It keeps us going

Beant Singh

IN June 1984, when the Army laid  siege to the Golden Temple in particular and Punjab in general, I was appearing in the last semester examination for MA (English) at the Institute of Advanced Studies on the Meerut University campus. Though outwardly things were normal there, the Army operation in Amritsar created ripples in my mind, as I was the only turbaned Sikh on the campus. Uneasiness and disquiet were palpable on my face, for the sanctity of Darbar Sahib had been defiled. Every Sikh is emotionally attached to it, and so was I.

Being a Sikh, that too from the countryside of Punjab, I was often taken as a representative of my community on the campus. Prior to the Army action, I would be wittingly or unwittingly engaged by fellow students and research scholars in debates and discussions on what had rocked Punjab in the early ’80s. For every act of commission and omission that hogged headlines in newspapers, I would be asked to explain, as if I were a great politician. Sometimes, I would incur the ire of some of them for no fault of mine. At that time, I was too young to understand the contours of Punjab politics and its complexity, but whatever little I was familiar with, I shared with them. I tried to explain that certain genuine demands put forward by the regional party for the welfare of Punjab, under the banner of Dharma Yudh Morcha, and the subsequent dilly-dallying approach of the Centre had allowed the situation to drift, which turned volatile with each passing day. My anguish was as acute following the Army action as when a person from the Hindu community  was killed in Punjab during that dark period. These discussions would take place in a friendly ambience, with no malice toward anyone, and in no way   did those deliberations affect my relations with fellow students.

However, within me a sort of turmoil was eating into my soul and body. I was ashamed to face students and felt that humiliation and ignominy had been heaped upon me. All justification that raged in my mind with regard to the storming of the Golden Temple would not go down well with me. For a couple of days, I avoided talking to my friends, and felt as if I were all alone. One morning, a group of students, including senior research scholars, walked into my hostel room, and to my utter surprise, expressed their heart-felt concern over the occurrences in Amritsar. One of them placed his hand on my shoulder, soothing my frayed nerves, saying that the Army action was a national stigma and unnecessary under all circumstances. 

The realisation dawned upon me that come what may, the bonding among fellow Indians would remain strong. We empathise with our countrymen when an occasion arises, and this is what keeps India going strong.