news of 23 april Amritpal Singh arrestedA self-styled campaigner for a separate nation for Sikhs, he was greeted with a sense of relief by the people of Punjab. He was on the run for weeks, and now faces charges under the National Security Act (NSA) as well as multiple first information reports. He has become a cipher – neither he nor his cause of Khalistan enjoys any significant support among Sikhs. has been separatist Transferred to Dibrugarh Jail in AssamMore than 2,000 kms away from Punjab to avoid any possible disturbance. Taking over last year as the head of ‘Waris Punjab De’, a social organization founded by late actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, Shri Amritpal’s Rise in Controversies And the infamy was as intriguing as it was quick. He styled himself after militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed in 1984 after several years of bloodshed in the state. In February, Mr. Amritpal led a mob that stormed a police station with swords and guns to free compatriots from custody, drawing the ire of the state police and government. But then it was not at all surprising. For months he roamed the whole of Punjab with his followers carrying swords, guns and sharp weapons. The question still remains as to how this was being allowed in Punjab which was going through bloody separatism in the 1980s and 1990s.
Though he comes across as self-styled godman, the Khalistan propagandist appears to have supporters and handlers within and outside India. The state of Punjab borders Pakistan, which for decades has tried to incite a section of the population to violence. The campaign for Khalistan is also active among the Sikh diaspora. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state is now patting itself on the back for the arrests, but the situation should not have reached this point. Even the police operation to nab him proved to be an embarrassment, as he managed to escape and remained at large. Though the instigator is now behind bars, his calls for violence and brazen communalism, which went on with impunity for several months, evoked memories of the polarization between Hindus and Sikhs due to the separatist militancy that ravaged Punjab for a long time. Was shattered. The ripple effect was felt in other countries as well. The Center and the State, under the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party respectively, must work together to make their administrative actions and political messaging sound and effective so as to keep Punjab peaceful and untouched by the meaningless temptation of separatism.