Simmering Punjab Needs a United Face

Punjab is again simmering. The last few days  have been  anger-ridden and volatile. The anger expressed by a large section of Sikhs is the  manifestation of  failure of religious leaders and weakening of the institutions. It may be too naive to blame the recent happenings like desecration of holy books or the pardon to Sirsa based  Dera Saucha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Insan  by the Sikh clergy. There is an impression that chief minister Badal played a leading role in making five priests to pardon Dera Saucha Sauda chief for an desecration act, yet  The anger was building up right from the day the political leadership failed to honour the poll promises. Its not only the state govt being run by Father-son duo of Badal clan for the last two decades but also the SGPC- the highest religious body of Sikhs. Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal wields considerable influence over SGPC and despite an elected body, all office-bearers including President Avtar Singh Makkar, by and large, are his protege much to the chagrin of radicals. The dominance of Badal in SGPC  is so deep-rooted that Congress made all out efforts to upstage him but  could never succeed. Even radicals have not succeeded in dislodging Badal's dominance in SGPC. This politico-religious dominance of Badal  is the main reason behind the alienation of a large section of Sikhs. Its the replay of eighties when the Sikhs' alienation with contemporary politico-religious  leadership  led to the rise of militancy. Sikhs are known word over as brave  but resilience. The wounds of operation blue star haven't been healed as yet. The economy is in shamble with huge public debt.  Unemployment is rampant all over the state with corruption burgeoning to new heights. The guaranteed employment under MNREGA has been gulped down by corrupt bureaucracy. State government welfare schemes of pensions for senior citizens or marriages of poor girls are poorly mismanaged . Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have registered  much faster growth than Punjab. Bihar registered 11 percent growth; Uttar Pradesh in the same period registered 6.9 percent.  There is virtually a process of de-industrialisation. Of 127 textile processing units in 1990, Amritsar is left with only 20 now. The Sowing of two commercial crops of Rice and Wheat, one after another  has caused soil erosion. The water table has gone down. Use of pesticides has resulted not only in pollution but escalating diseases like asthma, cancer, Hepatitis C. Alcohol and drug abuse has become a curse. Rich have too much money and nothing to do. The poor, on the other hand, are even unable to marry their daughters (dowry menace) and unable to pay debts. The result is a spate of suicides. Despite all this, the business of father and son duo have flourished. It is said that state policies are drafted to serve the interests of ruling clan. All these developments have led to alienation of people, especially young from  mainstream to militancy. Pro-Khalistani leaders are still active on foreign soils. Intelligence reports suggest that  over 300 militants belonging to separatist groups like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Commando Force, Khalistan Zindabad Force, etc are operating from Germany, Pakistan, France, Switzerland, Britain and Denmark. Joint efforts of BKI and LeT enabled, the militants to receive training in Pakistan through various routes – Nepal, Malyasia and Thailand. The recent incidents of desecration were, ostensibly, aimed at fueling the anger. What is surprising is that despite a huge state and central intelligence agencies network, such anti-national acts are occurring repeatedly. Recent happenings have also led to sharp polarization. The pardon to  Dera Saucha Sauda chief has led to a tense stand-off between "Panj Pyaras" and high priests. And if this issue is not resolved at the earliest, the situation could be worse. As of now Punjab is sitting on a valcano.  If we want to handle the situation, it has to be done  unitedly. But big question is: Can power hungry leaders come together?