Jagtar Singh

  Is Punjab on fire again? Ground Zero Jagtar Singh Is Punjab with its history of turbulence is on fire again after having been hit by a new meteor? It seems to be so going by the TV screens and the narrative that is being constructed at the national level by the shouting brigade of anchors. Otherwise, Punjab is normal, rather more normal than many other regions. Of course, the Sikh religio-political matrix is experiencing turbulence. Sikh activist and Khalistan protagonist Amritpal Singh who has been on the run since March 18 after frustrating police attempt to arrest him in Tarn Taran district has now triggered the Sikh religio-political domain. Mocking at the system, he yesterday released his first video shot only last night going by its content indicating his political course. He followed it up with audio message Thursday. In the video, he looks undeterred. For the last several years, India has been witnessing intensification of hate speeches and the players in ...

  Akal Takht Jathedar’s outburst against Centre is multi-dimensional, talks of breakup of Parliament Ground Zero   Jagtar Singh Officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht, the Sikh seat symbolising synergy of religion and politics and created by Guru Hargobind as sovereign state power in the Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib), Giani Harpreet Singh, made far reaching statement relating to repercussions at the national level of the decision to split the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to create Haryana Sikh gurdwara panel has the potential to impact radical stream in the Sikh religio-political matrix. He said the decision to bifurcate the SGPC would boomerang on the Parliament. His ‘curse’ can be interpreted in any way. One only has to go into the dimension as to how the Parliament can break up. He was addressing the annual gathering on March 8 at Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib, the almost week long festivities in which lakhs of Sikh devotees participate. Moderately, it ...

  Amritpal narrative rooted in absence of closure of militant political discourse, vacant moderate space in Sikh domain Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   Punjab is again hitting the headlines at the national level in India. Under focus of these headlines is one Amritpal Singh, a transporter who recently returned from Dubai a la mythical Deliverer to get Khalistan for Sikhs in Indian part of Punjab. A clean-shaven Sikh, he started maintaining Sikh symbols only before returning to his native village Jallupur Khaira near Baba Bakala in Amritsar district. He seems to have deeply studied mannerism of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who symbolises armed struggle for what he used to call restoring dignified life for the Sikhs in the framework of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution adopted by the Shiromani Akali Dal way back in 1973 that called for “geo-political environment” for Sikhs and not Khalistan per se. He never unequivocally demanded Sikh state of Khalistan. Not that Amritpa...