Panjab Extends MP Amritpal Singh's NSA Detention by 1 Year

The Panjab government has extended the detention of Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh under the National Security Act (NSA) by another year. This would amount to a third year detention for the Waris Punjab De chief under NSA and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act charges. NSA implemented in 1980 provides for no more than a twelve-month detention; it was amended in May 1984 for Panjab, allowing a twenty-four month detention. The third year cannot be added; yet, the govt. is going ahead with it even though no law provides for it. The govt. has decided not to extend the detention of Amritpal’s nine associates, who were brought back from Dibrugarh jail in Assam recently to face trial for laying siege to Ajnala police station in 2023. Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh, who launched the political party Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) in January 2025, condemned the extension to Amritpal's detention, alleging the state government has 'thrown all rules to the wind' and further said the state govt. was 'hand-in glove' with the union govt. Lawyer Rajvinder Singh Bains, representing Amritpal said, ‘The police have no new material evidence on Amritpal. All they have is what other people are posting on social media about Amritpal. That cannot be considered material evidence against the accused.’ Meanwhile, Sukhbir Singh Badal being chosen again as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party for trying to hijack Sikh institutions drew response from former Jathedar (leader) of Takht (Throne) Damdama Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh. He said Badal has ‘lost the faith’ of the Sikh community, who will not believe his claims as the SAD has ‘not followed’ the Akal Takht’s (Eternal Throne; AT) directives. Former AT Jathedar Raghbir Singh remains the head granthi (reciter) of Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) while former Takht Keshgarh Sahib Jathedar Sultan Singh is still one of its granthis. Neither has reacted to Badal’s claims (earlier coverage).

On 19 Apr, the Khalsa Diwan Society Gurdwara in Vancouver, Canada was vandalized with pro-Khalistan graffiti. The Gurdwara—established in 1906—is better known as the Ross Street Gurdwara. It was spray-painted with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti. In a statement after the vandalism, the Gurdwara management said, 'A small group of Sikh separatists, advocating for Khalistan, defaced our sacred walls with divisive slogans like ‘Khalistan Zindabad’. This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instill fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community.' In Surrey, police were notified about similar graffiti sprayed on the gates outside the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir on 140th Street. The Coalition of Hindus of North America said: 'On the weekend of advance polling, yet again, our places of worship have been desecrated—this time, not just a Hindu temple, but also a Gurdwara that had courageously stood up to Khalistani extremism.' The Ross Street Gurdwara had explicitly barred Khalistani groups from its Vaisakhi (harvest festival) parade which also celebrates the inauguration of the Khalsa in 1699. However, it must be noted that this Gurdwara is aligned with Modi-administration and has hosted Indian govt. officials on their premises. . The acts of vandalism assume significance given the national elections in Canada on 28 Apr. Former Liberal Party (LP) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as former Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) PM Stephen Harper defended Khalistan activism as the citizens’ right to ‘freedom of speech’. The elections will decide if the current LP PM Mark Carney, holds onto power or if the CPC under Pierre Poilievre will return to office after nearly a decade in opposition. A key player in the elections is National Democratic Party (NDP) and its leader Jagmeet Singh who played kingmaker last time. NDP withdrew its support in September 2024, citing the Liberals’ inability to resist growing Conservative momentum. Given Carney’s apparent current popularity, Singh is now facing the steepest climb of his political career (earlier coverage).

On 19 Apr, in Surrey, Canada, 550K people participated in the Vaisakhi (harvest festival) and Khalsa Sajna Divas (inauguration of the Khalsa) parade from Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar. Parade spokesperson Moninder Singh said, 'This is more than a parade. It is a way for the Sikh community to open its arms to others, share its beliefs, and celebrate the values of human rights and sovereignty.' Gurdwara Singh Sabha Flero in Italy organized a grand Nagar Kirtan (religious procession) in Brescia, a city with a dense Panjabi population. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan province in Canada has permanently declared April as 'Sikh Awareness Month.' The opposition National Democratic Party introduced the Bill so the Sikhs wouldn't have to make an annual request. On 25 Mar, Member of Legislative Assembly Racquel Hilbert had called NDP leader Jagmeet Singh a 'terrorist' in a debate but later apologized. The ruling Saskatchewan Party gave unanimous support to the Bill also to make up for faux pas. In Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar—the Sultan of Johor and the current King of Malaysia—made a personal gift of RM 20K (USD 4.5K) to each of the six Gurdwaras in the state. Two Sikhs also gave a total of RM 80K (USD 18K) to be equally divided among the Gurdwaras. Johor state had earlier announced special funding of RM 250K (USD 57K) each to the Gurdwaras in Johor Bahru and Pontian. At a Vaisakhi event on 9 Apr, Johor minister Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi thanked the Sikh community for opening its doors to flood victims in the recent flooding incident. The 37^th annual Australian Sikh Games were held in Sydney on 18-20 Apr drawing 6K athletes, thousands of spectators and cultural enthusiasts from across Australia and beyond. A wide range of sporting events took place including kabaddi, hockey, football, tug of war, cricket, athletics, volleyball, netball, badminton, and wrestling. The events were a forum to showcase Sikh culture (earlier coverage).

On 28 Mar, Panjab Education minister Harjot Singh Bains raised the issue of the removal of three Jathedars (leaders) of the Takhts (thrones) in the Panjab Assembly. On 13 Apr, Bains attended the Vaisakhi (harvest festival) program at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib where he had an exchange with Akal Takht’s (Eternal Throne; AT) officiating Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargajj. On 14 Apr, Gargajj said, 'If Harjot Singh Bains considers himself a part of the panth (Sikh Collective), he should understand the appropriate forum for raising panthic issues.' Gargajj also said Bains should focus on resolution of Sikhs issues and should not interfere in the internal affairs of the Sikhs. On 14 Apr, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also paid his respect at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib on the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Divas (Inauguration of the Khalsa) and met Giani Gargajj. Giani Gargajj urged the Haryana CM Saini to take steps to promote Panjabi by appointing employees who could read and write Panjabi. CM Saini announced a Sikh museum will be established in Kurukshetra. The previous BJP CM of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar had also promised a Sikh museum at Kurukshetra before the state assembly elections in 2019. Meanwhile, on the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Divas, speaking at Naka Hindola Gurudwara in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh BJP CM Yogi Adityanath voiced serious concern over rising incidents of religious conversion in Panjab and the Terai region. For the last few years, religious conversions to evangelical Christianity by pastors have been gaining traction in Panjab. On 15 Apr, Giani Gargajj and Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Tek Singh launched the Khwar Hoye Sab Milenge (frustrated, all will unite) drive to reverse the rising trend of conversions. The apostolic administrator of Jalandhar—the Catholic diocese that covers Panjab—Bishop Agnelo Rufino Gracias, supported the drive saying these neo-Christian groups, their ministries, have damaged the reputation of mainline churches like the Catholic Church (earlier coverage).

On 18 Apr, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Harpreet Singh aka Happy Passia had been arrested by the FBI and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Sacramento, US. Kash Patel, Director FBI said, Singh was 'part of an alleged foreign terrorist gang here illegally in the US.' FBI says Singh had entered the US illegally and had been using burner phones to evade arrest. Singh is linked to 14 of 16 grenade attacks in Panjab over the past seven months, targeting police posts, religious sites and homes of public figures. He is specifically wanted by Indian authorities in connection with a grenade attack on a house in Chandigarh in September 2024. India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced a USD 5,855 reward to anyone who shared information about Singh. Meanwhile, on 19 Apr, Panjab police beat up unemployed teachers selected under 5,994 Elementary Teacher Training (ETT) backlog who were demanding their long-pending appointments in front of Education minister Harjot Singh Bains’ residence at village Ghambirpur, district Anandpur Sahib. An image of a Panjab cop resting his knee on the chest of a protester to pin him down shared by Indian National Congress leader Pargat Singh on his social media has elicited comparisons to the case of George Floyd, whose death had sparked protests against police brutality across the US and the world. The Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) state president Vikram Dev Singh said, 'While the Panjab government is busy laying foundation stones under the banner of an ‘education revolution,' it is failing to address basic issues like teacher recruitment and education.' DTF said, ‘The 5,994 ETT recruitment process that began in 2022 remains incomplete. Appointment letters for around 2,600 posts were distributed at a public function by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann but only 1,200 teachers were actually appointed. The rest of the recruitment process was stalled, leaving around 3,000 teachers in limbo’ (earlier coverage).

Early arrival of wheat in grain markets has led Panjab's Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs minister Lal Chand Kataruchak to expect about 125 LMT of wheat this harvest season. India's wheat stocks in government godowns have also surged 57% to a three-year high at the start of the new crop year in April. However, the weather in Panjab remains unpredictable. On 19 Apr, a powerful thunderstorm struck Patiala with wind speeds reaching up to 118 km/h followed by rains. The storm caused widespread damage. Amritsar, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Moga, SAS Nagar, and Rupnagar also experienced rains. The wheat lying in the open in grain markets was drenched. On 20 Apr, fire erupted in villages near Zira engulfing many hundreds of acres of fields where either wheat was standing or had just been harvested. In Dhanna Shaheed village, two bikers were caught in flames. Karanpal Singh died on the spot, while Arjun Singh was severely injured and later succumbed to his injuries. In many places fire tenders were either not available or not in working condition. Often these fire tenders are part of convoys of ministers but not available to people. Locals put out the fires on their own. Since the terms of reference of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance scheme) do not suit Panjab’s farmers, the state is not part of the scheme. The unsuitable terms are: scheme is village specific, not farm plot specific; the scheme takes a 10-year average for normal yields, but farmers ask for last year's yield to be taken as benchmark; farm produce lying in grain markets is not covered when that is where the maximum loss takes place; compensation is low INR 5K (USD 60) when a farmer’s average expense on an acre is INR 50K (USD 600). The farmers who lost their harvest are now claiming compensation from the state government.

The Punjab Library Association has renewed its efforts to revive the Punjab Public Library and Information Services Bill, 2011 and secure its speedy implementation. The first Public Library Act was passed in Madras in 1948. 19 states, including neighbouring Haryana, have passed Public Library Acts. The Bill proposed a statewide library network including one state Central Library, 22 District Libraries, 141 Block Libraries, 157 Town Libraries, and 12,282 Village Libraries. This was slated to be implemented in phases over 10 years. It called for the establishment of a Punjab Public Library Governing Board, chaired by the Chief Minister, and a State Public Library Directorate to oversee operations. However, the onset of the 2012 legislative election delayed the implementation of the Bill. According to Makhan Lal Garg, coordinator of the association and member of the Punjab Library and Librarians Council. ‘Since then, the Shiromani Akali Dal–Bharatiya Janata Party alliance returned to power, and we have had an Indian National Congress government. Even the Aam Aadmi Party government has completed three years in power. The draft Bill is gathering dust within the department.’ Meanwhile, as part of its ongoing 'War on Drugs' campaign, the Panjab government is focusing not only on building sports grounds to promote a sporting culture but also on constructing libraries to encourage young minds to reconnect with books. Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal said six libraries are being constructed in different villages in the district. Also, the Panjab govt.has decided to increase the promotion quota for principals from 50% to 75%. This change paves the way for the elevation of 500 teachers as principals in govt. schools across the state. Announcing the change, Panjab Education minister Harjot Singh Bains lamented that the Indian National Congress-led state govt. had reduced this quota from 75% to 50% in 2018. He also said, 'We are ramping up school infrastructure through the ambitious Sikhya Kranti (education revolution) initiative by spending USD 235M for over 12K govt. schools’ (earlier coverage).

The Deputy Mayor of Bobigny, France, Ranjit Singh has unveiled a plan to establish a twin-city partnership between Bobigny and Kapurthala. Ranjit from the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) aims to capitalize on the shared architectural heritage of buildings designed by architect Maurice Mantout (1886-1953) to promote trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. Ranjit compared the Avicenne Hospital, Bobigny, and Sainik School Kapurthala located in the King’s erstwhile palace. The palace was commissioned by the last ruler of Kapurtala Jagatjit Singh (1872-1849). Bobigny is home to over 50K residents, including approximately 5K Panjabis, 90% of whom are Sikhs. Meanwhile, on 2 Apr, Kapurthala District and Sessions Judge Harpal Singh directed the land on which the historic Jagatjit Club will be put up for auction on 9 May. The auction is related to Phagwara resident Nirbhail Singh’s land at Hajipur village acquired by the Panjab government in 2002 for four-laning a state highway. Nirbhail was dissatisfied with the compensation. In another event, on 18 Apr, former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal's daughter Harshita Kejriwal married her college friend Sambhav Jain. The wedding was held at Delhi's Kapurthala House. Panjab AAP CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur danced at the ceremony to a famous old song by Shamsher Singh Sandhu sung by Surjit Singh Bindrakhiya: Tu Nhi Boldi (You don't speak) which goes on to say 'it is your friend who speaks through you.' The song is ironic because the way Panjab is being governed in the last three years, it seems Mann does not speak. Either Kejriwal or the Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah speak through him. Bharatiya Janata Party Panjab chief Sunil Jhakar punned on AAP’s ‘School of Eminence’ saying, ‘Kapurthala House has become a Marriage Palace of Eminence.’

The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Queer (LGBTQ) community had planned to hold ‘Pride Parade 2025’ at the Rose Garden locality in Amritsar on 27 Apr. Ridham Chadha, organizer, said, 'We started organiszng such parades in 2019. This is the fourth parade. One parade has already been organized at Chandigarh. We planned to organize it in Panjab and we chose Amritsar to hold it.' He added, nearly 1,000 community members had confirmed participation. As the video clip of the parade went viral over social media, it drew harsh reaction from some Sikhs who raised objections. A local leader, Paramjit Singh Akali said, 'Amritsar city is a sacred city founded by Guru Sahib, where the holiest Sikh shrine Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) is situated. This kind of activity cannot be tolerated.' Given the stiff opposition, the organizers cancelled the parade. However, some have explained Pride in Panjab and Sikh context. In 2020, the US-based Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) published their State of the Panth (Sikh Collective), Report 6, Sikhi & Sexuality which clearly states: ‘As for sexuality in regards to orientation or preference, Bani (scriptures) and Rahit (lifestyle) are mostly silent. There is no citation within Bani to condemn certain sexual orientations or preferences.’ Harinder Singh, co-author of the report, mentions the same understanding in his recent interview. Sarbat Sikhs, an international group, expressed solidarity. On the objection that gay sex is unnatural, US-based Professor Aditya Behl asks is being rich or poor natural or unnatural? Or being upper and lower caste natural or unnatural? He emphasizes the need to historicize the Pride Parade and mentions the Stonewall riots in 1969. He further says,’The bourgeoisie class always dictates how a protest must be conducted. Workers must protest in a particular way which won’t remain a strike; without makeup, what will be left in the Pride Parade?’ Journalist Aarish Chhabra says, ‘Touch is instinct, not intent.’ He adds, Panjab claims Canada’s New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh. Jagmeet supports the LGBTQ community. Would Panjab disown him?

Born to a Sikh father and a Hungarian-Jewish mother, educated in Paris, and rooted in India, Amrita Sher-Gil's life was a map of entangled worlds. Sher-Gil has been called many things: a feminist before her time, a cosmopolitan who moved between Paris and Panjab, the artist who made brown bodies visible with dignity and depth. A new exhibition A Hungarian-Indian Family of Artists: Master and Disciple at New Delhi’s National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), on view till 30 Apr, casts her in another light—as a link between Europe and India; between a nation’s cultural memory and a quieter story of shared histories. Through 137 archival photographs and eight original paintings, the exhibition, organised in collaboration with the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts in Budapest, reveals the deep cultural dialogue between Hungary and India. The exhibition highlights the creative influences of Amrita’s father, Umrao Singh Sher-Gil, whose painterly photographs form the heart of the collection, and her uncle Ervin Baktay, whose intellectual mentorship shaped her vision. Spanning Lahore, Budapest, Dunaharaszti, and Paris from 1889-1954, these rare images offer a deeply personal window into the world that nurtured one of India’s most iconic modern artists. The photographs of Umrao —a philosopher, scholar, and deeply introspective father—captured not just moments, but moods. Quiet, intense, and alive with spiritual energy. 'He was a spiritual artist,' said a guide at NGMA. 'Because whatever he wanted to write about—what he was reading, what he saw in life, what was there, what wasn’t there—he was a spiritual mentor. He wanted to tell himself how life changed.' The domesticity in these photographs—Amrita and her sister Indira in costume, or caught mid-thought—shows a family in reflection, and quiet emotions behind daily life. Baktay, Amrita’s maternal uncle, was another central figure in her life. A Hungarian polymath and Indologist, Baktay’s immersion in Indian spirituality left a profound mark on Sher-Gil (earlier coverage).