The Amritpal drama should stop here

The arrest of radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who was on the run for over a month after a raid by security forces on the gurdwara where he had ensconced himself, has put an end to much suspense and speculation about him. Typically, the preacher tried to turn the arrest to his advantage with posturing and play-acting. He chose a gurudwara in Rode, the birthplace of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the infamous leader of the 1980s Sikh militancy, as the venue for what he called his surrender. It was clear that he was being arrested on information the police had received, but Amritpal Singh, who had tried to shape himself in the image of Bhindranwale, tried to further strengthen that image by association. He also made a sermon in the gurdwara. All this was part of the drama and bluster he has been known for.

Also Read | Why Amritpal Singh was shifted to Assam jail

Amritpal Singh has been taken to a jail in Assam’s Dibrugarh and will have to face trial for his obviously secessionist statements and activities. It is likely that his followers will try to further build him up as a hero. There will also be attempts to present him as a victim of State oppression. Amritpal Singh did not have any significant following in the state though he had some appeal to certain sections. It was this appeal that made it easy for him to anoint himself as the leader of a group, Waris Punjab De, after landing in India from Dubai, where he had spent many years as an unknown person. There is no clarity about who backed him and the idea that he was put up by the Pakistani ISI is strong.

The question why the state government of Bhagwant Singh Mann allowed him a long rope is moot. The central government also did not take much notice of him and that was a failure, especially glaring from a government that claims to treat national security as the highest priority. Amritpal’s words found some resonance because Punjab is in a vulnerable state. It has faced social and economic problems on a wide scale. The income from agriculture has been falling and there is no industrial development that could absorb the unemployed youth. There is a serious drug problem. Political parties have wielded communal strategies and that has aggravated the situation. It is unfortunate that neither the governments nor the parties have learnt any lesson from the state’s experience in the 1980s and early 1990s. It is a border state and there is always a threat from a hostile neighbour. All these need to be taken into consideration while dealing with the situation in the state.