Kabul not closer than Punjab

In its toughest time in decades because of floods, Punjab would've expected Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit. If he has the time for a Bihar tour, why not a short visit to next-door Punjab?

- SHEKHAR GUPTA

Just as he returned from Tianjin on September 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a tweet expressing grief over the earthquake in Afghanistan.

Almost on cue, he got a response in a tweet from Giani Harpreet Singh, former head priest of the Akal Takht and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Gurudwara. He sees himself as a leadership claimant in Sikh religious politics, so dangerously broken by the divides in the Shiromani Akali Dal.

In this perilous politico-religious vacuum, Giani Ji, as head of the breakaway Nawan (new) Akali Dal, is seeking space.

He objects to it being described as a breakaway faction. He'd rather insist that Sukhbir Singh Badal's Akali Dal has broken away. Further, the third force in Sikh politics is Amritpal Singh's Shiromani Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De). Dangerous forces, especially the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), are exploiting this.

He tweets often, at length, and almost always in Punjabi (Gurmukhi). Now, it's filled with visuals of the flood havoc. Opposition to "Dilli" (New Delhi) is central to Sikh religious politics, and Giani Ji was quick to latch on to the Prime Minister's tweet on Afghanistan and wrote in English, for once. "Mr Prime Minister," he wrote, "it is good that you expressed sympathy for Afghanistan, but Punjab is also a part of this country, where nearly 1,500 villages and 300,000 people have been badly affected since August 17. Your lack of attention towards Punjab is extremely painful." He followed this up with a three-page letter to the Prime Minister and posted it on his X handle.

Now, we know that the Prime Minister spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann immediately on his return and promised all support. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is in flood-affected areas, mostly on his feet, often in knee-deep water, checking out uprooted shoots, even trying to replant the odd one.

For the drowning Punjabis, however, this is no consolation.