The call for an uprising to establish a separate Sikh State adds a further dimension to the politics of violence which has dogged the Indian State of Punjab for the last 15 years.

Since independence, Muslims of India had been favorite victims of communal violence triggered by Hindu chauvinism. Within India itself, Muslim chaplains usually received short shrift. Ironically, ‘Sikhs, who then considered them- selves as integrated into the Indian mainstream, were dismissive of the mistreatment of the Muslim minority.

‘Ancient antagonisms felt by the Hindus were fuelled by the perceived Muslim role in the vivisection of Mother India. Sikhs, in fact, were used as storm troopers by the Hindus to terrorism Muslims during the time of partition. If not for the Muslims, for the Sikhs at least, the Hindu ethos-intolerant towards neighbors and non-Hindus ‘was smothered and covered by the treacle of secular rhetoric

For the Sikhs now the uncovering of the Hindu ethos has come at a stiff price. Sadar Kapur Singh one of the earliest proponents of Khalistan had written an article entitled the ‘Stupid Sikhs’ in which he castigated the Sikh incapability to gauge Hindu thinking. He wrote that Muslims were willing to con- der the Sikhs as a separate entity but the Hindus refused to a known ledge Sikh identity and considered them as part of Hindus. For the duped Sikhs the chickens have ‘come home to roost. Whether Pakistan likes it or not, it will be involved in the Sikh problem. Especially so in the light of the ‘growing reaffirmation of Hindu credentials in India. To project a Pak-Sikh alliance serves well the purposes of Indian leadership particularly when the need will be felt to seek an external bogey-man. Despite their undoubted capacity for sacrifice, the Sikh masses have been plagued by inept and unimaginative leadership. The urban and educated Sikhs have been injured in looking at their situation through the prism of Hindu interests. Uncluttered by the ambiguities of education, the JAT peasantry led by Bhindran wala had the horse sense to see through Hindu exploitation of their community. Their ‘martyrdom’ spirit has fuelled Sikh separatism.

Pakistan’s posture towards the Sikhs continues tube a non-policy. Embracing Sikh yatters, taking over hijacked Indian planes with unseemly haste, passing death sentences to Sikh hijackers, mourning Indira’s death for 3 days and publicly issuing vociferous denials of non-involvement is enough in sending mixed signals to all concerned. The Sikh situation is a fertile ground to breed and feed Hindu Jingoism towards Pakistan.

Unlike the past, India cannot afford to open a front on the Punjab because of probable

Sabotage by Sikh dissidents. But it can do so in another sector, particularly Rajasthan. A Pakistan government t minister put the strategic situation as being equivalent to being caught between a nutcracker, ie, occupied and hostile Afghanistan and India. That is tantamount to an admission to policy failure.

The Afghans and the Sikhs have one thing in common. The former were told and trained by the Soviets to hate Pakistan. The Sikhs were indoctrinated by the Hindus to despise Muslims. Both were seemingly willing victims of well planned seduction. Both are now crying rape.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 9, 1986