Waris Punjab De

Waris Punjab De
Formation29 September 2021; 3 years ago (2021-09-29)
FounderDeep Sidhu
TypePolitical group
PurposeSikh sovereignty
HeadquartersAmritsar
Location
Official language
Punjabi language
Amritpal Singh
(since 2022)

Waris Punjab De (meaning "heirs of Punjab")[1][2] is a Sikh political group based in Punjab, India. It was initially a pressure group advocating issues related to the state,[3] which subsequently became pro-Khalistan.[4] Deep Sidhu was the group's founder-chief until his death in February 2022.[4] Amritpal Singh took charge of the group after the death of its founder.[5]

History

Formation

On 29 September 2021, Sandeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Deep Sidhu, announced the formation of Waris Punjab De, as "a Pressure group to protect and fight for rights of Punjab and raise social issues".[3][6][7] The organization played a role in the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest under the leadership of its founder.[7] During the protests, Amritpal Singh joined Waris Punjab De, founded by actor and activist Sidhu to mobilise farmers.[8]

Tenure of Amritpal Singh

Photograph of Amritpal Singh Sandhu

Amritpal Singh took over as leader of the organization after the death of its founder in an automobile accident. It is rumoured that Deep Sidhu and Amritpal Singh had never actually met in real life and only interacted over social media.[9] The family of Deep Sidhu have questioned Singh's claim to leadership.[10] A letter appeared on a Facebook account of Waris Punjab De on 4 March 2022 appointing Amritpal as the organisation's leader.[11] The appointment remains controversial. According to some sources, Sidhu had appointed Harnek Singh Uppal as the head of the organisation even while he was alive. So Sidhu's death did not make a difference to the organisation. A break-away faction of the organisation apparently chose Amritpal as its leader using a "hacked" Facebook account, while the original organisation has continued under Uppal (now called the "Deep Sidhu faction").[12][11][13]

After the coming of leadership of Amritpal Singh, the mission of the organization has shifted towards the aims of "follow the tenets of Sikhism" and "establish Khalsa Raj".[3] The organization supported the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) in the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election.[14] It launched a movement to promote Sikhs to undergo the Amrit Sanskar initiation ceremony into the Khalsa order, condemned drug usage and addiction, and practices such as dowry, through tours throughout the state of Punjab in November 2022.[15] On 23 February 2023, clashes between supporters of the group and police broke out in Ajnala, Punjab.[16] The group was criticized for carrying a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs, during the clashes, with some arguing that it was used as a "shield".[17] The body has been accused of being funded by the Pakistani ISI.[18]

Crackdown

Main article: Amritpal Singh manhunt

On 18 March 2023, Indian authorities launched a manhunt for Singh after he was accused by police of attempted murder, obstruction of law enforcement and creating "disharmony" in society.[19] During the manhunt, Indian authorities deployed thousands of paramilitary police and restricted Internet and mobile messaging services for nearly 30 million people across the Punjab state.[19]

Indian authorities also arrested more than 200 people while conducting a massive manhunt.[20][21][22] Meanwhile, Singh was nowhere to be found.[23] After more than a month, on 23 April 2023, Singh was arrested from Rode village in Moga district, Punjab. Later, he was taken to the high-security Dibrugarh jail in Assam state.[24]

List of jathedars

Sr. No. Name Portrait Term start Term end Time in office
1. Deep Sidhu September 2021 15 February 2022 138 days
2. Amritpal Singh 29 September 2022 Incumbent 2 years, 91 days

Political entry

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Waris Panjab De leader Amritpal Singh contested from the Khadoor Sahib constituency while behind bars in Dibrugarh Jail over NSA charges. He ended up victorious, winning with a lead of nearly 200,000 votes, setting a record in Punjab. Amritpal Singh had contested as an Independent candidate, though with the support of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). However, Waris Panjab De is not a registered political party and nor has there been any mention of this.[citation needed]

After multiple Punjab Vidhan Sabha members were elected into the Lok Sabha, their constituencies become vacant. Along with the progression of this situation, multiple Waris Panjab De members that are currently imprisoned in Dibrugarh Jail under the NSA, have followed in the footsteps of Amritpal Singh and have declared their intention to contest the By-Elections of vacant seats in the Vidhan Sabha. As of 30 June 2024, Bhagwant Singh Bajeke will contest from Gidderbaha,[25] Kulwant Singh Rauke from Barnala,[26] and Daljeet Singh Kalsi from Dera Baba Nanak Assembly constituency.[citation needed] It is logical to conclude that they will all contest as Independent candidates, influenced by the head of their organization.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "Explained: What is Waris Punjab De and why has its rise set alarm bells ringing?". The Hindu. 3 March 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Waris Punjab De: What is the mission of this outfit". The Indian Express. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Goyal, Divya (24 February 2023). "Waris Punjab De: What is the mission of this outfit, floated by Deep Sidhu and now led by Amritpal Singh?". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Is Sikh Militancy Returning to India's Punjab State?". The Diplomat. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  5. ^ "What is Waris Punjab De group, Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh's outfit?". Deccan Herald. 20 March 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  6. ^ Sharma, Anu (30 September 2021). "'Waris Punjab De' Social organisation to fight for legitimate demands of people of Punjab". Chandigarh City News. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Amritpal Singh's 'predecessor', who was Waris Punjab De founder Deep Sidhu?". The Indian Express. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  8. ^ "India's Manhunt for a Hardline Sikh Leader Leads to Internet Shutdowns and Global Protests". Time. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  9. ^ Menon, Aditya (6 October 2022). "Amritpal Singh: How a 29-Year-Old From Dubai Rose Dramatically in Sikh Politics". TheQuint. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Unaware how Amritpal Singh declared himself head of 'Waris Punjab De', says Deep Sidhu's kin". Financialexpress. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  11. ^ a b Jupinderjit Singh, The rise and fall of Amritpal Singh Archived 20 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine, The Tribune (India), 20 March 2023.
  12. ^ Matharu, Sonal (25 October 2022). "Fiery orator, 'Bhindranwale 2.0' — who's Amritpal Singh, new 'head' of Deep Sidhu's Waris Punjab De". The Print. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  13. ^ Unaware how Amritpal Singh declared himself head of ‘Waris Punjab De’, says Deep Sidhu’s kin Archived 19 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine, Financial Express, 24 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Amritpal Singh Controversy: Much Ado About Very Little". NewsClick. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Amritpal Singh: The self-styled preacher raising fears in India's Punjab". BBC News. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Ajnala violence: Pressure mounting on Punjab Police to act against 'Waris Punjab De'". The Times of India. 3 March 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  17. ^ ""Those Who Took Guru Granth Sahib...": Bhagwant Mann On Amritsar Rampage". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Does Pakistan's ISI have a role in Khalistan propagator Amritpal Singh's rise in Punjab?". Firstpost. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Khalistan: The outlawed Sikh separatist movement that has Indian authorities on edge". CNN. 22 March 2023. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  20. ^ Lawler, Dave (23 March 2023). "Manhunt for Sikh separatist in India stirs up old fears". Axios.
  21. ^ "India arrests more than 100 people in manhunt for Sikh separatist". www.aljazeera.com. 20 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Manhunt for fugitive Sikh separatist puts India's Punjab on edge". Financial Times. 4 April 2023.
  23. ^ "India Cuts Off Internet to 27 Million People to Catch One Man". www.vice.com. 22 March 2023.
  24. ^ "Amritpal Singh: Sikh separatist arrested after weeks on the run". BBC News. 23 April 2023.
  25. ^ "Bajeke to contest Polls". The Times of India. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  26. ^ "Kulwant Singh Rauke to contest Polls". Indian Express. 29 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.