Malerkotla It is a strange love affair. Between the biggest Muslim town in Punjab and a Sikh leader known for advocating Khalistan. And it has its roots in the Babri Masjid demolition.

If there is one vote-bank that Simranjit Singh Mann, chief of the hardline Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), and the Lok Sabha candidate from Sangrur, can successfully encash, it’s that of Malerkotla. The erstwhile Pathan state has stood by the maverick IPS officer-turned-politician ever since he first came to seek their votes in 1989. Today, the shabby little town with a giant Hanuman towering over it, makes no bones about its ‘‘feelings’’ for Mann. Sitting in his shop plastered with medical ads, the bearded Dr Mohammed Irshad takes you back to the first stirrings. ‘‘Mann saab was the only one from Punjab who protested against the Babri demolition, and was arrested at Ghaziabad while on his way to Ayodhya.’’

The town, which prides itself on its secular culture with strong Islamic moorings, was touched by Mann’s gesture. As Mohd Abu Bakr Qasmi, the young principal of Madrasa Arbia Hifzul Quran, puts it: ‘‘Malerkotla is a magnet for Muslims from the rest of the country because of its poster boy reputation for peace.’’ He, for one, is from Bihar while many of his colleagues hail from Deoband. ‘‘Once here, you don’t feel like going back,’’ Abu smiles.

One of the reasons is the harmony among different communities, which remained unscathed both during Partition and the 10-year-long militancy in Punjab. ‘‘Even though the rest of Punjab was burning, there was not a single encounter or terrorist related incident here,’’ says Dr Irshad.

The Sikh Students’ Federation, very active in those days, did set up a branch here, but under one Shabior Ahmed. Now the town has a Muslim Sewa Dal led by Jathedar Satnam Singh Sodhi. ‘‘We are very proud of our peace record, and try our best to maintain it,’’ smiles the 58-year-old jathedar.

Dependent on small-scale industry, horticulture, and handicraft, the town has always swung between the Akalis and Congress with the Akalis having an edge. But all this changed after the blue turbans decided to align with saffron.

The bitterness about this marriage is evident as you walk the narrow roads awash with black burqas and crocheted white caps. ‘‘There is no question of anyone here voting for a BJP- supported party, especially after the Gujarat riots,’’ says the principal of a private school, citing this as one reason why no one here would vote for the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

Mann, on the other hand, has gained in popularity following his recent arrest for trying to sabotage the Deputy PM’s rath yatra. Contrary to what the BJP may think, the Indo-Pak thaw hasn’t melted many hearts here though there is all-round praise for PM Atal Behari Vajpayee’s statesmanship. ‘‘The open border policy will be good for business, but if you think all of us are dying to meet relatives we’ve never seen before, you’re mistaken,’’ says Irshad, who’s got an aunt and uncle in Pakistan. Partition, people let you know, is history. ‘‘The government should first work at ensuring communal peace in India.’’

Development is an important plank. And here too, Mann scores. Ashraf Dally, a former councillor and pointperson for Mann, brags he’s the only MP to have spent every paisa of his grant. Interestingly, the townsfolk vouch for this. Dr Sain Mohd Batta of Batta Hospital reels out the list of funds he’s given to the Idgah, kabristan, madrasa, et al, while Mohd Habeeb, a labourer, talks about Mann’s frequent sightings. ‘‘We see him at weddings, before Haj, he’s one MP who continues to visit us even when he is out of power,’’ says Habeeb.