In Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib, posters with pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh’s face and his poll symbol, the microphone, have been put up by villagers in support of the Independent candidate, currently lodged in the Dibrugarh Jail, for the Lok Sabha election on June 1.
Mr. Amritpal, 31, was arrested by the Punjab Police from Moga’s Rode village last April and was charged under the National Security Act after a month-long manhunt launched by the police and security agencies against him and his outfit Waris Punjab De. There are at least 12 criminal cases against him.
Also read: Explained | What is Waris Punjab De and why has its rise set alarm bells ringing?
For his mother, Balwinder Kaur, who has been at the forefront of all rallies and roadshows, the idea to make Mr. Amritpal run for the Lok Sabha came from several sarpanch heads of Khadoor Sahib. His followers believe that Mr. Amritpal should contest the election like Sangrur Lok Sabha MP and Sikh radical leader Simranjit Singh Mann. Mr. Mann was arrested in 1984 and imprisoned for five years in connection with the assassination of Indira Gandhi. He was released after he won the Lok Sabha election in 1989 from the erstwhile Tarn Taran seat in absentia.
With no communication between Mr. Amritpal and his family, because the jail has permitted only physical meetings for prisoners, the family finds it difficult to travel to Assam to inform the candidate about the preparations. The last time the family spoke to Mr. Amritpal was when he was signed up for the election.
Political roadmap
In the election campaign, Mr. Amritpal’s family is focusing on the release of former Sikh militants from prison, ending the drug menace in Punjab and protecting Sikh identity. In posters and pamphlets in Khadoor Sahib, Mr. Amritpal is seen wearing a blue turban and a white robe. Many supporters have put his sticker on their phones. At his house in Jallupur Kheda, workers and supporters discuss their plan of action. Each person has been given a task at the house where everybody, from a child to the elderly, has something to do. On the streets, his family members and supporters have been organising rallies.
A supporter of Amritpal Singh wears a badge ahead of Lok Sabha election at his hometown at Jallupur Khera in Punjab on May 28, 2024. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
While he continues to remain imprisoned, Mr. Amritpal’s ideology captures social media, said Balraj Singh, 28, a farmer, who was at the farmers’ protest in Delhi. Mr. Amritpal can be seen on Instagram and Facebook where the account ‘We Support Bhai Amritpal Singh’ shares updates on the roadshows and rallies. Mr. Balraj said social media has mobilised support for the candidate.
“Everybody in this village knows what Amritpal has done for them. He doesn’t have to make any promises, everybody here knows what his plans are. Sikh panth ke liye log vote karenge (People will vote for Sikh ideology),” he said.
At a dhaba, A.P. Singh, 55, said his “vote will go to the mic” because Mr. Amritpal will work for the people. When asked how he knew about the symbol, the dhaba staff said he watched a reel where supporters asked voters to press the “12th button that is the mic”.
War on drugs
A major concern in Khadoor Sahib is the narcotic menace that, voters say, has destroyed the youth and families, and has led to poor literacy and high rate of unemployment.
In 2022, Punjab registered 12,442 cases under the NDPS Act, according to the NCRB crime report. Kirpal Singh, a 48-year-old farmer, who lives in Jallupur Khera, said political parties that have governed Punjab have always promised to tackle the drug menace, but nothing has been done on the ground.
“The problem of narcotics cannot be solved by arresting young men. The system has to stop the supply. The biggest question is, where are these drugs coming from? Can the system not trace the network? For us, Amritpal built a gurudwara in our village to provide rehab to at least 400 children,” he said.
Surinder Pal Singh, who is working for Mr. Amritpal’s campaign, said children as young as 10 are consuming drugs in the State. “Amritpal has worked in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Singrur, Gurdaspur. Every day the victims were made to attend awareness classes, they were taught about the ill effects of drugs. He and his supporters had gone to remote villages and had used social media to communicate with the people,” he said.
Gurjan Singh, 23, once a drug addict, said he was inspired by the videos of late activist and actor Deep Sidhu and Mr. Amritpal. Sidhu had founded Waris Punjab De which Mr. Amritpal now heads. “These two people inspired me. I joined a rehab centre and it took me some time but here I am, I now have a job in Dubai and work as a driver,” he said.
Mr. Amritpal has drawn inspiration from extremist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who was killed in Operation Bluestar in 1984. The jailed leader’s supporters said the wounds of 1984 are yet to be healed. Mr. Surinder said what the government did then was wrong. “The Sikh identity is of importance now. Children have read literature, and are aware, whatever happened with us, was completely wrong, the wounds will never heal,” he said.
Mr. Surinder said there has been no mention of Khalistan in the campaign speeches. “What his supporters want is the rule of Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled from 1801-1839. That cannot be termed terrorism. NSA cannot be slapped on us. When right-wing majoritarians call for Hindu rastra, do authorities deal with them the same way,” he asked.
