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Editorial

Why Capt Amarinder Singh didn't hail victory of Jagmeet Singh leader of NDP in Canada?

PUNJAB NEWS EXPRESS | October 06, 2017 01:32 PM

By Swati Walia
CHANDIGARH: On October 2, 2017 when Jagmeet Singh was declared first Sikh leader to head New Democratic Party (NDP), a federal political party of Canada, the Sikhs world over burst into jubiliations. The Sikh leaders from across the globe messaged first non-white leader of NDP except Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

While Captain Amarinder Singh refrained from complimenting Jagmeet Singh, unexpected felicitation came from Sukhbir Singh Badal, President Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) whose party faced ire of Punjabi Non-Resident Indians(NRIs) during last assembly elections.

Jagmeet Singh is considered close to radical Sikhs organisations and even BJP led NDA government had expressed apprehensions on development fearing it might give fuel to separatist Khalistani movement in Canada. This may be one reason the leaders of two main stream political parties in India, the Congress and BJP to maintain silence. Since Jagmeet Singh belonged to Punjab and brought honour for whole Indian diaspora, it was expected political leaders of Punjab would join the NDP leader in his victory.

Capt Amarinder Singh might have different reasons to choose his preference of ignoring the success of Jagmeet Singh who incidently belonged to Patiala, the hometown of Capt Amarinder Singh. It was rather moment of great pride for residents of Patiala to celebrate the occassion. Jagmeet Singh had risen in ranks of a leading political party in foreign shores and would be in race to become next Prime Minister of Canada. His party had won 44 seats in last federal elections and next election is due in 2019.The matriotic rise of Jagmeet Singh can change the Canada's history for ever, if being member of a minority community, he occupies the high office.

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Capt Amarinder Singh had earlier choose to boycott the official visit of visiting Canadian defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan on the plea that his government encourage Khalistani elements on Canadian land. His stand was driven by sheer anger against protests against him(Capt Amarinder) when he went to US and Canada to campaign for his party before Punjab assembly elections. He had to cancel his Canada visit due to threats by radicals.

But not welcoming the victory of Jagmeet Singh seems to have different reasons for Capt Amarinder Singh. Jagmeet Singh happens to be grand son of freedom fighter Sewa Singh Theekriwala who was a founder leader of the Praja Mandal movement in Patiala, a former princely state. The then Patiala state Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was deadly against movement launched by Sewa Singh Theekrawala against the british rulers.

Born in 1982, TheekriwalA was allegedly tortured to death by the ancestors of Capt Amarinder Singh. He was jailed three times by the rulers of Patiala state for leading freedom struggle against British Government.

In 1931 when Sewa Singh Theekriwal was put in prison for the third time, he was put to all kinds of physical hardships. He was put in solitary confinement. Forced to languish in extremely difficult conditions, he finally succumbs to sustsaineds torture in jail on the midnight of January 20, 1935.

The scars of torture on Sewa Singh Theekriwala are still alive in the minds of residents of Patiala. In the independent India, a statue of Theekriwal is installed in Patiala and the round about is named after him. Sewa Singh Theekriwala who also served as official in Patiala state was the President of the Riyasat Parjamandal Party during the reign of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala and the British.

Jagmeet Singh's father Dr.Jagtar Singh and mother urmit Kaur lived in Patiala before they migrated to Canada. Jagmeet Singh who was born in Canada on January 2, 1979 had spent some time of his childhood in Patiala. Jagmeet faced racist remarks in school and used to fight with the white children for commenting about his long hairs.He is a criminal lawyer and led protests against 1984 Delhi massacre of Sikhs after assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. His stand against Congress party's protection to killers of Sikhs has irked the Congress leaders. Jagmeet was denied Indian VISA by the Congress government.

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