Twenty-one years after he was killed inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar during Operation Bluestar, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale's ghost has come to haunt Punjab politics. On June 6, the anniversary of the army action, the Akal Takht turned into an arena for extremist politics. While radical Sikh groups raised pro-Khalistan slogans and brandished naked swords, the SGPC surprised everyone with its decision to build a memorial to the "martyrs" of Operation Bluestar inside the Golden Temple complex.

It was just the opportunity the radicals were waiting for. Led by the fundamentalist Damdami Taksal, they were quick to demand that a part of Akal Takht be converted into a memorial for Bhindranwale. The pro-Khalistan lobby spearheaded by IPS officer-turned-separatist leader Simranjit Singh Mann was galvanised by the Taksal's recent decision to declare Bhindranwale a "martyr". Clearly, the SGPC had bitten off more than it could chew. Stunned by this sudden twist, sad President Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur beat a hasty retreat even as the slogan shouting continued.

PICTURE SPEAK
FRINGE BENEFITS: Mann (white beard) at the Golden Temple (left); Hawara after his arrest (right)

The return of extremism to Punjab after almost a decade of peace is a disturbing development. Expectedly, the Congress and the Akalis are now accusing each other of playing with religious sentiments for political gains. "Under no circumstances will the Government let the Akalis and radicals arouse religious passions," declares Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who is under pressure from the Left and the BJP to come down hard on radicals.

PICTURE SPEAK

SCREEN TEST: The cinema hall in Delhi where a bomb exploded

Though Mann's pro-Khalistan ranting has been growing louder by the day, the state Government slapped sedition cases against him only after Bibi wrote to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil blaming the Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader for inciting Sikhs during the function. Amarinder's delayed action was clearly aimed at deepening the Bibi-Mann animus.

Mann repeated his controversial words at another function organised on June 12 at Amritsar to commemorate Bhindranwale's "martyrdom". He also revealed how as the police chief of Punjab's Faridkot district he had helped Bhindranwale get licensed weapons, passports and arms from abroad in the 1970s. Mann was arrested in Sangrur on June 14.

It seems the competitive religiosity between the Congress and the Akalis has ended up stoking the radical embers in Punjab. The arrest of top Babbar Khalsa militant Jagtar Singh Hawara on June 7 in Delhi has blown the lid off a well-knit terrorist network. Hawara was arrested after a massive manhunt following the bombing of two Delhi theatres showing the controversial film Jo Bole So Nihal. Security agencies recovered at least 10 kg RDX and 40 detonators from his hide-outs.

While security agencies rule out the possibility of return of militancy to Punjab, they are apprehensive about radicals closing ranks. It is a stark reminder to the Congress and the Akalis that mixing politics with religion can be perilous.

Index