1.Mobs, cops, netas: Punjab lynchings are as disturbing as the response of state’s politicians and the police

Two lynchings following what’s been termed as sacrilegious conduct, first, at the Golden Temple and then at a Kapurthala gurdwara, raise several worrying questions about policing, politics and religious tensions in Punjab. Deliberate attempts at desecrating any place of worship of any community are reprehensible – but chilling mob justice is even more disturbing. All the more so when lynchings don’t immediately put the police into action and politicians, cutting across party lines, fail to condemn what can only be described as murder by a mob.

Particularly reprehensible was Congress state unit chief Navjot Sidhu’s call for public execution of the sacrilege accused. This is unconscionable coming from a man who aspires to be chief minister but it demonstrates the extent to which leaders are prepared to go in stoking religious aggression for votes. Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Sidhu’s arch foe in power politics, was little better than his rival when he suggested there’s a conspiracy. Crying conspiracy may be part of a politician’s SOP. But some restraint is necessary for a CM when he knows full well that such statements can only encourage more mob action.

Some have argued that the police and CBI failure to solve the 2015 sacrilege incidents, which remain a raw wound for many Sikhs, have created conditions conducive to such violent mob action. Even if that is true, a collective sense of justice not being done cannot be either a reason or an excuse for lynchings. But signals from politicians and the administration seem to suggest – appallingly – that mob justice is okay. Those who committed the murders must be caught and punished. However, chances of that happening seem as remote in Punjab as they are in other states where the police mostly wink at violence carried out in the name of a religion that has self-proclaimed political backers. Mobs are energised by political dog whistles. But if politicians of all kinds, at all levels and across parties reckon elections justify such not-so-veiled target identification exercises, it is anyone’s guess where all this will end up.

In Punjab, such dark possibilities have the added dimension of it being a state awash with narcotics and one that borders Pakistan. The state also has to contend with Hindu-Sikh divides, which can get exploited as election campaigns heat up. Plus, there’s the ever-present worry about the ghost of militancy. And to top it all, Punjab doesn’t even have a full-time DGP.

2.Courting the stans: India’s outreach to central Asia is vital to counter the China-Pakistan axis

India’s big push to boost its ties with all five central Asian nations – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – received another shot in the arm with the foreign ministers of these countries flying down to New Delhi to attend the third central Asia dialogue over the weekend. This comes on the heels of the announcement that the presidents of these nations will be chief guests at next month’s Republic Day celebrations. It is also noteworthy that the national security advisers of the five nations participated in the India-hosted regional security dialogue on Afghanistan in November. In fact, central Asian republics have been tracking closer to the Indian position on Afghanistan, opposing foreign interference and use of Afghan soil for terror activities. This is in stark contrast to Pakistan’s and China’s approach, which is betting solely on Taliban to stabilise Afghanistan.

While there is no denying that the Afghan situation has galvanised India’s latest outreach to central Asian republics, there is also much scope for independent cooperation in trade, energy and connectivity. Interestingly, during their visit, central Asian foreign ministers agreed that connectivity initiatives should be based on principles of transparency and respect for sovereignty – the formulation is used by India to oppose China’s opaque Belt and Road projects that have already seen countries fall into debt traps and sign away strategic assets. Against this backdrop, central Asian republics are looking to hedge against China’s massive presence in their countries. And India with its expertise in sectors such as IT, space and medicine offers the perfect fit.

In return, central Asian republics with their massive natural resources – from gas to uranium – can fuel India’s next phase of industrialisation. While the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project may be all but dead, efforts should redouble on linking Iran’s Chabahar port with the International North-South Transport Corridor. This will give India direct access to central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. Strategically countering the China-Pakistan axis requires India to start looking north.

3.The quartet of hope: On BWF World badminton championships

Indian men thrived on badminton’s big stage and returned with two medals

Coming as it did after some ordinary showings in the Olympic year, the performances of K. Srikanth, Lakshya Sen and H.S. Prannoy in the recent BWF World badminton championship provided the proverbial ‘silver lining’. The trio, ranked between 14 and 19 in the world, gate-crashed into the quarter-finals, before young Lakshya claimed the bronze and Srikanth gave the country its first world silver in men’s singles. This heart-warming display lessened the disappointment following defending women’s champion P.V. Sindhu’s quarter-final loss. In fact, the true magnitude and timing of the performance of these men could be understood better when seen against the backdrop of the failed crop of Indian teen talent in the past decade. If no serious talent has emerged in the last decade among the ladies, the recent rise of Lakshya is an exception in the dismal scenario in men’s singles. A closer look reveals that India has only one serious pair each in men’s doubles and women’s doubles but none in mixed doubles. For all the government funding in badminton from the days leading to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the present scenario fails to inspire confidence. In addition, the fitness concerns of Saina Nehwal and B. Sai Praneeth leave Indian badminton in a serious quality crunch.

Given this background, what Srikanth, 28, and Lakshya, 20, achieved in Huelva, Spain, was very significant. With COVID-related restrictions playing havoc with the training and competition schedules of the players worldwide, it was great to see the Indians getting their act together on the big stage and returning with two medals. Lakshya was indeed a revelation on his way to the semi-final before losing to Srikanth. In fact, he led his senior compatriot in the deciding game but Srikanth’s experience made the decisive difference. Personally, for Srikanth, the silver was worth its weight in gold. Without a significant international title since 2017, the former World No. 1 has fought poor form and fitness for a long time. Once the Indonesian coach, Mulyo Handoyo, the trainer of former Olympic champion, Taufik Hidayat, left India in December 2017 before completing his term as a coach, Srikanth’s career graph nosedived. The recent confidence-building performance and the prospects of Mulyo returning to India to take charge of coaching in the New Year should rejuvenate Srikanth. Lakshya should be hungry after exceeding expectations and making his presence felt on one of the sport’s biggest stages. He needs to pay more attention to his fitness. Prannoy and Praneeth, both 29 and semi-finalists at the 2010 World junior championship, are still keen to realise their potential. In all, the quartet sure holds hope in the upcoming season.

4.A strategic bulwark: On third India-Central Asia Dialogue

India must redouble efforts towards Central Asia to counter the ‘Great Game’ rivalries

The third India-Central Asia Dialogue convened by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday is one in a series of timely connections to the region by New Delhi this year, spurred in some measure by events in Afghanistan. The dialogue has been held a month before leaders of all five Central Asian Republics (CARs) come to New Delhi as chief guests for the Republic Day celebrations, and a month after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s “Regional Security Dialogue” with his CAR counterparts to discuss Afghanistan. Among the issues discussed on Sunday were extending “immediate” humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, increasing trade, and improving connectivity. It is significant that the CAR Foreign Ministers chose to come to New Delhi, an indicator that India’s outreach to Central Asia, a region neglected by South Block for several decades, is being reciprocated. The joint statement, that they share a “broad regional consensus” on Afghanistan, is apt, given that, like India, all the Central Asian neighbours of Afghanistan worry about the threat of terrorism, radicalisation, narcotics, and refugees. However, unlike India, most of the CARs maintain bilateral talks with the Taliban regime; Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have reopened missions there. Trade between India and Central Asia has long languished below $2 billion, with all sides keen to grow this. In addition, India’s $1 billion Line of Credit for projects in Central Asia, and connectivity initiatives such as Chabahar port, the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline were all part of the dialogue.

 

While the strengthening of India-Central Asia ties and a revival of their traditional, historical and cultural links are much needed, it is also important to recognise the geopolitical cross-currents that complicate such efforts. While Russia continues to wield influence in the CAR governments, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and $100 billion trade (by some estimates) have made it a central figure in the region. The U.S. has also been seeking a foothold in the region, especially after Afghanistan. Meanwhile, India’s land connectivity to Central Asia is hampered by Pakistan which is building strong links and transit trade agreements with each of the CARs. The alternative route, via Iran’s Chabahar, has received a setback after the Taliban takeover of Kabul, and the development of the Indian-managed Shahid Beheshti terminal there continues to suffer due to the threat of American sanctions. While India has strengthened ties with other parts of Asia, it must now redouble its efforts towards Central Asia if it is to counter the ‘Great Game’ rivalries playing out in the region, and reclaim its shared history with countries that are an important market, a source for energy, and also a bulwark against the threats of extremism and

5.Punjab: The volatile mix of politics and religion

The incidents themselves are disturbing, also because the alleged perpetrators were immediately lynched

In Punjab, politics and religion make for a volatile mix, often with serious consequences, evident in the state’s tumultuous past. The two alleged desecrations at Sikh shrines this past week, followed by the lynching of two accused, have revived a sense of foreboding weeks away from the assembly polls. There is disquiet because Punjab is a border state, which successfully fought off an insurgency in the 1980s (although there have been sporadic efforts, from Pakistan and extremist Sikh groups based in other countries, to revive the demand for a Sikh state). There is disquiet because Punjab, in many ways, is India’s first line of defence, and one of its most important agrarian states. There is disquiet because Punjab, the heart of the 14-month-long farm protest that saw the repeal of three farm laws, is headed into elections where, right now, the field seems wide open.

The incidents themselves are disturbing, also because the alleged perpetrators were immediately lynched. The first, on December 19, occurred during evening prayers at Amritsar’s Golden Temple where a man jumped over the railings to try and grab the sacred “kirpan”. As the hymn recitals at the shrine are telecast live, the alleged sacrilege went viral, and even before the police could intervene, the alleged offender, whose identity is unclear, was beaten to death by the crowd. The second alleged sacrilege was reported the next day from a village gurdwara in Kapurthala district where the accused, also unidentified, met with instant death by the mob, though details are awaited on what happened. Given the current context, the two incidents (and the lynchings) must be adequately and thoroughly investigated to understand the motivations, and, if there is a larger conspiracy, to identify the people and agencies behind it. Punjab should not be allowed to come to a boil – for that will be bad for all of India.