Cowardly attack

THE attempt on the life of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal must be condemned by one and all, irrespective of their political and religious affiliations. That this incident happened while he was performing ‘sewa’ outside the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine, makes it all the more reprehensible. The cowardly attack shows that radical elements will stop at nothing to make their presence felt and disturb Punjab’s hard-earned peace.

The sensitive border state, whose fertile soil was soaked in blood during the 1980s and 1990s, cannot afford to enter another dark era of violence. Operation Blue Star, terror attacks, extrajudicial killings, the assassination of a Chief Minister — Punjab has gone through hell. The resurgence of radicalism in the state, underscored by the election of hardliners Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa to the Lok Sabha, signifies that there are pockets of resistance to mainstream parties. Troublemakers based abroad, including members of the diaspora in the West, are busy stirring the Khalistan pot, even though there are few takers for a separatist movement in Punjab. The Panthic space ceded by the battered-and-bruised SAD has emboldened radicals to project themselves as flag bearers of the community.

It’s the democratic right of every Sikh to express displeasure at the apparently light punishment awarded by the clergy to Sukhbir, but no one has the licence to become an avenging angel and take a violent step. The onus is on the AAP government to ensure the rule of law. The Akalis, too, have their work cut out — they must go all out to regain the trust of the Sikh masses. The SAD, rightly described by Congress-turned-BJP leader Sunil Jakhar as a “safety valve” for Punjab against radicalism, should start from the grassroots to counter the separatist propaganda. The state’s peace and prosperity must not be sacrificed all over again on the altar of hatred and divisiveness.