Chandigarh: The Narendra Modi government’s move to release five Punjab policemen — who were convicted for alleged human rights violations during the battle against terror in the state in the 1980s and 1990s — seems to be a bid to counter the growing perception that it is appeasing Sikh militancy.
The five men, whose identities haven’t been disclosed, were ordered to be released by the union home ministry Monday.
The government had drawn flak for its recent decision to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, one of the assassins of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, to life, and to release eight other Sikh militants lodged in various prisons across the country.
While the commutation of Rajoana’s death sentence was sharply criticised by Beant Singh’s grandson and Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu as an “act of betrayal”, the decision to release the policemen has been welcomed by fellow Congressman, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
Amarinder had written last month to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting him to release 20 Punjab policemen serving jail sentences for various offences committed while fighting terrorism. The policemen have been pardoned on “humanitarian” grounds on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, celebrations for which will begin in November and go on for a year.
In another bid to woo Sikhs, the Modi government had also erased a black list of NRI Sikhs allegedly involved in anti-India activities, which was maintained by Indian missions abroad.
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Punjab politics at the heart of the decisions
The demand for commuting Rajoana’s death sentence was first publicly voiced by Shiromani Akali Dal supremo and former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal.
The Badals had “saved” Rajoana from the gallows in March 2012, days after retaining power in the assembly elections.
Now in opposition, the Akalis are faced with a deep erosion of their core vote bank — the Sikh peasantry — and are making desperate efforts to reclaim lost political ground. Allied with the NDA at the Centre, the SAD rushed to claim credit for Rajoana and erasure of the Sikh NRI blacklist.
However, Amarinder, who has always been a crusader against terrorism, then decided to offset the impact of the Centre’s move on Sikh militants. A former Army man, Amarinder weighed in on the adverse effect on the morale of his police force that not only prides itself on ending terrorism but also for successfully battling fresh attempts to revive militancy in the state.
The Centre, with whom the Punjab CM has his own rapport, independent of the Congress, seems to have immediately obliged.
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Justification for the move
S.S. Virk, former director general of police for both Punjab and Maharashtra, who played a key role during the battle against terrorism in Punjab, justified the Modi government’s decision.
“There was several in-built checks in police functioning, but sometimes policemen are not able to observe these fully. There have been times when policemen end up crossing the line in pursuit of their official duty,” Virk said.
“If such policemen have been convicted and have served more than 75 per cent of their sentences, then there is no harm in pardoning and releasing them.
“However, each case has to be considered on merit and cases where a policeman has served only one or two years in jail have to be segregated from those who have been incarcerated for a longer time… let’s say 12 years or more.”
Kanwalpreet Kaur, a Chandigarh-based political scientist, said the Modi government could hardly refuse to grant pardon.
“It is evident that having taken a proactively strong stand against terrorism, both within country and abroad, the Modi government could not refuse to do for convicted policemen what it has done for convicted militants,” Kaur said.
“In either case, the government is condoning action which is officially illegal and criminal. To pardon militants alone and refuse clemency to errant police officers is to discriminate on grounds which cannot be justified in principle.”
Impact of India-Pakistan polemics
The Centre’s attempt to reach out to the Sikhs has to be seen in the context of the latest round of India-Pakistan polemics over the Kartarpur Corridor, as well as the emerging political strategies of the two countries over Kashmir following the scrapping of Article 370.
Pakistan has been openly and assiduously wooing Sikh emigrant leadership on the Kartarpur issue.
The Centre is also worried about Pakistan’s latest underhanded efforts to cobble up some kind of a Sikh-Muslim alliance on Kashmir.
Early last month, Pakistan hosted the first International Sikh Convention in Lahore, where the visiting Sikh delegates were called upon to speak up against India’s move in Kashmir.
In fact, Sikh radical elements, both in Punjab and abroad, have openly supported Kashmiri separatists over the scrapping of Article 370, a move which has created considerable disquiet within the central government.
Punjab-based radical Sikh group Dal Khalsa endorsed the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. The outfit wrote to US president Donald Trump, asking him to intervene in the Kashmir issue.
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Attempts to revive militancy
The situation in the border state of Punjab also remains a frontal concern of security agencies. At a conference of national investigation agencies in Delhi Monday, there was a discussion on how Khalistani elements were continuously trying to revive militancy in the state.
Pakistan’s latest move — to employ drones to drop weapons including AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades in the border districts of Punjab this September — underscored the renewed threat of militancy in Punjab.
The impending ‘Referendum 2020’ for the creation of a separate Sikh state of Khalistan, which is being planned by Sikh bodies in the US and UK, is another potential flashpoint that can impact Punjab’s hard-earned but fragile peace.
For the Centre, it is important that long-pending Sikh concerns are dealt with. Justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots is one big issue, and the government of India has made all the right noises. PM Modi’s had an impromptu meeting with a delegation of US-based Sikhs at the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event in Houston, and told the delegation that he had met all the demands put forth by the Sikh community. “Only one is pending and that too will be done,” said Modi, probably referring to the Sikh blacklist issue that was pending at the time.
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