Chandigarh - Sep 16, 2011: A leaked US Embassy cable on state of affairs in Punjab has put Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh in a spot and states that Khalistanis could have been using a gaffe made by him to regroup while stoking the separatist sentiments.
“The dormant Khalistanis were using the gaffe of the Dera Sacha Sauda leader (Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh) to re-emerge and stoke separatist sentiments in young Sikhs and the Sikh religious leadership. The uproar has created a serious challenge for the Badal Government,’’ states the secret US Embassy Cable leaked by Wikileaks.
In May 2007 the Dera Sacha Sauda chief had hurt religious feelings of the Sikh community, when he appeared in an advertisement wearing an attire that Sikhs claimed resembled that of Guru Gobind Singh. While terror experts had said that some groups wanted to utilise the controversy to re-ignite the separatist movement, the Sikh groups had asked for an unconditional apology from the religious leader.
The May 22, 2007 dispatch states that the resurgence of rhetoric calling for the creation of a separate Sikh state (Khalistan) was perhaps the most disturbing trend developing from the communal tensions in Punjab.
“Since the violent suppression of the Khalistan movement in the turbulent 80s and 90s, pro-Khalistani elements have been relegated to the fringes of society,” it states, adding that some Punjab watchers expressed fear that the separatists may re-emerge.
“The uproar has created a serious challenge for the (Parkash Singh) Badal government. He cannot allow the controversy to continue unabated, but also cannot afford to alienate his Sikh political base or the Hindu support base of his coalition partners, the BJP. Should Rahim formally submit an 'acceptable' apology to the Sikh community, the crisis could quickly die down and pull the Badal government back from the brink.”
The cable goes on talk about the dilemma that the chief minister faced in the ensuing crisis.
“Badal remains in a tight bind, performing a complicated dance, appealing to his Sikh base — supporting their demand for an apology, while trying to maintain law and order... Badal’s political coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also throwing strong rhetoric… to keep its Hindu base happy, stating "if anything goes wrong...the government headed by Badal shall be solely responsible. The BJP will not hesitate in taking hard decisions in the larger interests of the people of Punjab,” the cable states.
It goes on to say that while Hindus might not support the Sacha Sauda religious sect, the Sikh protests are hurting business, and traders, the traditional BJP vote bank, are losing money. “Congress also has a vested interest in the dispute, since Dera Sacha Sauda supported it in the 2007 elections,’’ the cable further stated.
Rampant drug abuse finds mention
Another dispatch of October 31, 2008, mentions that several contacts had raised the issue of rampant drug use in the state. The then Director General of Police NPS Aulak had mentioned that the problem has worsened in the last 10 years and affects people from all income brackets across the state.
The cable also blames unemployment as one of the major reasons behind rising cases of drug abuse. “With a stagnant agricultural sector, and limited employment opportunities in private companies, many young Punjabis have turned to the drug trade to make a living,” the cable reads, adding that drug use is on the rise in rural Punjab where farmers use drugs to "dull the pain" of debt and to deal with the isolation of rural life.