WHEN
the Akalis are out of power, they indulge either in a dharam morcha or some
act which would evoke religious passions among the Sikhs. But when they
adopt the same tactics while in authority, it means that they want to divert
attention from problems like unemployment, drug trafficking and farmers’
lessening incomes.
To the horror of the country, Chief
Minister Parkash Singh Badal filed the other day a mercy petition on behalf
of Balwant Singh Rajoana, the killer of former chief minister Beant Singh.
Now Badal’s son, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh, is among those who
have honoured the insurgents and a few others involved in resisting the Army
which was deployed to flush them out from the Golden Temple at Amritsar.
Both Badals are in charge of law and order. In a way, they are the
custodians of the state. They have not realised even yet that they cannot
carry out their duty if they side with militants.
I have been told they had to bow before
“pressure”. If the rulers have to act under the direction of insurgents, the
state is in for uncertain times. Punjab has been through the phase from the
mid-’70s to mid-’80s when the extremists had the upper hand and instilled
fear among the Hindus that they were not safe in the state. A hiatus between
the two communities began to be visible from that time. The insurgents have
now founded a memorial for Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who, once sponsored by
the Congress, challenged the state from within the precincts of the Golden
Temple.
Sukhbir’s explanation that the memorial was
laid by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is not credible.
The Akali Dal itself controls the SGPC. In fact, the Government of India
should get at the root of the problem and scrap the Gurdwara Act. Let the
entire Sikh community, not those who are on restrictive electoral rolls, run
the gurdwaras.
The problem with the Akali Dal is that it
does not differentiate religion from politics. Bhindranwale committed the
same mistake and Punjab paid the price. I do not know what the Akalis have
in mind because they are traversing the same dangerous path.
How embarrassed must have been Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, a Sikh and the new Chief of Army Staff, Gen Bikram
Singh, also a Sikh, over what the ruling Akali Dal did to glorify the
insurgents who polluted the Golden Temple, the Sikhs’ Vatican? The
government had to employ the Army to destroy the barricades and the bunkers
that Bhindranwale’s men had built to fight against the Army. How can a
memorial be built to perpetuate those who wanted to disintegrate the country
and give a bad name to the Sikhs who are proud citizens of India?
Lt-Gen K.S. Brar, who led the force during
Operation Bluestar, has spoken in pain about the operation. In an interview
to a daily, he has said: “The Akalis are allowing a move to revive
terrorism. Siropas are being offered to the kin of terrorists. Militants and
their families are being garlanded. Are the Akalis attempting to get the
sympathy of militants by allowing such activities?” Brar’s question should
better be addressed to both the Chief Minister and his deputy who have not
yet understood that they have to crush the divisive forces which believe in
separatism.
I do not know why no Sikh organisation or a
non-political person of consequence from the community has condemned the
honouring of a killer and the laying of the foundation. The Akalis are
creating a Frankenstein which will one day devour the peaceful citizens of
Punjab.
The silence of the Bharatiya Janata Party
surprises me. It is a partner in the state government. The BJP is either
giving its tacit support to the radical fringe or sticking to ministerial
postings for their personal gain. Both ways, they do not serve the interest
of the party or the country. If they are really “unhappy”, as some reports
say, they should quit the government. But then they too, like the Akalis,
have electoral considerations in view. And the victory at municipal polls
must have strengthened their decision to stay with the Akalis.
Whether the Akalis realise it or not, there
is a wave of indignation against what they have done at the Golden Temple.
But the main anger is directed against the Badals who have gone along with
those who had held the integrity of India to ransom. Both the Akali Dal and
the Chief Minister owe an explanation to the nation.
It would be, however, pertinent to know
whether the Intelligence Bureau warned Punjab about what the radicals and
insurgents were up to. Although Home Minister P. Chidambaram is
pre-occupied, he should have pointed out in writing to the Punjab Chief
Minister about the ramifications of what was contemplated at the Golden
Temple. It amounts to the failure of the Constitution, and the state
government should have been taken to task.
The Punjabis are oblivious of why the
Akalis are supporting groups like the Damdami Taksal and the Dal Khalsa,
both known to be extremist organisations. On the one hand, the party is
talking of development and requesting the centre for a special package and,
on the other, it is endangering peace without which no development is
possible. The Akalis should not forget the second innings the people have
given them in the recent polls. The reason why they preferred it to the
Congress was the promise of development which the Deputy Chief Minister made
at every election meeting. People are so puzzled over the presence of the
same person in the ceremony at the Golden Temple. His projection as the
future CEO of the state is being doubted. How can he guarantee social
harmony and development when he himself presented siropas?
The Akalis are playing with fire which may
push them to a point where they may feel the heat. The party has too much at
stake. It cannot afford to fritter away the goodwill it created in its
earlier innings. Faith in a pluralistic society is a commitment which cannot
be diluted for placating the radicals.
Secularism is not a fig leaf to be used by
the Akalis for their wrong belief that religion and politics are two sides
of the same coin. Even otherwise, the ideology of theology is archaic and
outdated. Not long ago, it looked as if the Akalis were changing their
outlook to imbibe progressive ideas and modern thoughts. The loss is that of
the Akali Dal if it wants to cling on to gurdwara politics. The Punjabis
will assess them and vote accordingly at the general election in 2014.
Source:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120618/edit.htm#4
