How a Dubai dispatcher delivers a dangerous message
JALLUPUR KHERA (AMRITSAR): There is this strangeness of behaviour among some Indians who go abroad looking for greener pastures, and then they come back. Like Amritpal Singh (29), who has his own exclusivist and distorted definition of religion and righteousness. His return from Dubai last year can partially explain this so-called preacher’s sudden transformation.
The dispatcher from Dubai, where he has his family-owned transport business, openly espouses the cause of Khalistan as security agencies try to put him on a tight leash. Hundreds of Amritpal’s supporters on February 23 barged into the Ajnala Police Station near Amritsar after clashing with the police.
A few of them were brandishing swords and guns to secure the release of their co-religionist Lovepreet Singh, held on charges of kidnapping and assault on a Chamkaur Sahib-based resident Varinder Singh. The clash that took place left six police personnel injured. One of them was the Superintendent of Police and former Indian hockey captain Jugraj Singh, as they tried to stop the violent mob from entering the police station.
That incident brought to the fore the volatile law and order situation in Punjab where decade-old sacrilege incidents have put the former chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and his father Parkash Singh Badal in the dock. Amritpal, a Class-XII pass-out, was anointed as the chief of ‘Waris Punjab De’, an organisation founded by late actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu.
Though he never met Sidhu, he said he was influenced by him online.“I returned to India on August 20 last year,” says Amritpal, who was clean-shaven until November 2021. His religiosity peaked in a few months with amrit sanchar (baptism) mission. On September 25 last year, he was baptised at Anandpur Sahib in a formal ceremony to become an ‘Amritdhari Sikh’ and then on September 29 at the turban-tying ceremony (dastar bandi) at Rode village, from where came Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the militant chieftain who spearheaded a violent movement for Khalistan in the ‘80s and met his end on June 6, 1984.
Amritpal not only dresses like Bhindranwale but also speaks his language. The slain chieftain is his inspiration, which has prompted many of his ilks to call him Bhindrawale 2.0. “I cannot compare myself with Sant Bhindranwale; he had the benefit of having studied Sikhism through Damdami Taksal, besides other sources,” says the hardline leader.
“Everybody has different struggles at different times. I will have my own struggles,’’ says Amritpal nonchalantly. He is always surrounded by armed men and travels in a Mercedes Sports SUV. Born in Jallupur Khera village in Amritsar district, Amritpal says, “When you are born here and live here you share the common sentiment,” adding the sacrilege incidents in over a decade have fanned the common sentiment of hurt. Amritpal is the youngest of three children of Tarsem Singh and
Balwinder Kaur. He married UK-based NRI Kirandeep Kaur a few days ago. “I am a very solitary person and have only a few childhood friends with whom I talk,’’ says Amritpal. He is very clear that he wants ‘Khalistan’ but masks it with a politician’s guile by saying that it will be attained through dialogue. “Armed conflict will be the last resort,” he says. “Khalistan will be not just for Sikhs but for all communities. Our ultimate aim is the survival of the Punjabi community,’’ he says. Amritpal owns a .32 revolver whose licence issued by the Tarn Tarn administration is valid until 2027. Two of his aides have licences issued from J&K.
Amritpal justifies his supporters’ action of carrying Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book) to the site of the clash with the police in Ajnala. The Waris Punjab De chief is becoming cause-driven. In a major first, he supports the release of ‘Bandi Singhs’ - the prisoners who have completed their jail terms. He also supported the farmers’ agitation (now-repealed farm laws). The government has issued directions to all district magistrates to review arms licences issued to Amritpal and his eight aides.