Illegally detained under the National Security Act in Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, Sikh sovereignty champion and activist, young Amritpal Singh has won the Lok Sabha seat from the highly publicized Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab by a significant margin of 184,088 votes.  Actively supported by slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra’s wife Paramjit Kaur, this victory adds a new chapter to Panthic politics, and it remains to be seen how this chapter will advance the issues of  Khalsa Panth and the Punjab.  WSN editor Jagmohan Singh presents a quick analysis and foresees huge changes in Panthic politics in the coming times.

WARIS PUNJAB DE was founded by actor-turned-political activist Deep Sidhu the first major farmers struggle on the borders of New Delhi and in the days to come, though for the present incarcerated in the Dibrugarh Central Prison in Assam under India’s notorious National Security Act, the young firebrand political activist will enter the Indian Parliament after winning the Khadoor Sahib constituency in the Punjab by a margin reminiscent of the victory of Simranjit Singh Mann from Tarn Taran in 1989.

The win with a thumping majority will give a new impetus to the Sikh sovereignty movement in the Punjab and to the chagrin of the Indian state, the revival of sentiments for an independent Sikh state and the calls for rights of the people of Punjab.

Bhai Amritpal Singh’s election campaign was led by Bibi Paramjit Kaur Khalra, the widow of human rights activist Shaheed Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra, who had contested from the same constituency in 2019. Along with the mother of Amritpal Singh, she collected the victory certificate too and the smile on her face shows gratitude to the voters of the region.

The constituents in Khadoor Sahib were reeling under the ethical pressure that they could not return Paramjit Kaur to Parliament in 2019 and hence they voted with a vengeance.  The Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency had become highly prominent in Punjab, attracting the attention of Sikhs worldwide.  Even the Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar also withdrew its candidate in support of Bhai Amritpal Singh. The Sukhbir Singh Badal led Akali Dal also had a chance to withdraw their controversial candidate Virsa Singh Valtoha and save face but they lost the opportunity under the mistaken belief that their vote bank is in tact.

With his gait and style of Sikh icon Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Amritpal Singh is set to usher in a new era in Sikh Panthic politics.  significant turban-tying ceremony held in Rode, the village of Saint Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. By securing a significant victory in the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, Bhai Amritpal Singh has repeated the history of 1989.

Amritpal Singh secured a total of 386,337 votes while Congress’s Kulbir Singh Zira got 201,443 votes, Aam Aadmi Party’s Laljit Singh Bhullar received 189,485 votes, and Akali Dal’s Virsa Singh Valtoha got 82,988 votes.

Amritpal Singh secured a total of 386,337 votes while Congress’s Kulbir Singh Zira got 201,443 votes, Aam Aadmi Party’s Laljit Singh Bhullar received 189,485 votes, and Akali Dal’s Virsa Singh Valtoha got 82,988 votes..

Drug addiction is one of the major issues in Punjab today. To combat the increasing deaths of youths due to drugs, Amritpal Singh had initiated the Khalsa Vaheer campaign, which encouraged young people in villages, towns, and cities to partake the Sikh baptism -Amrit and quit drugs. A sea change had started happening on the horizon.

Influenced by Bhai Amritpal Singh’s charismatic personality and eloquence, Sikh youth joined the Khalsa Vaheer group and began families affected by drug addiction started bringing their children to Bhai Amritpal Singh, seeking advice and succour. In a short period, Bhai Amritpal Singh began receiving respect from people of all classes. According to locals, as long as Khalsa Vaheer was influential, drug sales in many areas significantly decreased, though this is not substantiated with statistics.

This victory will inevitably lead to calls for repeal of the draconian undemocratic detention provisions without appeal under the National Security Act.

Bhai Amritpal Singh’s bold support for an independent Sikh state and his large-scale efforts to help youths quit drugs alarmed the government. As a result, the authorities sought to suppress his movement. The entire Indian media portrayed Bhai Amritpal Singh as a separatist and provocative leader.

Eventually, using the pretext of surrounding the Ajnala police station, in Amritsar, the Punjab government, in collaboration with the central government, launched a campaign to detain Sikh youth across Punjab, including Bhai Amritpal Singh and his associates. Journalists were also not spared. Checkpoints were set up by central security forces, and the internet was shut down, creating an atmosphere as if a major terrorist was being captured. After several days on the run, Bhai Amritpal Singh finally surrendered in person.

During March-April 2023, Bhai Amritpal Singh and ten leaders of his organization were unlawfully detained under the National Security Act in the Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, on the orders of the Punjab government and at the behest of the central government. This led to significant protests in Sikh circles, as there were no registered cases against Bhai Amritpal Singh and his associates. Bhai Amritpal Singh’s family was also harassed, and despite being a foreign national, his wife was not allowed to travel abroad.

Like in 1989, when Simranjit Singh Mann and his associates detained in the Baghalpur prison emerged as Panthic leaders, the same flavour is likely to unfold in the coming months and years.

About a year later, as the term of the detention under the National Security Act was about to expire, the Dibrugarh jail administration began harassing the detenues forcing them to go on a hunger strike, which was eventually called off after a diktat by the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib -Giani Raghbir Singh at Amritsar, started by the family of Amritpal Singh, who too were being troubled by the Punjab government under all pretexts. During the Morcha as his mother too went on hunger strike, her health had started to deteriorate warranting a Panthic intervention.

Like in 1989, when Simranjit Singh Mann and his associates detained in the Baghalpur prison emerged as Panthic leaders, the same flavour is likely to unfold in the coming months and years.

Despite protests, the detention of Amritpal Singh and his associates was  extended for another year.

As the Lok Sabha elections approached, there was a growing demand in Sikh circles for Bhai Amritpal Singh to contest. Eventually, responding to the Sangat’s demand, Bhai Amritpal Singh decided to contest the election. Although some Sikh intellectuals opposed this decision on ideological grounds, the majority of Sikhs welcomed it. They believed that winning the election could facilitate his release and as it turns out is a slap on the face of the government as Sikh voters have endorsed his campaign and agenda.

Various village panchayats passed resolutions in support of Bhai Amritpal Singh. People voluntarily campaigned for him, and different unions and farmer-worker organizations also supported him. Families devastated by drug addiction viewed Bhai Amritpal Singh as a beacon of hope.

WSN wishes Amritpal Singh and Sarabjit Singh well and hope of a sea-change in Panthic politics after ushering in a new era in the contemporary political history of Punjab.

Will the Indian government release him forthwith?  Detaining a Member of Parliament in prison is not going to be easy for the Indian state.

The sight of the two Panthic parliamentarians -Amritpal Singh and Sarabjit Singh, in their traditional Sikh attire to the Indian Parliament, upholding the aspirations of the Sikh nation, is already unfolding before the eyes of Sikhs worldwide.

WSN wishes Amritpal Singh and Sarabjit Singh well and hope of a sea-change in Panthic politics after ushering in a new era in the contemporary political history of Punjab.