A dangerous twist

Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar may not be awakening all the ghosts of a sanguinary past,but his case has the potential to stir up enough trouble if irresponsible politics is given a free rein in Punjab. Unfortunately,the conduct of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD),at the head of the state’s governing coalition,is adding fuel to this very flame. The passion invested in public sentiment over this issue can engender a destructive twist in Punjab’s politics,with just about three quarters of a year to go before the assembly elections next February. That is why it is imperative for all stakeholders in the state’s electoral process to exercise restraint. Instead,the SAD has flown high on its own rhetoric,not willing to waste any bit of the political potential of the president’s rejection of Bhullar’s mercy petition.

While the SAD has pitched it as “another discriminatory” act by the Congress-led government at the Centre,the Congress too has not been able to find its voice,with Amarinder Singh,former chief minister and chief of the party’s state unit,saying in his personal capacity that he is opposed to the death sentence. Choosing a side on this debate is one thing; but the motive behind one’s stand and the manner in which it is justified should be watched. Therefore,buying into and endorsing the argument that the rejection of Bhullar’s petition “shall give a signal that… Dara [Singh was pardoned because he belonged to the majority community while Bhullar is from a minority community” is unbecoming of a governing party.

As it happens,the Bhullar case has been very controversial. Those opposed to the death sentence claim that Bhullar was merely a Khalistani ideologue,with no evidence of violent activity against him. Also,in one of the two cases against him — the September 1993 Delhi blast which killed nine people — he was convicted on the basis of a “confession” made in police custody,a confession he retracted in court. Punjab buried militancy long ago,and there hasn’t been a major terror attack in the state for a decade-and-a-half. Yet,the wounds of militancy and the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 will take longer to heal. Thus,a religious colouring to the Bhullar case is dangerous; any political backing for that attempt is doubly so. Some religious organisations have already warned the Centre of “serious consequences”. It is the responsibility of both the ruling SAD-led coalition and the opposition Congress to prevent the usurpation of the state’s politics by anger-mongering.