Sikh freedom fighter Narain Singh Chaura is hitting headlines these days. Upset over the sins committed by Sukhbir Badal, who did not only damaged the Sikhs across the world and their top religio-political institutions, but also played role in 2015 sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, Chaura resorted to shoot Badal outside Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) on December 4, while the latter was acting as ‘sewadar’ there to undergo tankhah (religious punishment) awarded by Akal Takht Sahib for his sins. 

Though Sukhbir escaped unhurt and bid to assassinate him is drawing mixed response, Chaura and his contribution to Sikh freedom struggle came to limelight. 

While he was attempting to shoot Sukhbir Badal, Chaura was arrested by the Indian police. In Police custody, Chaura is not being allowed to meet any of his family members. His version has not surfaced yet about his act.

While a section of Sikhs is hailing his act keeping in view of sins of Badal family which has been controlling over the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for decades, other section has expressed disagreement over the choice of the place for awarding such a punishment that Indian legal system could never give to him nor there is hope for same. This section said Sri Darbar Sahib should have been spared as place of assassination.  Another section say that Sukhbir was undergoing religious punishment after making confession about his sins publicly, so it was not the right time to shoot him. 

However, all Sikhs, barring Akali Dal Badal members, are not against the bid of Narain Singh Chaura, who is 68-year-old and a noted Sikh author who penned down more than dozen of books on present Sikh struggle. 

Narain Singh Chaura transcribed historic lectures of great Sikh martyr of 20^thcentury Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and compiled them in a book. He along with veteran Sikh journalist Karamjit Singh collected important documents related to present Sikh struggle which started from 1947 when British rulers ended their colonial rule over Indian sub-continent, but deprived Sikhs of their statehood right. These historic documents including Anandpur Sahib resolution and Amritsar Declaration were put up in two volumes of a large-size book. 

GB Sidhu, retired officer of Indian controversial intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) which works in India as well as foreign countries, recently authored a book entitled ‘Conspiracy of Khalistan’. In this book, he puts Sikh struggle for sovereignty in poor light and endorsed the narrative spread by the Indian agencies. Through a book entitled ‘Khalistan De Virudh Sajish’ (conspiracy against Khalistan), Narain Singh Chaura gave a befitting reply to the former Indian officer with evidences. 

Narain Singh Chaura also penned a novel on Sikh struggle. His books also include ‘Lalkar’, ‘Pandhi’, ‘Tandav Naach’, ‘Guerilla Jang’, ‘Panthic Masle’, ‘Baar Parye Baisna’, ‘Khalistan Da Painda’, ‘Julam Di Intaha’, ‘Khalistan Da Sangharsh’, ‘Shahadat Da Sach’ and ‘Sarbat Khalsa’. 

However, the Indian mainstream media which also dances on the tunes of Indian State and its agencies, left no stone unturned to project him as a villain. He was dubbed as “dreaded terrorist” and “hardcore criminal” citing that he has faced as many as 31 “terror related” cases, even as he was acquitted in almost all these cases, as per his defence counsel Advocate Jagdeep Singh Randhawa. 

 A Sikh activist comments on the case: “Why did an educated 70-year-old finally feel the need to take someone’s life and subsequently risk his own life? Is it that the religious punishment handed over by the Akal Takht to guilty Akalis including Sukhbir has failed to calm the hurt feelings of Narain Singh? The Sikhs want to know the answers to these questions. We’re sure you too want to know the real reason behind the attack”.

Pro-freedom Sikh political leader and three-times Member of Parliament Simranjit Singh Mann said, “If an old-aged writer is lifting weapons to shoot Sukhbir Badal and taking a law in his hand, it means that Sukhbir Badal does not get the punishment that he deserved keeping in view of his heinous crime”. 

His dedication toward and his mission and ideological maturity can be gauged from a story published by The Indian Express, a reputed English newspaper. 

The story reads, “Senior police officers spoke to The Indian Express to disclose that Chaura had a very high degree of ideological motivation with separatist tendencies as was demonstrated by his consistent conduct over the past nearly three decades”.

“Even at the age of 68, he shows no sign of slowing down or toning down his extremist temperament. What we want to know from him is if he planned the entire thing on his own or whether he had been put up by someone else,” the Indian Express quoted a police officer as saying. 

Notably, rank and file of Akali Dal Badal which is headed by Sukhbir, is running a drive to spread Indian State’s propaganda against the struggling Sikhs on pretext of targeting Narain Singh Chaura. Badal made the SGPC executive committee appeal to the Akal Takht jathedar to excommunicate Narain Singh Chaura. However, the Sikh segments have taken serious note of this drive. 

Representatives of several Sikh organizations on December 10 organized a press conference at Jalandhar Press Club, during which they appeal to the Sikh highest temporal seat to confer title of “Panthic Yodha” (community warrior) on Narain Singh Chaura and demanded Sukhbir Badal be excommunicated from Panth. 

Row over tossing turban of Narain Singh Chaura

It is worth mentioning here that a pawn of Sukhbir Badal tossed turban of Narain Singh Chaura when he had been arrested by the Police. This act has hurt sentiments of the Sikhs.  

The Sikh organization Dal Khalsa few days ago submitted a memorandum to Jathedar Akal Takht Sahib Giani Raghbir Singh, seeking exemplary punishment against the Badal Dal activist who removed the turban of Narain Singh Chaura. 

“Narain Singh has been playing a pro-active role since the days of Dharam Yudh Morcha in 1982. He is a known face in every section of the panth and Punjab . He has a warrior mindset. He is a true and committed Khalistani and for the fulfillment of the cause, he has faced police torture many times and has served long periods in jails. He can’t be allured nor he can be forced to bend”, reads the memorandum. 

It reads, “We do not know nor can we say anything with certainty that why he took an extreme step like attacking Sukhbir that too within the Darbar Sahib precinct ? Only Narain Singh himself can clarify on this matter. The police have arrested him and started legal proceedings against him under relevant sections. The law will take its own course. We have no regrets about it”. 

“Our objection and resentment is against the Akali activist who has deliberately insulted a GurSikh by removing his turban. We appeal to Akal Takht Sahib to take appropriate and immediate action against the youth Akali activist according to Sikh principles. This incident of dishonouring of turban has hurt the sentiments of thousands of Sikhs, and we are articulating those hurt sentiments by writing to you”, the memo reads further. 

Name of the Badal Dal activist is Jaspreet Singh Rana, who is the president of Pathankot district of Youth Akali Dal. 

Even Police officers are hesitating to call Narain Singh as “terrorist” in the press conferences, the Badal Dal leaders are not refraining from vilifying him and spitting venom from their mouths. As a result, they are facing backlash in the Sikh community.