Punjab is a unique land and so are Punjabis. It is land not only of joy, happiness, bhangra, gidda and soul stirring folk songs but also of sweat and grime. Punjabis are hard working and have been blessed by The Gurus. Whatever they touch, from barren lands to business, turns into gold. They have successfully transformed dry and arid areas like Bhatinda, earlier known as the "dust bowl of Punjab", malaria prone districts of Terai region in states of UP and Uttarakhand, parts of MP and for that matter, pockets all over the country, into fertile lands. They are running successful businesses all over the country. This Midas touch notwithstanding, Punjab's history has had turbulent times. It saw bloody foreign invasions, brutal days of the Raj, pain and massacre of partition, to name a few. But it's miseries didn't end here. It also witnessed dark days of militancy as also the brunt of skullduggery of certain politicians and continues to suffer on account of the activities of Pakistan, it's Machiavellian ISI and their cahoots. All this notwithstanding; Punjab remains a peaceful state and the grain bowl of the nation. Valiant Punjabis continue to stand in the very forefront in the matters relating to the security and sovereignty of the nation.
Sadly, the contribution of Punjab and Punjabis, not withstanding,
it continues to be maligned mischievously by vested interests. Not going into
the entire age old narrative, one can just refer to the "anti Sikh
riots", which was nothing short of an attempted genocide of the Sikh
community, the very hub of Punjabiat and of Punjab. One wonders why Punjabis in
general and Sikhs in particular are despised by certain vested interests.
Understandably very meticulously planned anti Punjab and anti Sikh tirade from
abroad is primarily orchestrated by forces inimical to the sovereignty of our
nation. They are playing psychological mind games to create an impression on
non Punjabi / non Sikh population of India as if the latter two are trying to
create an atmosphere of unrest within the country. As if there exists a pro-Khalistan
lobby on the soil of Punjab. These elements abroad are led by Pakistan and its
ISI which provides all tactical, moral, financial and material support to such
lobbies. Sinister interest of Pakistan is obvious because it wants not only to
continue creating trouble in India by creating law and order situation as also
fomenting secessionist tendencies hoping to revenge it's continued defeats in
all wars with India, as also dismemberment of what used to be its colony of
East Pakistan, now the independent and sovereign nation, Bangladesh.
Shockingly a section of us Indians fails to understand and see
through the Pakistani game plan to try to "alienate" Punjab from
within the Indian nation. This section is unknowingly and unwittingly playing
in the hands of Pakistan. A section of Indian social media is taking the lead
in this nefarious act. Most of such posts emanate from their Pakistani handlers
and their paid stooges in India and abroad. Plying in their hands, every now
and then certain politicians refer, inadvertently or otherwise, to the K-word. Starting
from the recent year long sit-in farmer’s agitation against “black farm laws”,
on the borders of Delhi, in which several hundred of Punjabi farmers lost their
lives; they were caked Khalistanis not only by a certain section of media but
also be certain politicians. Instead of probing the case of pasting of certain
pro-Khalistan posters and catching hold of mischievous elements responsible
there for, just wild, unfortunate and misplaced allegations were labeled
against the entire congregation. Then came the incident of placement of a
religious flag on a rampart of the Red fort and that too in the presence of
massive deployment of police. To make the matters worse, recent incident of
Lakhimpur in which four farmers and four others were killed gave a chance to
unscrupulous elements abroad to fan more rumour that Sikh farmers living in the
Terai region both of UP and Uttarakhand are feeling threatened because of their
prosperity and consequent animosity with some of the local populace, an out
rightly false claim.
In this background came the recent Prime Ministerial visit to
Ferozepur. There was a indeed a grave security lapse on part of security
agencies and Punjab police, which now is being looked into by the Supreme Court
itself. Political hullabaloo created in its aftermath is most damaging. More damaging
is the most recent reported statement of some pro-Khalistan protagonist of the
USA that the Prime Minster needs to be prevented from participating in certain Republic
Day functions. It, along with since rumoured threat to the Supreme Court of India
that it should not probe the Prime ministerial security lapse in Punjab, is likely
to raise an unprecedented political uproar in the country. There are some TV channels
shouting hoarse about it.
It is sad that none of us is able to understand the Pakistani game
plan. We are just playing into their hands. Any unfortunate solitary “incidental
reaction” can lead to serious consequences. We fail to see that there is no support
to the so-called Khalistan from Punjab. Every one abhors those dark days of
militancy. Punjab is as peaceful and as mainstream a state as rest of any state
in the nation. Saner sense needs to prevail from all sides and the beginning has
to be made from the volatile political segments.
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