In scenes reminiscent of the dark days of terrorism in Punjab, hundreds of supporters of radical separatist leader Amritpal Singh, armed with lathis, swords and guns, clashed with police and stormed the Ajnala police station near Amritsar on Thursday.
Amritpal and his supporters using the Palki of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as their shield, broke through barricades and clashed with police – injuring six police personnel including an officer – top officers including Amritsar Police Commissioner Jaskaran Singh and SSP (Rural) Satinder Singh reached the police station ostensibly to hold direct negotiations, but actually to bow down & take instruction from the separatist leader Amritpal. As evinced by the visuals of the discussions between the two, the SSP had covered his head with a handkerchief as if he was in the presence of a revered Saint and not a criminal who has just committed a crime, other policemen also appeared very unlike police officers of the potent Punjab Police once headed by KPS Gill, their body language lacked authority and they appeared in a complete state of surrendered to the man seen by many as Bhindranwale 2.0.
The meeting of the police officials with Amritpal was a fallout of the violent mob’s forcible occupation the Ajnala thana after not just breaking the barricades but also bashing the policemen deputed to prevent the mob from storming inside the thana, mind you, all of this in full media glare. The police was beaten, arm twisted and brought down on their knees by Amritpal and his supporters so that his associate Lovepreet Singh @ Toofan could be released, Toofan who was arrested on charges that included kidnapping. As things turned out, Toofan was released by a thoroughly intimidated Bhagwant Mann government after going through the formalities of entering a plea for discharge in the local court.
Tasting success by bringing the Mann Govt & its police to its knees, Amritpal Singh, on Saturday spewed fresh venom and threatened more bloodshed. Claiming that the Ajnala incident was “not violent”, Amritpal Singh has said that “the real violence is yet to be seen”. “You are counting sloganeering and hoisting the Khalistan Flags, as violence…?? You have not seen the real violence till now..!! The real violence is yet to be seen,” Amritpal Singh said while addressing the media in Ajnala.
Amritpal, the 30-year-old who is a Khalistan flag bearer and openly spells out his agenda of Dividing India, returned from Dubai last year and controversially became head of the outfit “Waris Punjab De” following the death of its founder, the actor-activist Deep Sidhu. Amritpal was also an accused in the same case along with 25 others. The case was registered on the complaint of one Varinder Singh who alleged he was kidnapped and beaten soon after he uploaded a video accusing Amritpal and his followers of spreading false propaganda.
Punjab proving once again that mobocracy can bend democracy, police announced Lovepreet @ Toofan would be discharged from the case and legal steps would be taken for his release. SSP Singh in a complete surrender said: “During our ‘meeting’ (not investigation), we have come across evidence that Lovepreet Singh was not involved in the incident (for which he had been arrested). He will be discharged. The meeting took place in a good environment.”
While on the one hand these recent turns of events have not only thoroughly demolished the morale of Punjab Police as once potent force, its reputation amongst the people of Punjab and globally has taken a massive and irreparable hit, on the other hand this incident will prove to be a shot in the arm and also a major Morale Booster for pro Khalistan separatist elements, gangsters and criminals.
A day after supporters of Amritpal Singh stormed a police station, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav literally rubbed salt into the wound by offering a rather bizarre defense of police inaction against the violent mob. He said the demonstrators had used the holy Guru Granth Sahib as a shield and attacked police personnel in a cowardly manner, leaving six of them injured. Despite giving an assurance of a peaceful demonstration, the protesters used sharp-edged weapons.
“The demonstration was permitted when under the cover of Palki Sahib of Sri Guru Granth Sahibji, police were attacked in a cowardly manner,” he said, adding six personnel were injured.
«Police acted with utmost restraint due to the maryada of Guru Granth Sahib and preserved it. Had police opened fire, it would have led to more issues. We have acted with restraint on account of the presence of the holy Guru Granth Sahib”.
These statements of the Director General of Police (DGP) are merely cosmetic and will only further embolden the anti-national elements. The DGP needs to be reminded that Punjab Police must maintain peace and harmony and that these anti national elements who have an agenda of Breaking the Nation by destabilize peace in Punjab must be reined in.
It is amusing to see that a new narrative is being built on social media by the IT Cell of Punjab’s ruling Government, once again trying to exploit the Sikh sentiment and exposing its connivence and incapability by endeavouring to popularize that Punjab Police did well by not acting in Ajnala’s Violence due to the presence Shree Guru Granth Sahib Ji. While I agree, that any damage to Shree Guru Granth Sahib Ji would have triggered more violence. There are more unanswered questions. Why was Amritpal allowed to bring the palki sahib so close to the thana? Why the Police hasn’t filed any FIR in the violence yet? What is the status of the other co-accused in the FIR including Amritpal?
This should send alarm bells ringing in New Delhi, as it is more than just a law & order problem. It brings to the fore the weakness of the ruling dispensation in dealing with challenges of controlling break India forces as also the rise of another separatist leader who in the age of internet, social media and rapid communication has the potential of creating unprecedented devastation.
Ajnala incident must be seen as a precursor to a brewing “National Security” threat which must be evaluated accordingly. This event warrants immediate corrective measures, no matter how harsh. It is particular interesting to the pattern of a “Gradual Escalation” witnessed from these incidents, which does not bode well for national security. Particularly when Pakistan is playing an active role in encouraging separatism and will capitalize on our internal fault lines. Meanwhile, Bhagwant who is also the Home Minister of Punjab seems clueless & incompetent in dealing with such a situation.
Mann government’s abject capitulation which I see as an active connivance to/with a violent mob led by a self-styled preacher has led to a feeling of foreboding and insecurity among the masses and raised questions about its competence to deal with a rapidly deteriorating law & order situation in the state. There have been gangster-terrorist attacks, killings, kidnappings for ransom, dharnas on highways, railway lines, and toll plazas. The government has been found wanting in tackling the situation on every occasion.
Besides security implications for the border state, the incident certainly has lowered the morale of the police that deals with the situation on the ground as is clearly evident from the body language of SSP Satinder Singh while talking to Amritpal Singh.
The way Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was used as a shield in carrying out the attack on the police is also questionable as devout AmritDhari Sikh I feel that it was an act of beadbi or sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to carry Guru Sahib to a thana where consumption of tobacco products, liquor etc could not be ruled out.
What is also surprising, is the conspicuous silence of the judiciary, which has been active in taking suo moto of such matter in past, one wonders why the Hon’ble Courts are quite on this rapidly deteriorating Law & Order situation in Punjab. Sikhs across the globe must raise their voices against this beadbi & Shri Akal Sahib particularly must step in and issue instruction on the Maryada associated with Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The nation cannot afford to ignore this incident. As mentioned before, this is a gradual escalation, it’s a Thana today, who knows which constitutional institution or person will be their next target?
The state that bore the brunt of terrorism not long ago can ill afford the return of the dark era. Perceptions play important role in establishing or destroying the credibility of any government. The state government would do well to clarify its position and come out with a roadmap to deal with the increasing number of secessionist and violent activities of elements as they receive open support from anti-India forces from within and outside India. The situation must not be allowed to deteriorate to an extent where the central government is forced or finds an excuse to intervene in the state’s matter.
(The author is a political expert)