The fresh round of farmers’ agitation, which has come right before the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule, is set to pose a major challenge for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab that is already struggling to win the confidence of Sikhs, a majority of whom are agriculturists.
If the agitation escalates, BJP leaders are worried they may be faced with the same hostilities that they endured during the 13-month-long stir against farm laws in 2020-21, when farmers had even barred the entry of saffron party leaders in their villagers.
In an attempt to mend fences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not just announced the withdrawal of farm laws on the occasion of Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary on November 19, 2021, he had also made several subsequent attempts pacify the community.
On January 9, 2022, the PM had announced to celebrate December 26 every year as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, to mark the martyrdom of Sahibzada Baba Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Baba Fateh Singh. The PM also participated in the two mega celebrations of Veer Bal Diwas along with all Union ministers.
The PM also hosted Sikh religious leaders at his official residence twice last year – in February and April 2022.
{{/usCountry}}The PM also hosted Sikh religious leaders at his official residence twice last year – in February and April 2022.
{{/usCountry}}This was followed by BJP bringing Sikh leaders to its fold in Punjab and giving prominence to those with farming background.
The appointment of Iqbal Singh Lalpura as the chairman of the National Minority Commission and Parliamentary Board of the BJP and elevation of Sunil Jakhar as the state unit chief was also part of the BJP’s strategy to make inroads into rural hinterland dominated by peasants.
Even the recent nomination of Chandigarh University chancellor Satnam Singh Sandhu, a Jat Sikh, as Rajya Sabha member was done with an eye on Sikh support ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
The party which was once considered to be restricted to the state’s Hindu-dominated urban areas now has Sikh faces on almost 50% of its key posts.
The party had even distributed a booklet in the state with title ‘Modi’s love for Sikhs’ in which removal of GST on langar, removing Sikhs from ‘Black List’ and opening up of Kartarpur Corridor was projected as major decisions.
Now, with farmers again upping the ante against the Modi government, a section of the BJP, especially those who have joined the party recently, are worried the situation may go against them.
“We are praying for the agitation to end in the next couple of days. Otherwise, it will definitely bring the party back to the spot where it was during first agitation,” said a general secretary of the party who is a Sikh.
This is also why Jakhar and other Sikh faces of the party have steered clear of making any comments on the protests, hoping that the agitation may fizzle out. Jakhar was not available for comments despite several attempts to reach him.