CHANDIGARH: With Punjab set to go to for assembly polls in just 15 months, the suicide of Dalit Haryana-IPS officer Y Puran Kumar and shoe being thrown at Dalit CJI BR Gavai in Delhi have triggered socio-politico tremors in the State.
Notably, Punjab holds the largest proportion of SC population in the country (31.94 per cent).
Both the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the main Opposition Congress latched onto these issues to target the Centre and the Haryana government.
The ruling AAP party in the Punjab held candle marches across the State in protest over Dalit IPS officer’s suicide.
A few days ago, the Punjab Government had also registered First Information Reports (FIRs) over the shoe attack incident.
Congress Dalit leaders led by former CM Charanjit Singh Channi have put their weight behind the officer’s family. The grand old party will also hold candle marches across Punjab on Monday.
The political ramifications for the BJP are serious, especially at this juncture, when it is trying to make political inroads into the State, attempting to woo the SC vote bank.
The saffron party leaders have reportedly not just been in touch with big deras across the state where SC population pay their reverence but attempts have also been made to woo them through several Centre sponsored schemes.
Leading political analyst, also a former professor of Guru Nanak Dev University at Amritsar, Kuldip Singh, said that the suicide by the senior Haryana cadre IPS officer reflects upon deep rooted caste based discrimination.
"Since BJP is depicted as a party of the high caste, the incident has led to a narrative cornering the saffron party. Thus, now it has become a challenge for BJP at the Centre and in Punjab and Haryana to counter the narrative. This has given leverage to the other political parties. The SC population in Punjab, likely tilted towards the saffron party as of now might rethink over it, as the BJP remains a weak party in the State," he said.
The Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring termed senior IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, wife of the deceased IPS officer, as 'beti of Punjab'.
Political expert, Dr Ronki Ram former Dean (Faculty of Arts), Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chair Professor of Political Science, Panjab University, said that caste remains a continuous cause of suffering for the lower caste.
"It will have its impact on the upcoming assembly poll in Punjab as these issues will impact different parties in different ways depending upon their response to these issues, as the issue might have found resonance among members of the SC community. How it pans out needs to be watched out for as the SC community votes for different political parties and not en masse,” he said.
On the other hand, Paramjit Singh Kainth, vice-president of the Punjab BJP Scheduled Castes Morcha, said that whoever is guilty of atrocities on the late IPS officer should be removed from his post and also be booked by the Chandigarh Police under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
"While efforts are underway to eradicate the caste system in the country, two recent incidents have raised serious concerns among the Scheduled Caste community. A direct attempt is being made to disrupt peace and public order by exploiting caste and communal sentiments. These two tragic incidents demonstrate that a highly educated judge and a senior official belonging to the Scheduled Caste community have been treated in a manner that is unacceptable in a civilised society. These tragic and heartbreaking incidents are a disgrace to humanity,’’ he said.
Kainth said, "Illegal and objectionable content is being circulated on social media targeting the Chief Justice of India, B.R. Gavai, to send a false message to society, which is highly condemnable."
He added that regarding the suicide of a senior IPS officer, the Central Government and the Haryana Government should take cognisance of it and ensure justice.
"The anger and resentment brewing within the Scheduled Caste community must be calmed. Even after 79 years of independence, members of the Scheduled Castes continue to face humiliation. Whether it's the shoe-throwing incident at the Chief Justice of India or the suicide of Kumar, both reflect the same deep-seated prejudice," he added.
"Reacting to the developments, Punjab BJP media cell head Vineet Joshi accused both the Congress and AAP of making it a political issue for their vested interests. Both parties, whose own credentials on SC rights are questionable, are pointing fingers at the BJP," he said.
