Manmohan Singh Phenomena: India’s Grand Strategy of controlling thought of Sikhs
By Parmjit Singh
Published: July 2, 2010
Ethno-political phenomena, everywhere in the world, have some common traits; one of then is thought control strategy on subjected group. The dominant group used this strategy on subject group by applying psychological weapons, out of which important psychological weapon is to co-opt the leaders from subject groups by the dominant group. William Safaran writes, in his article published in International Political Science Review (January 1994), that “for dominance on social organizations of society, the dominant group ‘buy of’ or co-opt subordinate group leaders to maintain status-quo. Alternatively, the co-opted ethnic leaders may function as agents to pressure ethnic minorities to tone down their particular demands.” The dominant group will isolate a subordinate group, then negotiate with the latter’s leaders used as device for maintaining control by indirect means.
In almost every ethno-nationalist conflict the dominant group not only suppress the ethno-nationalist feelings among subjective groups by coercion but also use reward and co-option strategy for controlling the minds of the members of subordinate group. For this purpose the dominant group select some elites from the subordinate groups, appoint them on some vital official positions. The severity of the ethno-nationalist feelings among the subordinate group determine the nature of the official positions on which the co-opted leaders are to be appointed.
The containment of Sikh ethno-nationalism by India is an important example of this phenomena. It is not a mere coincidence that both dominant Indian parties i.e. Congress and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) whole heartedly accepted the appointments of Sikhs on the India’s highest political offices. Is it not a strange phenomena that India silently accepted the Sikh as a Prime Minister, as a Deputy Speaker of Indian Parliament, Chief of the Staff of Indian Army and Vice chairman of powerful political body of Planning Commission of India. Notably, before these whole sale appointments India never appointed Sikhs in such a large numbers on highest political offices. The moot point is what was the compulsion of Indian establishment that led it to such whole sale appointment? A staunch opponent of Sikhs nationalism, Harjot Oberoi’s observation that Sikh fundamentalists brought India into the state of siege during 1980-90s clarifies the Indian compulsion to co-opt and appoint Sikhs in above mentioned manner, for containing the further development of ethno-nationalism.
Even in Punjab, the homeland of Sikhs, the major Sikh party; Shiromani Akali Dal’s policy to make it a ‘Punjabi Party’ by deleting the word ‘Sikh’ from its’ constitution, also shows the powerful use of thought control strategy initiated by Indian State. It is not only the leaders and whole SAD the religious heads and the Sikh intellectuals become the easy prey of this opprobrium. The fact, that Giani Zail Singh was President of India and the (symbolic) Supreme Commander of Armed forces in India, when Indian Army attacked Sri Darbar Sahib (commonly called the Golden Temple, Amritsar) in 1984, is a clear example of effective use of co-option strategy, in case of Sikhs, by Indian establishments.
After 1992, which marks the trend of downfall in Sikh armed struggle, these co-opted jugglers have been making the mockery of Sikh tenets at large scales. Even the Indian Prime Minister is not an exception. Rather, after co-opting him as the PM of India from a compulsion to choose week and loyal politician, the Congress party made him a phenomena for controlling the psyche of Sikhs. On the other hand a large number of Sikhs are enjoying and celebrating their thrall by hailing appointment of Dr. Manmohan Singh as PM. The Sikhs, who are victims of this phenomena, failed to understand the real motives behind Manmohan Singh’s co-option as the Sikh Prime Minister of India. The Congress party, or more precisely the Gandhi Family, killed many birds with a single arrow: First, it quelled the staunch opposition of Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister of India by BJP; second, it avoided the fear of the rise of any alternative power-centre outside the Gandhi family; thirdly and mainly, through this appointment by the congress party, the Indian State is applying a thought control strategy for containing the ethno-nationalist feeling in Sikhs.
The position of Dr. Manmohan Singh, as a chosen Prime Minister of India; along with his words and deeds, reflects the position of Sikhs in relation to Indian State. In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Congress used his ‘Sikh image’ to induce Sikhs to vote for it. Dr. Manmohan Singh approved it silently throughout the election process for almost six month. But just before the last day of elections he, while in Punjab, declared that he was not in favor of asking for votes in the name of religion, and further that, he was firstly ‘an Indian’ and afterwards ‘any thing else’. A question arises that what was the compulsion before the ‘Sikh Prime Minister’ that he did not declared, even at secondary place, that he was a Sikh? The answer to this question lies in the understanding of phenomena discussed here, and what ever is done and said by Dr. Manmohan Singh during his recent meetings with Canadian PM, is just a small reflection.
Tagged with: Indian State, Sikh Struggle
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I was browsing all things Indian when I came across your this very interesting piece by Mr.Parmjit Singh. As an Indian and a Malayalee now based in the US, I’m always intrigued to see how the different communities in India are always jockeying for power. Its a shame that even in the US you have an umpteen number of “Indian” associations based on religious and regional affiliation. It may be wishful thinking on my part but I hope that there comes a time when Indians start thinking themselves as Indians first.
when dr. manmohan singh was elected as prime minister of india in 2002 i felt that wounds of 1984 have been healed. when i shared this feeling with a fellow in my college his reaction surprised me. he said manmohan singh will do no gud to sikhs because he is not elected but selected by congress or in other words by sonia gandhi advised by comrade HKS surjeet. i told him that his mindset was just infected and he always think otherwise and can not think in right way.
When s. manmohan singh apologized in parliament for november 1984, i was satisfied but my friend told that it was no apology. i again told him that he was totally of infected mind and can never think the right way.
dr. manmohan singh has been prime minister for almost 7 years till now, but now i feel that words of my friend have proved right but now there are others who say that my mind is infected and i use to think otherwise and can not think the right way.
Let me tell you some instances that shook me and forced me to think otherwise:
I was shocked when dr manmohan singh did not pay any attention to requests of many sections of sikhs to raise the issue of lifting of turban ban in France with president of France, when he was in India and met indian pm.
i thought much that what could be the reason for not uttering few words in support of demand of a community to which pm himself belong and for a symbol which distinct him among all world leaders? this question disturbed me for weeks … but at that time i was not able to find answer.
When sajjan kumar and jagdish tytler were alloted tickets i expected that pm will object but he never objected. my college friend rang to ask about my view that “wounds of 1984 are healed.”? I was unable to understand what was happening and why manmohan singh was silent?
When Sikhs for justice and AISSF started highlighting issue of injustice to victims of 1984 i was some what satisfied that at-least some one has raised the voice for justice and truth. jasbir singh a witness against jagdish tytler asked for time to meet dr manmohan singh, i read the news and was expecting that pm will allow jasbir singh to meet and listen his matter and will praise sikhs for justice and lawyers fighting legally on behalf of victims. but this time too dr manmohan singh neither gave time nor praised these efforts. but the worse was to come yet. he attacked internationally and openly on sikhs for justice and said that these sikhs were militants and no good even for canada where petition for sikh genocide has been filed.
I called my friend and Asked for meeting with him. I asked him how did he know in 2002 that manmohan singh will do no good for sikhs. he gave many reasons and facts. one of them was that at the time of narsimha rao government dr. manmohan singh was holding a high post and as a representative of india he told a human rights forum of UN that at that time no violations of human rights was taking place in punjab. he said this in reply to demands raised by international human rights bodies that there must be independent investigation for human rights abuses in punjab. Jaswant singh khalra who was a human rights activist proved that at that time there was mass level human rights abuse happening in punjab. those who still question about human rights abuse in punjab must visit website of national human rights commission of india or tribune (english) to find list of 2097 sikh killed in fake encounters by police, crpf and bsf and cremated illegally. this figure is of just 3 sub-devisions of punjab.
i think that manmohan singh was sent to tell a lie to the un because he was a sikh and his words would be taken as true. even what he said about sikhs of canada was aimed at defaming sikhs through words of indian pm, who is also a sikh.
now i can under stand whole matter and as parmjeet bhaji has said it happens in all struggle and people from suppressed partied as chosen to attack the basis of struggle of that party. i have suggested many to read this article, many agree to it but there are some who say that views of parmjeet singh are also infected and would infect others. but i feel that this infection is AWARENESS which must be there to understand what is happening around us?
Forgive for mistakes (bhul-bhuk maaf). Harkirat Singh.
The Congress leadership is smart one way and knows how to use Sikh political leaders for their benefit. Indira Gandhi used Zail Singh to show the world that a Sikh President and Supreme Commander of Indian army had ordered army to attack the Golden Temple. Similarly when Rajeev Gandhi was getting thousands of innocent Sikhs killed in 1984 Sikh Genocide, he was using Zail Singh and Buta Singh as the Sikh leaders receiving all the foreign dignitaries giving them impression that Sikhs are running the Govt. And now Sonia Gandhi is using MMS to counter Sikhs in western countries who are trying to tell the world that Sikhs are being discriminated and no justice provided to them. But Sonia tells the world that a Sikh MMS is the PM and controlling the Indian Govt. The Gandhi family has always succeeded to use these figure head Sikh leaders to present to the world that India is very fair to Sikhs and despite being a very small minority the Sikhs are controlling the Govt.