Tag: Amritpal Singh Narrative

‘Sikhs Understand Amritpal’s Agenda; He Has No Support On Ground’

By LokMarg

Nirmal Singh, the president of Kendri Singh Sabha in Lucknow, says that the right place for a zealot like Amritpal Singh is behind the bars. His views:

The Sikhs are a community known for their brave sacrifices and love for the nation. Members of our community have been the torchbearers of a cordial and peaceful existence with all human beings, irrespective of caste, creed or belief. Our ‘langars’ have earned us all-round goodwill for providing food and other necessities to everyone without discrimination. In a difficult situation like the recent pandemic, Sikhs were at the forefront of voluntary services for the needy.

Let me come to Amritpal Singh, a self-proclaimed leader who has come out of nowhere and began talking about Khalistan, opening old wounds. Who has given him the right to represent us and raise non-issues to seek attention or notoriety? To my mind, he merely represents a bunch of anti-social elements trying to disturb the peace and harmony of a state which requires growth and development.

Take a close look and you can see through the narrative being built around him. Till September 2022, this man wasn’t even wearing the Sikh pagadi. It was in late September that his dastar-bandi (turban-tying ceremony) took place in the village of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala. Could one not see how things were shaping up towards a rabble-rousing agenda?

I also have a question for the law enforcement agencies: Were they twiddling their thumbs when Amritpal was making one outrageous claim after another? Why did they came into action only after Amritpal, along with a group of goons, attacked a police station and challenged the system? The media also acted irresponsibly by lapping up whatever this madcap had to speak before cameras.

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We, as Indians, have always believed in world unity or ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and have never ever supported the idea of Khalistan. Why should everything be looked through the prism of Khalistan and separatism when the ground reality in Punjab is that the people feel that both these issues have no support or presence on the ground?

Social media is also to be blamed for the fuss that is being created in Punjab. I went to Punjab by road from Lucknow and, believe me, I didn’t see any such undercurrent of a separate homeland for Sikhs. All this drama was being catered on social media about Amritpal where police action was being projected as oppressive.

There are claims (on social media) that he (Amritpal) has large-scale local support and sympathy which is making it difficult for the police to arrest him. But during my visit to the state I could not find a single person supporting his stupid cause. I suspect there are some external forces involved who wish to disturb the peace and harmony of India as we are making strides in economic growth.

Only a minuscule may be supporting the radical stream, and the people of Punjab will ensure that their motives do not gain any further ground. People are wise enough to understand the motive behind this – to divide people by bringing religion into the narrative. But at ground level, they understand the hidden agenda and are united to counter such a divisive movement.

(The picture used is representational as the narrator declined to share his photograph for personal reason)

As told to Rajat Rai

Punjab Crisis

Rise of Amritpal Cult Linked to Punjab’s Current Socio-Political Crisis

By LokMarg

Jatinder Singh, an Assistant Prof of Political Science in Punjabi University, Patiala, discusses the reasons behind growing popularity of Bhai Amritpal Singh

Punjab has been in a cyclical crisis, perpetually. Over an interval of roughly 20 years, the state faces some or the other issue that boils over to push it into a grave situation. From Partition in the late 1940s to Naxalism in the 60s, then from militancy to the drug menace and now the current economic mess, the state has hurtled from one disruption phase to another.

The rise of Bhai Amritpal Singh as a cult figure is a manifestation of the crisis that Punjab faces today. It is essentially a politico-economic crisis which is being voiced by many groups, organisations and movements simultaneously, especially on the federal front and its relations with the Centre. Farmers, labour and sectarian groups articulate this crisis and address their respective constituencies. Amritpal is one of them.

Punjab is battling multiple challenges related to unemployment, water scarcity, farmers’ income and immigration. The state and central leaderships have failed to provide any solution and this has created a vacuum where the youth is searching for an alternative route. Now, Amritpal emerges on the scene. He slams the failure of progressive forces in Punjab, and offers a one-size-fits-all solution. He is angry and appealing to many.

While Amritpal Singh does not articulate the voice of the entire Punjab, it will also be foolish to assume that no one is responding to his narrative. His is a voice that needs to be heard and resolved, just like the voice of farmers, teachers and labours who continue to question the accountability of the government.

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Amritpal Singh has many admirers among the youth and the NRIs and a sizeable following on social media. However, to my mind, he neither represents the Sikhi nor the concerns of his proclaimed supporters. His narrative only talks of suppression, federalism and renaissance etc, but he leaves little scope for a dialogue. Dialogue brings responsibility and that is missing from the Amritpal narrative. Besides, he makes veiled threat to take up violence. This is a matter of concern.

The other issue is how Amritpal is expressing his ideas. He is not questioning the state. He talks of the management of Gurdwaras, the proliferation of other religions etc. This creates social tension, especially within the marginalised sections of Punjabi society like Dalits. He is possibly antagonising these sections.

So in terms of manifestation, form and articulation, the Amritpal phenomenon is essentially problematic. How will this phenomenon unfold in the context of the immediate politics is yet to be judged. The newly formed AAP government does not seem to be addressing the problems, so the crisis may deepen with time.

Parallels may be drawn with the crisis of the 1980s when the Khalistani identity had emerged in the face of an authoritarian regime at the Centre. Punjab has witnessed violence in the past and drawn its lessons. But if the state too repeats its mistake and resorts to more repression or any external factor comes into play, the state may face turbulence again. Yet, I do not think we will repeat the 1980s situation.

But the divisions are likely to grow. Separate, new constituencies may emerge. I see an increase in the acceptance of Amritpal phenomenon too. But within Panthic politics, there have been differences. It will largely depend on the calibre and cult of their leaders. Is Amritpal capable of overshadowing all other forces as one individual did in the 1980s? I am not sure of this.

As told to Abhishek Srivastava

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