Will Amritpal Singh-Led WPD Thrive on Vacuum Created in Punjab Due To Unemployment And Drug Abuse?

The unfaltering radical rhetoric of twenty-nine years old Amritpal Singh who hails from Jallukhera village near Amritsar has made him the darling of a section of Sikh youths.

New Delhi: The sudden rise of Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh especially after the Ajnala police station storming incident has once again threatened the revival of Khalistan movement. The freeing of his aide Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan Singh by Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Amritpal’s dictates and the issuance of statements by political parties expressing grave concern over the incident have allowed the radical elements to fill the gap caused by drug abuse, joblessness coupled with issues like so-called identity threat.

Amritpal Singh has used religion and the issue of prevalent drug abuse among Sikh youth in Punjab to turn opinion against the government and claims that ‘freedom’ from, what he says, ‘shackles of Indian state thralldom’ is the only way out if Sikhs wanted to live a dignified life and tread on the path of having their own rule as shown by Sikh Gurus.

The unfaltering radical rhetoric of twenty-nine years old Amritpal Singh who hails from Jallukhera village near Amritsar has made him the darling of a section of Sikh youths.

He has also rejuvenated the Sikh militant discourses which were at their peak during the heydays of militancy as he attended the bhog of dreaded militant Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, the self-styled head of the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan who was killed on February 28, 1993. Amritpal Singh not only eulogized Manochahal's acts but also advised the youth to follow his footsteps stating that he didn’t give life for personal reasons but for ‘Quomi’ reasons.

The rise of Amritpal’s fame and his growing acceptance among a section of Sikh youth has given sleepless nights to traditional political parties, especially Akali’s who bank on Panthic politics on way to the pinnacles of power.

The release of Lovepreet Singh, who was earlier booked and arrested for serious charges such as kidnapping, was like the Punjab government bowing to the dictates of WPD. The fact that police were forced to accept that Lovepreet was not even present when Varinder Singh, the complainant was beaten, reminds of the gory days of militancy in Punjab when terrorists ruled the roost.

AAP government in Punjab has proved itself a weak government though it harps of taking action against those who stormed the Ajnala police station, opines pollical pandits. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC)  president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring questioned Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann when he would act against Amritpal Singh or what he is scared of. PPCC chief Tweeted, “If you don’t take any action against him, we @INC Punjab will be forced to come out on the streets. We won’t let go hard earned pace of Punjab. Nip the evil in bud”.

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While condemning the Ajnala incident, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal accused both the BJP-led Center and AAP-led Punjab government of allegedly creating complete anarchy and fear psychosis in Punjab.