The Sikh community was shocked when Punjab’s former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked outside the Golden Temple, where he was doing the ‘sewa’ and serving as a guard, as a ‘religious punishment’, awarded to him by Akal Takht, the highest and most reverend religious seat of Sikhism.
Perched in a wheelchair with a plaster on one of his feet and holding a ‘barchha’ in his hand, the Shiromani Akali Dal leader was attacked by a former militant, who had openly supported the demand to carve a separate state Khalistan out of India. Though he was confronted by a group of people standing there, he managed to open fire targeting Badal, but the bullet could not harm Badal.

Who Is Narain Singh Chaura?

Suspected assailant Narain Singh Chaura is a native of Chaura Bajwa village from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district. He was also a suspect in the 2004 Burail jailbreak case where he allegedly helped Khalistan militants Jagtar Singh Hawara, Paramjit Singh Bheora and two others escape from prison. Chaura was lodged in jails in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Chandigarh.
Though he languished in Punjab jails for quite some time, Chaura remained defiant and unapologetic for his support to militancy and separatist politics.
He wrote on his Facebook page, “The Sikh community has politically rejected the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) due to its grave misdeeds, and now the party is using the Akal Takht Sahib as a means to revive its tarnished reputation.”

‘Forgiveness Can’t Absolve SAD Of Wrongdoings’

The former Khalistan militant added, “This party is an enemy of the Panth and no longer has the right to lead the Sikh community in the political arena.
He went to the extent of declaring, “The Khalsa Panth will not accept any attempt to absolve them of their wrongdoings through symbolic punishments.”

‘Lone Wolf Attack’ Or Organised Crime?

Though Chaura’s act can be called a “lone wolf attack” as there is no evidence suggesting the role of any militant outfit, the same cannot be ruled out.
Political observers believe Pakistan’s infamous intelligence outfit the ISI and certain pro-Khalistan organisations in Canada, the UK and some European countries have been able to revive the Khalistan militancy in India and abroad.
The spiraling anti-India activities and the related developments in Canada should not be viewed as the local-level ramifications of the political dynamics in that country.

Role Of Pakistan, Canada?

Though the Sikhs are a deciding factor in the electoral politics of British Columbia, Toronto and Vancouver and may impact the result of more than 30 seats of the Canadian Parliament, all of them are not anti-India. Most of them do not nourish the dream of a separate homeland in India, the country they have left long for a greener pasture.
However, it is also a fact that they are an important part of Canadian politics, they are rich with most of them doing successful business there, they nourish the anger against the Indian establishment for Operation Bluestar. As more and more Sikh youth from the Punjab are flocking to Canada, many of them through the “donkey route”, their stock is increasing.

Militancy Is Revived In India

Back in India, militancy was revived. The way Amritpal Singh, a self-styled proponent of Khalistan, emerged and dominated the political and social space of the Punjab, though for a short time, explains this phenomenon.
After returning from Dubai, he started imitating, the Sikh militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed in Operation Blue Star in 1984. By his provocative speeches, he challenged the authorities.

Rise Of Amritpal Singh

However, people were shocked and the political commentators suspected foul play when Amritpal Singh’s ‘Waris Punjab De’ was given a very long rope and the crackdown was ordered only after he crossed the limits.
The police arrested Amritpal Singh from Rode village in Punjab’s Moga district on April 23, 2024. He is still languishing in jail.

Sikh Militants In Parliament

However, the ‘Waris Punjab De’ leader contested the Lok Sabha Election 2024 from Khadoor Sahib as an independent candidate and was elected.
He got 4,04,430 votes and defeated Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira with a margin of 1,97,120 votes.

Indira Killer’s Son In Indian Parliament

Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassin Beant Singh is another example.
During his election campaign, Khalsa emphasised on “panthic” issues. He raked up the sacrilege issue and talked about the Kotkapura-Behbal Kalan police firing incidents of 2015 after the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari village in Faridkot.
It is not a mere coincidence that his mother Bimal Kaur was elected an MP from the Ropar in 1989.
Is it just a coincidence that Chaura attacked Badal for the same sacrilege reason, holding him responsible for “the crime he and his party SAD committed” while being in the government?

Simranjit Singh Mann Becomes MP

Earlier, hardliner Sikh leader and chief of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Simranjit Singh Mann contested from Sangrur in 2019 and lost. However, he won the by-election in 2022 from the same seat by defeating AAP candidate Gurmail Singh by 5,822 votes.
The entry of these openly anti-India and pro-Khalistan militant leaders into Parliament is a new phenomenon that should upset the Indian state and its policymakers.
Much water has flown down the Sutlej River and the situation has changed too much. The change is neither good for the country or state nor for the Sikh community.