RADICAL THREAT

Punjab is witnessing a churn in Sikh politics, with moderates gradually losing their grip on the community amid the rise of radical elements.

- Anilesh S. Mahajan

On November 13, the state’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government banned the public display of weapons and songs glorifying gun culture and violence in addition to ordering a review of all arms licences. The decision came hot on the heels of the state reporting two broad daylight murders—of Hindu right-wing leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar and Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pradeep Kataria in Kotkapura—within a week, Suri’s on November 4 and Kataria’s six days later. Even as Canada-based gangsters Lakhbir Singh, a.k.a Landa Harike, and Satwinder Singh, a.k.a. Goldy Brar, have claimed responsibility for the two murders, respectively, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) suspects the crimes were carried out at the behest of Sikh radical groups.

Kataria, a dairy owner in Kotkapura town of Faridkot district, was an accused in one of the sacrilege cases that had rocked Punjab in 2015. That had put him on the hit list of Sikh radicals. He was out on bail and opening his store on the morning of November 10 when half a dozen assailants opened fire on him. Suri, a readymade garment retailer, was the leader of Punjab based Shiv Sena (Taksali) and had been openly challenging Sikh radicals and the Khalistan movement. Police have arrested his assailant Sandeep Singh, a.k.a. Sunny, who shot him dead with a licensed weapon outside a temple in Amritsar on November 4. The two murders bring back memories of a series of targeted killings in Punjab in 2016-17, in which the victims included Hindu right-wing leaders, Dera Sacha Sauda followers and a Christian pastor. Security agencies see the murders as a part of the same radical agenda.

MURDERS MOST FOUL