KARACHI: In India massive search operation continues to arrest Sikh leader Amritpal Singh who is involved in independent Khalistan movement. According to reports Amritpal Singh was seen in at least four Indian cities, including capital Delhi, since eluding arrest in Punjab state last week. Amritpal Singh says he supports Khalistan or separate Sikh homeland.

Singh heads radical organisation that demands separate Sikh homeland known as ‘Khalistan’ and is being tracked down by Indian police and other agencies in northern Punjab. As Singh continues to evade the police, his rise in popularity and ensuing crackdown haunt Punjab as reminder of bloody past.

In 1980s, during decade-long insurgency led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, thousands of people were killed in Punjab. Bhindranwale was Sikh separatist leader who was killed in 1984 when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered Army to storm Golden Temple in Amritsar. In 1984, after Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards, anti-Sikh riots broke out and over 3,000 Sikhs were killed in New Delhi alone. Thousands were left displaced across country. Singh’s popularity and calls for separate Sikh nation have stirred fears of violence in Indian Punjab state. Several major roads were blocked, internet services were cut in many regions and authorities blocked several Sikh Twitter accounts. More than 100 people were detained in connection with investigation. A group of people carrying banners that said, ‘Khalistan’ vandalised and removed Indian flag from balcony of Indian High Commission in London. A day later, pro-Khalistan protesters damaged Indian Consulate in San Francisco.

Singh (30) first gained popularity after moving to Dubai in 2012, where he joined his family’s transport business and drove trucks. During his time in Dubai, Singh gained following on social media, where his separatist views and ideas of Sikh unity amassed lot of young followers. In August 2022, Singh travelled back to India and was appointed head of Waris Punjab De which translates to ‘Heirs of Punjab.’ Until then organisation had been led by Deep Sidhu, an actor and activist who died in car accident in 2022.

People began noticing Singh’s resemblance to Bhindranwale. Singh has been vocal about drawing inspiration from the former leader. In symbolic move, when Singh was appointed head of WPD, ceremony was held in Bhindranwale’s ancestral village. According to sources Singh has tapped into social problems in Punjab after returning to India, which has resonated with people there.

One of first things Singh did when he reached Punjab was to set up drug rehab centre. For decades, Indian Punjab has suffered from widespread drug abuse problem, which is combined with high unemployment. Study conducted by Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research revealed that in state of 30 million people, 15 percent of population is consuming drugs. 2021 economic survey reported that Punjab has an unemployment rate of 7.4 percent, one of highest in India. Even though both drugs and unemployment have consistently ranked high as issues in political polls, politicians have yet to provide results.

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 01 2023

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