Dangerous liaisons

Intelligence agencies blame the rise of Amritpal Singh Sandhu on the vacuum created by warring political parties in Punjab; they are worried about the organised forces behind him

- NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

Amritpal Singh Sandhu spent his entire childhood within an obscure pin code near Amritsar, wrapped in its rustic charm and seeking spiritual bliss through daily visits to the local gurdwara. After a half-hearted attempt to obtain a diploma from a local polytechnic college, the 19-year-old left his Jallupur Khera village in 2012 and joined his father’s transport business in Dubai. The transition to adulthood was, however, not easy for him.

For the next few years, Amritpal remained a prisoner of his dreams. He tried getting rich, created several social media profiles and worked desperately to find purpose in life. He spent hours listening to audio cassettes of Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who was killed in the Golden Temple in 1984. His first brush with power and popularity came on social media as he started sharing his radical thoughts and attended online sessions dealing with extremist ideology. It led to a spurt in his social media following.

Today, a large kirpan (a sword Sikhs are required to wear) overshadows his blue turban and white chola (traditional dress worn by Sikhs) as he tries to capture the radical space in Punjab. In the years following the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, many have tried to harvest the young, vulnerable minds using false narratives, but they have remained largely unsuccessful.

On February 24, Amritpal’s supporters stormed the Ajnala police station in Amritsar with lathis, swords and guns, hiding behind the Guru Granth Sahib in an attempt to free his close aide Lovepreet Toofan. But the pushback after the attack has been huge.