement at today’s function that Jatana’s picture would be displayed in the central Sikh museum saying decision had already been taken by the SGPC.

The Sikh matrix is experiencing strong under-currents.