India unleashed an unprecedented wave of repression on Sikhs in particular and others in general in Punjab ever since the February 1992 elections to the state Assembly, an election that was boycotted by more than 80% of the electorate. Unmindful of the protest boycott, India pushed its way ahead, installed a minority government in the state and stepped up repression of Sikhs to defeat the Khalistan movement by force of arms rather than through democracy, An opportunity has been provided to the people of Punjab, particularly the Sikhs, to record their opinion about the Indian governance of the state during the past 14 months. That is precisely the significance of the by-election in the Jalandhar constituency of India’s lower house of parliament. Punjab Human Rights Organization president Ajit Singh Bains is one of the candidates. He has accepted the nomination of the Mann Akali Dal. Badal group has also put up its own candidate, Kuldip Wadala. Congress(1)’s candidate is Punjab’s minister Umrao Singh. It is not an ideal situation that a human rights activist should join electoral politics and that too on behalf of a faction. Notwithstanding this objection on a principle, Bain’s candidature is bound to provide an opportunity to the electorate to vindicate their strong repudiation of the policy of repression followed by the Indian state in Punjab. This point is being missed by Akali groups in their arguments about panthic unity. Will the Badal group finally withdraw its candidate in favor of Bains? The Badal group’s politics is not likely to dictate such a decision because those running the election campaign go about under the Indian police’s protection. For them it does not really mean what the main campaign issues are. Moreover, they appear to be committed to backing some of the national parties whose own record vis-à-vis Punjab and Sikhs has not been very shining. But the Badal group can be made to withdraw its candidate for the compelling consideration of exposure among the Sikhs in the event of the group’s candidate ending up fourth or fifth in the final tally. Otherwise, the group will continue to be in the race to mark a break with the current Sikh struggle. Nevertheless, Sikhs are well advised to return Bains if for nothing else than to score a point internationally over the Indian state that the people have rallied round him to repudiate the fascist ways of the Indian government. Otherwise, the Indian state will be further emboldened to step up anti Sikh repression with renewed vigor.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 30, 1993
