Change of Thinking It is the rule of nature that people come and go but the life goes on its way. Like it people come on the centre stage of every political party, stay there for some time and then disappear with the one blow of fate but political parties keep on their natural business. It is the irony that Congress party that was responsible for Operation Blue Star and anti-Sikh riots has returned to power after 25 years of the Operation Blue Star. Some people have started to say that Sikhs have forgiven Congress for its crimes. Their views are based on some facts. In the Punjab assembly elections of 1992 and 2002 people of Punjab had elected Congress Party to form government in the state. And in 2004 and 2009’s Lok Sabha elections Congress and its allies have been elected to form government in the centre. It must be learnt that in all these elections Sikh voters have voted in favor of Congress party or its allies. Now some people have started to ask the question that, have the Sikhs forgiven Congress after 25 years of Operation Blue Star. After analyzing and comparing the past and the present atmosphere and the Sikh mentality we reach the point that character, thinking etc of parties and people kept on changing and it is also the fact that every person has his individual thinking and character. We can reinforce it by saying that ‘change is the rule of life’. We can say that the thinking of Congress leaders of nineties was definitely different from today’s Congress leaders. People have not forgiven that thinking but have welcomed the new thinking.
Partiality Sikhism is world’s newest religion and it has suffered a lot in the hands of the rulers of Indian subcontinent especially Muslims. This did not end here. When India was under British rule it were the Sikhs who were in the forefront to throw the colonizers forcefully out of India and they paid a heavy price for it. But when India got freedom it was believed that Punjabis especially Sikhs will now be able to live a peaceful and prosperous life. But all these dreams proved out to be just dreams when Punjab was neglected by various centre governments. This is evident from various farmer and other movements. It is because of the fighting spirit of the Sikhs and the Punjabis that they are still in the forefront as compared to the other Indian states economically. This neglect has given many scars to the Sikh psychology and Operation Blue Star is one of those scars. All has been written on the pages of history books in golden ink and this kind of incidents will always instigate the Sikh community to retaliate. Sometimes this retaliation proves out to be a double edged sword and sometimes it is solely aimed at one point.
Leadership Now the question rises that how and why the Congress is revitalizing which was lying dormant after Operation Blue Star. As we already have mentioned that important people in the centre of the political parties and governments keep on changing and with it their mentality also gets changed. In 1984 when Operation Blue Star happened Punjab and Centre was under Congress rule. After the anti-Sikh riots all the opposition parties especially Akali Dal parties started to call Congress an anti-Sikh party, though it was not whole of the Congress that was responsible for the heinous crimes but were some of the people who were very powerful inside Congress at that time. The thinking and mentality of those people had made Congress anti-Sikh political party. It is already mentioned that Sikhs were not against any specific party but they were against the thinking of some people of those parties. Now, those people who are in the centre stage of the Congress party have totally a different thinking as compared to their predecessors. Congress won the 1992 Assembly elections of Punjab because its main opposite political party Akali Dal had boycotted the election which was a big political mistake on its part. In 1997’s assembly elections Akali Dal returned to power after many years. Former Congress Chief Minister Beant Singh’s death and his government’s incredible work to bring peace in the state had failed to impress the Punjabi voters.
Young Faces Ruling party leaders mostly fail to feel the pulse of the public they only see what they wanted to see. In 1984, the same BJP that was in favor of Operation Blue Star had called for Hindu-Sikh cordial relations and formed an alliance with Akali Dal and twice formed state government. As Sikhs welcome change in BJP’s thinking the same way they have liked Congress’ changed approach and mentality. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have totally changed the Congress mentality and we have felt this change in the 15th Lok Sabha elections. Despite BJP leader’s ‘burning’ statements, Congress leadership worked on its way. This change can not stop Congress from forming the next state government of Punjab. But if we consider the present Congress leadership in the state of Punjab there is no charismatic face that can lead his party to its former glory. State Congress is suffering from the internal differences Between Bhattal and Captain Groups. It must be leant that they both are former Chief Ministers of the state. They are more against each other than their arch rival Akali Dal. People of Punjab have seen the rule of Congress under Captain Amrinder Singh’s leadership and they see no hope under his leadership now. Lack of young faces was also responsible for Congress’ poor show in the state but this time the situation has changed because of Rahul Gandhi’s new approach. But this has been done at the centre level and needs to be done at the state level.
