No more you hear the enrapturing folklore flowing in plaintive numbers from amidst the vast expanses of overwhelmingly rich and smiling crops, no more you hear the scintillating chorus of the girls singing to herald a new season or to prepare for an approaching ‘wedding, no more you hear the vibrating echo of the drum accompanying the vigorous bhangra dance, Punjab, today, presents pathetic spectacle and as one moves around at each step, one grows increasingly aware of the stern martial law dictatorship reflected in the continuous patrolling of the grim faced army units, as also in the unconcealed hatred of the local Sikh population for the arrogant occupation force. The unspoken but disturbing hostility between the Sikhs and the army jawans stands in sharp contrast to the enthusiasm trust and mutual confidence displayed by both sides during the two Indo Pak wars.
Today, people go about attending to their daily chores in a quiet mechanical manner. The Verve, the boisterousness and the infectious joviality that are popularly associated with Panjabi character seem to have made way for secretiveness and suspicion. The communal harmony which had remained unaffected throughout the course of the long drawn out Akali Morcha and the officially engineered atmosphere of violence stands fractured.
There is a tangible and disquieting separateness between the two major communities a clear and logical consequence of the army in vision and subsequently of indiscriminate killing of Sikhs in Delhi and other cities. An undercurrent of anger, a pall of seriousness and a defiant determination can all be palpably felt
It is in such an atmosphere that the Centre has once again switched on its fairly worn out recording, talking of initiating a dialogue with the Akalis.
With estranged Sikhs, nursing a serious grouse, Rajiv can’t hope to have relaxed moments, His anxiety to tackle the ticklish problem expeditiously is understandable, but the old coterie surrounding him won’t relish undoing of what they have so painstakingly accomplished in making India a veritable Hindu Rashtra.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 19, 1990
