Anil Anand
Politics or more so electoral politics must take a backstage while dealing with issues related to national security and interest. It has become imperative to buttress this point in view of the controversial self-styled preacher, posing himself to be the protagonist of “Khalistan”, Amritpal Singh’s dramatic escape during a hot chase by Punjab Police-central forces posse, and a series of protests by his sympathisers in United Kingdome, USA, Canada and Australia.
The fugitive separatist’s sudden and unnoticed landing from Dubai few months back and subsequent storming of a police station in Amritsar to force release of one of his supporters from the lock-up, which he unconditionally achieved, and walked away triumphantly. It followed a lull of few weeks followed by police raids in his village to arrest him, some of his close supporters were nabbed, that resulted in the run and chase drama and his subsequent escape.
Singh is a new phenomenon and far-away from mass appeal. But series of shoddy developments and “mishandling” or “misreading” of the situation both by the Centre, and the Punjab government in particular, has created confusion in public mind, raised serious doubts and thrown up questions begging for immediate answers. What evokes more curiosity is the claim by the state chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and his boss and Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, patting their backs for “deftly” handling the situation.
How could any political leader, that too two elected chief ministers, have the gal to indulge in self-praise on successful escape by an anti-national? It is simply surprising and addition to the predominant new brand of politics of “self-praise and politics at any cost”. What was exception in the past has become a norm currently with more and more political parties and leaders adopting this trend.
Punjab can ill-afford such political dictum as it came out bloodily-bruised after three-decades of terrorism. The state achieved peace at a great cost which cannot be frittered away for the sake of political gain or loss of political parties.
So, that is why the Amritpal Singh episode should send the alarm bells ringing in the power circles. They should desist from political misadventure, to begin with, of any kind and work to sustain tranquillity in Punjab at all costs.
Punjab and adjoining Jammu and Kashmir have remained flash-points from time to time squarely due to political misadventures guided by power-lust. Of course, with an over-arching Pakistan factor. And the peace at two significant and strategic places of north India was achieved not before paying heavy price both in terms of human lives and economy.
Those who read it as only a north India phenomenon have misplaced views. Anything happening in Punjab and dissected Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will have national bearings as the region is besotted by India’s two hostile neighbours-China and Pakistan. As seen in the past not too far away.
Any disturbance or political void resulting due to misadventures or misgovernance, provides the two adjoining nations an opportunity to back anti-national forces to fill this gap. This had happened in Punjab before peace was established and so in Jammu and Kashmir.
Certainly, the nefarious designs of those fomenting trouble through proxy war have been defeated. But definitely their intentions have not changed and the index of which is currently visible in Punjab. And the prevailing unease in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
So, the need to be cautious on the part of the political parties, particular and the ruling ones both at the Centre and in Punjab. It should be borne in mind that thousands of political leaders and workers, and innocent people had fallen to the terrorists’ bullets not only in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir but across the country as the terrorism spread its tentacles.
Who can forget the supreme sacrifices made by the security personnel in not only ushering the two areas into peace but also ensuring start of political process.
This back-drop should make political parties doubly cautious when we are in 21st century under fast changing international-equations. They should be guided squarely by national and not political interest all the time. Whenever the national or regional interest was made subservient to political vested interests, the country, the region and the people suffered. It was witnessed in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, and at other places in the country in the past.
With peace prevailing-on surface- in Jammu and Kashmir after a great deal of effort, the country can ill-afford a disturbed Punjab once more. Yes, Pakistan aided by China is the abettor of whatever is happening in the region. But that is one part of the problem. The Pak factor comes more actively into play when conducive conditions are made available to them through misgovernance, misrule and political adventures in these sensitive areas. From time to time the dispensations at the Centre tend to become complicit.
For lasting peace in the region, it is an imperative, always, that not an inch is spared for mischief-mongers who come in many forms. No space should be left open to their disruptive discourse, which can be achieved through responsive peoples elected governments and administration.
The current situations in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir present a unique phenomenon which goes beyond the above-mentioned time-tested formula. There is an elected government in place in Punjab enjoying a brute majority. However, this political strength has been paled to shadow due to political shenanigans of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) particularly its supremo Kejriwal’s overriding national ambitions.
On the contrary Jammu and Kashmir has the Lt Governor’s administration and being governed directly by the Centre after the erstwhile state was demoted and dissected into two Union Territories. From the security point of view comparatively there is peace on the surface but still there is strife in different sections of the society right from Leh down to Jammu.
The reason for the society being restive at least in Jammu and Kashmir which has provision for an elected assembly, is the lack of redressal of their routine grievances related to bread and butter, and political empowerment in the absence of an elected assembly. Bureaucratic wall has made things complicated.
These two scenarios convey the sum total of the prevailing ground realities which should not be allowed to persist. If allowed to perpetuate, it will be at a great cost to the nation. The border areas-Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir- should not only be peaceful and safe but the governing systems should work to the utmost satisfaction of the people. The effective way to keep the separatist discourse out.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel