Paddy Procurement Woes

Upon being discharged from the hospital on 30 Sep, Panjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann immediately convened a meeting to discuss paddy procurement. 50K arthiyas (commission agents) and nearly 800K laborers announced a strike from 1 Oct, demanding a revision in commission rates. The Punjab Rice Millers Association also announced a strike, citing a shortage of storage space to stock the paddy produce after harvest. Panjab has a storage capacity of nearly 212 LMT, of which nearly 80% is occupied by wheat, paddy, and rice procured in the previous seasons. Panjab is expecting a bumper crop of 185 LMT paddy, which after shelling, will weigh 120 LMT. After the CM’s intervention, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) announced it will move out 15 LMT of rice by October-end and 40 LMT by December-end. For now, the millers and shellers have called off their strike. However, the larger question is why FCI does not pick up Panjab’s grain in time. Of the approximately 124 LMT of rice delivered to FCI after the 2023-24 paddy season, only 7 LMT was moved out of the state. Last year, Panjab procured around 185 LMT of paddy, which was sent to over 5,000 rice mills for processing. The millers expected milling to be over by March 31, but FCI was unable to meet the deadline. The reason for FCI inaction is: while the paddy Panjab grows is based on the mandate of the Green Revolution in the 1960s, over the last few decades, Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and other states have become self-sufficient paddy growing states. Nationwide demand for Panjab’s rice has reduced. Unless Panjab diversifies its crops, the state will remain stuck with producing paddy and procurement woes which the nation no longer needs (SDW Vol 2 Issue 35, Story 5).

In spite of widespread anti-incumbency and all exit polls predicting an INC win in Haryana, BJP secured a historic third term, winning 48 of 90 seats. A shortfall of 0.8% in vote share left INC with 37 seats, independents won 3, and the Indian National Lok Dal won 2. The result wipes out the advantage INC gained in the summer general elections when they restricted BJP to only half the MP seats. The reasons for BJP’s win go back to March, when they replaced CM Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini. Khattar is a Khatri (business class) by caste. Saini is ‘Other Backward Caste.’ The change was made during Farmers’ Protest 2.0, when Khattar came down heavily on Panjabi farmers gathered at the inter-state Haryana-Panjab border at Shambhu and Khanauri (SDW Vol 2 Issue 8, Stories 1-5). BJP signaled a willingness to let go of the Jat vote, even the Sikh farmer vote, which together is about 25% of the state’s population. In the last decade, the Jats of Haryana were BJP’s most ardent supporters, but relations soured over Farmers’ Protests 1.0 and 2.0. INC gave charge of the election to another Jat, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who neglected other castes in seat distribution, especially prominent Dalit leader Kumari Shelja. The BJP brought in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to help the grassroots campaign. Through thousands of meetings and door-to-door contacts, the RSS softened the blow of policies like Agniveer (short term employment in Army) by promising jobs in police, promised Minimum Support Price on crops, and advocated rural employment generation. The BJP won by polarizing the state into farmers vs. all other professions. INC played into their hands. 

The Jammu and Kashmir elections have brought the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) to a majority – 42 seats. JKNC’s partner INC won 6 seats. Principal opponent BJP won 29 seats. The results show a clear regional and religious divide: the mostly Muslim Kashmir valley has voted JKNC, while the majority Hindu Jammu plains has voted BJP. The less than 2% Sikhs – whose demands found no mention in either JKNC or BJP manifestos – mostly went with JKNC (SDW Vol 2 Issue 39, Story 3). The elections, conducted on orders of the Supreme Court of India after a decade, were mostly fought on the Indian govt.’s reading down of Article 370 on 5 Aug 2019 and imposing a more than year-long curfew in the valley. The BJP govt. also took away statehood from J&K and reduced the region into two union territories – J&K and Ladakh. Article 370 gave J&K a special status. Article 370 must be seen alongside Article 371, which provides some special powers to states and is already effective in 12 states in the country. None of those states were disturbed. Since J&K is now a union territory, the elections are effectively for an assembly with hardly any powers. However, the valley has mandated its representatives must strive for restoration of J&K’s statehood. JKNC and INC failed to win even one out of 24 seats in Jammu’s Dogra heartland. In a development that has ramifications for Panjab politics, SAD Sudhar Lehar (SL) leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra and Gaganjit Singh Barnala sought votes for BJP’s Narinder Singh Raina in the Jammu-South constituency. Their active participation in Raina’s election campaign has led SAD to question the values of SAD SL.

On 3 Oct, violence erupted during the Panjab panchayat (village council) poll process in Zira, Ferozepur district, resulting in injuries to former INC MLA Kulbir Singh Zira and two of his supporters (SDW Vol 2 Issue 40, Story 1). INC alleges AAP MLA Naresh Kataria's men prevented their candidates from filing nominations and resorted to firing and stone-pelting; AAP accuses the INC of initiating the violence. 4 Oct, the last day for nominations, was marked with incidents of shots fired at Naushera Pannuan in Tarn Taran, Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur, and Landheke village in Moga. SAD has asked for an extension of the nomination date, which the state Election Commission has denied. As of now, 3,683 nominations for sarpanch (head of village council) and 11,734 for panch (member of village council) have been rejected. However, not all is bloody and violent. In Gehri Buttar village, Bathinda, residents gathered to unanimously elect a sarpanch. Manjot Singh offered $59K. Bikar Singh countered with $71K. Villagers emphasized the importance of the candidate's merit over monetary offers. It must be recalled that in 2013, the panchayat elections were held under SAD-BJP govt. SAD-BJP swept the polls. INC criticized the poll process. In 2018, panchayat elections were held under INC govt. INC swept the polls. The SAD criticized the polling process. While escalating tensions raise concerns over the fairness and safety of the electoral process in Panjab, the larger question is if the process is as flawed as it was earlier, what is the difference AAP is making to Panjab?

On 26 Sep, the Akal Takht (Eternal Throne, Sikh Seat of Justice and Authority; AT) issued a notice to former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, seeking clarification on the death of her daughter 24 years ago. In Dec 2018, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Kaur of illegal confinement of her daughter, 19-year-old Harpreet Kaur, and forcing her abortion. In 2012, the trial court dropped murder charges. On 3 Oct, Kaur called the complaint against her baseless and politically motivated. AT’s notice has sparked controversy within Sikh circles. SAD Sudhar Lehar (rebel faction of SAD) of which Kaur is a part, alleges that SAD workers filed these complaints to exploit Kaur’s personal tragedy for political gain. The timing of the notice is contentious because AT is still handling a complaint against SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, whom it has already declared a tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) (SDW Vol 2 Issue 36, Story 1). SAD Sudhar Lehar convener Gurpartap Singh Wadala criticized the nature and timing of the complaints, arguing that AT should not be used as a platform for personal grievances and that such actions set a dangerous precedent. Former SGPC general secretary and current member Kiranjot Kaur opposed the notice, asserting that the AT should only address community affairs and not personal issues. Sikh group Dal Khalsa has written to the AT jathedar (leader), urging him to withdraw the notice issued ‘in violation of the maryada (code of conduct) and traditions.’ 100-yr old Sikh institution Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha said, ‘In the last 300 years it is the first case when a Sikh woman has been summoned using personal allegations.’

On 27 Sep, rumors surfaced that Panjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar had resigned. BJP denied the news. On 30 Sep, Jakhar skipped a state BJP meeting, like he had earlier skipped the inauguration of the party’s membership drive. On 3 Oct, The Tribune said Jakhar conveyed to Indian PM Narendra Modi that there was a need to change the BJP’s and Center’s approach to issues concerning Panjab. ‘Nazariya badalney ki zaroorat hai, nazaarey apney aap badal jayenge’ (It is important to change the outlook towards Panjab, the situation will change on its own). He said, sentimental matters involving Panjabis must be addressed on priority. He pressed for urgent redressal of farmers’ issues and review of current strategy to grant frequent paroles to rape and murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim. He flagged other decisions including an offer of 10-acre land to Haryana in Chandigarh to build a Vidhan Sabha (assembly, a move he thought would dilute Panjab’s claim on capital Chandigarh); rise in central share of officers in the Chandigarh administration leading to reduction in the share of officers from Panjab, and tweaking the membership of Bhakra Beas Management Board to Panjab’s disadvantage. Jakhar’s discomfort with newly inducted and appointed union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu is well-known. Jakhar is the only politician in Panjab to head state units of INC and BJP. In INC, he became a fall guy twice before being pushed out of the race for the CM’s post. He left his posts twice in 2015 and 2021 — first as the leader of opposition and then as Panjab INC chief. A centralized BJP does not tolerate plain-speaking from grassroots; it is yet to be seen what it does with Jakhar. 

On 3 Oct, the Delhi High Court deferred a petition filed by INC leader Jagdish Tytler challenging the framing of charges against him in the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide case to 29 Nov. The plea contests Judge Rakesh Syal of Rouse Avenue Courts’ decision on 30 Aug to frame charges against Tytler under Sections 302 (murder), 109 (abetment), 147 (rioting), 153A (promoting enmity between groups), and 143 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code in the case related to the killings of Sikhs in Delhi’s Pul Bangash area following the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi on 31 Oct 1984 (SDW Vol 2 Issue 36, Story 2). On 13 Sep, Tytler denied all charges and pleaded not guilty to the offenses. Lakhwinder Kaur, wife of Badal Singh, one of the three victims at Gurdwara Pul Bangash during the 1984 Sikh genocide in Delhi, testified on 3 Oct that granthi (custodian of Guru Granth Sahib) Surender Singh told her that, from the roof of the Gurdwara, he saw Tytler inciting the mob. Tytler said, ‘Kill the Sikhs, torch the Gurdwara.’ Meanwhile, Indian movie star Amitabh Bachchan, variously accused – India’s national television Doordarshan has not made the tapes public – of inciting the Sikh genocide said on a television show Kaun Banega Crorepati (Based on Who Will Become a Millionaire?), ‘My father was from Uttar Pradesh, and my mother was from a Sikh family. I believe I am half-Sikh.’ About a decade ago, prominent Sikh activist Jagdish Kaur, whose three brothers were killed in the genocide, claimed that Bachchan had sloganeered ‘blood for blood’ on live television and the whole country heard it. 

On 25 Sep, the govt. in Sindh, Pakistan appointed sixteen marriage registrars to register Hindu and Sikh marriages under the Hindus Marriage Act 2018. The appointment ceremony was held at the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Sukkur office, attended by SHRC Board Member Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani and Sukkur Deputy Commissioner Raja Mohammad Bakhsh Deharejo, who awarded certificates to the participants. For the first time, pundits (priests) from minority communities have been officially recognized as marriage registrars. This is crucial for registering marriages within Sindh's large Hindu population. During the event, Hemnani expressed satisfaction with SHRC's efforts, highlighting the proactive measures taken to implement the legislation across Sindh. He announced plans to extend the registration of marriage registrars to other districts in Sindh, prioritizing areas with larger minority populations. It must be noted that while Panjab province in Pakistan implemented the Sikh Marriage Act in June 2024, other provinces like Sindh have not implemented it, hence the Hindu Marriage Act prevails (SDW Vol 2 Issue 11, Story 5). Meanwhile, following reports of Sikh devotees being harassed and overcharged during visits to celebrate Guru Nanak birth anniversary, various Sikh organizations have advised pilgrims visiting Pakistan to carry US dollars and refrain from paying fees to jatha (visiting groups) organizers. Ramesh Singh Arora, president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and Pakistan Panjab province’s first Sikh minister, highlighted the issue of unfavorable exchange rates set by private money exchangers due to the lack of formal diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.

The Enforcement Directorate has sought details of a $13.33M alleged cyber fraud case from the Special Investigation Team and Panjab Police, following reports of Indians being trapped in cyber slavery in Southeast Asia. Data compiled by the Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs reveals that 29,466 out of 73,138 Indians who traveled to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam on visitor visas from January 2022 to May 2024 have not returned and are trapped in those countries. Of these, over one-third are from three states: Panjab (3,667), Maharashtra (3,233), and Tamil Nadu (3,124). 20,450 individuals are in Thailand, accounting for over 69% of the total. The majority of the unreturned individuals are males (21,182) and fall within the 20-39 years age group (17,115). Victims were deceived with promises of data entry jobs, had their passports confiscated, and were coerced into creating fake social media accounts to perpetrate cyber frauds. Then they were employed by these scamming companies where they were forced to create fake social media accounts to lure people to invest in cryptocurrency applications or fraud investment funds. Analysis by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre showed that approximately 45% of cybercrimes targeting Indians originate from Southeast Asia, with around 100K cyber complaints registered since January 2023. In response, the union govt.’s high-level inter-ministerial panel has directed all states and union territories to conduct ground-level verifications to obtain details of these individuals. Established in May 2024, the panel identified gaps in the banking, immigration, and telecom sectors that facilitated the exploitation. Earlier reports indicated that over 5K Indians were suspected to be trapped in Cambodia, losing at least $66.67M in the six months preceding March 2024. 

On 29 Sep, an editor of a Sikh news site in Brampton, Canada posted a video clip of pro-Palestine placing a Palestinian flag and keffiyeh (scarf) on a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh located near Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Malton, Ontario, Canada. The Canada-based World Sikh Organization condemned the act, noting that it was hurtful to the Sikh community, but did not go into why it was offensive to Sikh sentiments in any specific detail. The WSO emphasized that the actions of a few individuals do not reflect the broader Muslim community. Indian media, however, is quoting Hindutva organizations calling the act a hate crime. Harmeet Singh Kalka, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee strongly condemned the incident, though there is no evidence that the statue was damaged or defaced. BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa called it a disgraceful act. The issue has caused consternation among the Sikh students in Canada, many of whom support the Palestinian cause (SDW Vol 1 Issue 9, Story 1). In another incident in New York, a Sikh woman, Prabhleen Kaur, was lent the Guru Granth Sahib from the Gurdwara Ramgaria Sikh Center and refused to return it. The police intervened and five Sikhs entered the house and retrieved the Guru Granth Sahib with decorum maintained. Kaur has been admitted to a medical facility for assessment. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has expressed support for the Naujawan Support Network in Canada, highlighting concerns over the challenges faced by Indian international students, including those from Panjab, studying in Canada.