These happenings have wider implications in view of the reports that Pakistan's ISI is again trying to revive separatist terrorism in Punjab by encouraging Sikh religious extremists. Both the Centre and Punjab's top police officers have been warning that ISI is trying to use the Pakistan-based Sikh terrorists to foment trouble in Punjab. Despite these warnings and arrests of some suspected terrorists and recovery of arms and ammunition, the state's ruling leaders have been saying that there is no danger of terrorism's revival in Punjab

How communal tensions have been building up is indicated by the following incidents.

First it was the clashes between some Sikh groups and Dera Sacha Sauda followers most of whom are Dalits and from lower classes. Then it was the violence in Jalandhar during Dera Sachkhand followers protests against the killing of their spiritual leader in Vienna by some Sikh extremists. The Dera which represents the Ravidassia community severed its age-old ties with Sikhism by creating a separate “Ravidassia Dharam”. This was followed by violent incidents involving Sikh radicals against the congregation of Ashutosh Maharaj of the Divya Jyoti Jagran Sansthan in Ludhiana leading to killing of one person and communal tension. One of the leading organizers of the congregation was a BJP leader. The same day there were clashes in Ludhiana between the protesting migrant workers and some villagers following the migrants protests against the police's failure to act on their complaints against criminal elements who were looting and harassing them, particularly on their pay days.

The latest incident is the protests by the Christian community in the state against showing of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette in one hand and a beer glass in the other in a Hindu religious function's hoarding in Jalandhar depicting deities of all religions. These protests led to the burning of a Church and some shops and imposition of curfew.

The main cause behind these incidents is the charge of hurting religious sentiments of particular communities. These events belie the Akali-BJP claim that their unity is the biggest guarantee for communal harmony in Punjab.

The modes of agitations by disgruntled sections of the people have also changed. Although protests, sloganeering, sit-downs and hunger strikes continue, the new trend of their protests includes the climbing on tops of water tanks and self-immolation. Recently, Education Guarantee Schemes volunteer Kiranjit Kaur of Faridkot immolated herself after mounting a community water tank. After some days, three Elementary Teachers Training-passed (ETT) teachers tried to set themselves on fire in front of Education Minister's residence. Many employees of Cooperative Sugar Mill in Faridkot climbed a community water tank last week threatening suicide if they were not paid their salaries of 22 months.

Delay in payment of salaries to the employees including those of Education department and providing employment have become the biggest grouse of Government employees leading to their growing protests. Apparently the main reason for delayed payment of salaries is the acute financial crisis the government has been facing and the ruling leadership's lop-sided priorities prompted by its electoral politics. These factors coupled with poor governance are impeding Punjab's development. In this context, Education and Health which are often touted as the Centre's and Punjab's top priorities are the worst sufferers. Ironically, in this era of women empowerment, both Education and Health portfolios are with women ministers, Akali Dal's Upinderjeet Kaur and BJP's Lakshmi Kanta Chawla.

When they find themselves in tricky situations on the law and order, situation, ruling politicians usually find escape by claiming that “the law will take its own course”. But when they themselves are involved in corruption, disproportionate assets or criminal cases, law is seldom allowed to take its own course. This happened in the Delhi bar's Jessica Lal murder case, the disproportionate assets cases against the Badals and the former SGPC Chief Bibi Jagir Kaur's case in which she is the main accused in her daughter Harpreet Kaur murder ten years ago. The latest case in which the law has not been allowed to take its own course is that of corruption charge against the Punjab Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon. The CBI had indicted him for his role in the recruitment scam of panchayat secretaries when he was a minister in the 1997-2002 Akali-BJP government. But the Punjab cabinet in its December 23, 2009 meeting, decided not to grant sanction to the CBI for prosecution of Kahlon. All five BJP cabinet ministers did not attend the cabinet meeting.

Notwithstanding the ruling leadership's claims about its ambitious plans to develop Punjab, improve government's performance and ensure communal harmony, things are happening in the opposite direction. If such trends continue, the situation in Punjab may turn unpredictable. The anti-incumbency sentiment will become a wave. In anti-incumbency waves, ruling parties can never hope to ride back to power. The present situation is a warning signal for the Akali-BJP coalition which will have to face the electorate in 2012. (IPA Service)