Separatist sparks in Punjab must be promptly doused

Some incidents resurrect the ghosts of the past. The assassination attempt on Sukhbir Singh Badal is one such. The attempt on Badal’s life took place at the same spot where in April 1983 A.S. Atwal, the then deputy director general of Punjab police, was murdered. Atwal’s body had lain unattended for hours on the steps of the Harmandir Sahib. Those days extremism was at its peak. But what does the attack on Badal indicate? Is terrorism rearing its ugly head in Punjab again?

Absolutely not. Still, the attack on Badal and the rise of secessionist voices indicate efforts to revive those days. Amritpal’s sudden arrival from Dubai to lead a separatist campaign in the garb of religious concerns was the beginning of the conspiracy. He knew there were still many who bore a grudge for the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

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These people may have aged, but their bitterness hasn’t. Badal’s assailant Narayan Singh Chaura is one such person. Chaura became a votary of separatism after Operation Bluestar.

The most distressing trend in Punjab is that people from a forgotten era are making successful political comebacks.

The victories of Simranjit Singh Mann and Amritpal at the last Lok Sabha elections is an alarm call. How did this happen?

No evident animosity

To get to the bottom of this, we need to understand the position religion holds in the politics and society of Punjab. The state’s population is 57.69% Sikh and 38.49% Hindu. There’s no evident animosity between these two communities in Punjab. But, some elements are trying to foment hatred.

One group insists that if Pakistan can be created as a separate country for the Muslims, then the Sikhs, too, deserve to have a separate homeland. Such sentiments had gained currency in the Seventies. Indira Gandhi failed to understand the gravity of the situation in time, which led to the deaths of thousands, including herself. I hope today’s politicians won’t commit the same mistake.

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Punjab’s politics has some unique complexities. Every politician in that state needs to maintain a fine balance between religion, society, politics, and national integrity. Parkash Singh Badal was a past master of the game. He knew very well when to label someone a traitor when to declare him a nationalist, and how to manage the Sikh clergy.

His long association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) provided added strength to his credentials. The compact between the two maintained a Hindu-Sikh alliance while assuaging religious feelings of both communities. Even the hotheads among the Sikh community were convinced that till Parkash was in the saddle their interests would be protected.

The Waterloo

But every general confronts his Waterloo. For Parkash it was nepotism. His son was deputy chief minister when Parkash was chief minister of Punjab and his daughter-in-law was a minister in the Centre. This led to dissent in his party. Other leaders realized that they had no future till the Badals were in power. They started airing views that emboldened the extremist elements in Punjab. The Congress party, meanwhile, lost ground due to their internal weaknesses. Its decline and the break-up of the Akali-BJP alliance have wreaked havoc on the Punjabi society. These national parties were critical in maintaining a semblance of order in the state’s political atmosphere.

Sukhbir Singh Badal is responsible for the present state of Shiromani Akali Dal. Parkash went to jail to protect Sikh pride, while Sukhbir is behind the bars on the charges of corruption. Parkash’s failing health and advanced age brought Sukhbir to the center stage in Punjab politics. But, he couldn’t handle the mantle and aphorisms such as “udta Punjab" (a reference to the drug menace in the state) gained currency during his tenure.

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The Akali rule was beset by issues such as clashes with the clergy and the incident of the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, which eroded the party’s political capital. Sukhbir even failed to pacify the jathedars (Sikh clergy). He accepted the charges of sacrilege and clashes and was excommunicated. Sukhbir was serving his punishment term when Chaura attacked him. In such a charged atmosphere, how will politics in Punjab unfold?

Bhagwant Mann’s role becomes crucial in the situation. He’s the first chief minister of Punjab to have risen to power without the backing of any national party. He must maintain the fine balance that his predecessors so skillfully struck. But his abilities are in question now.

Punjab’s turmoil demands joint action by the central and state governments to exorcise the ghosts of the past for good.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal.