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The Wire
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
The Rise of Sikh Orthodoxy and its Corrosive Influence on General Freedom of Thought in Punjab
Rajiv Thind The theocratic and political construction of Sikh history along with the rigid definition of Punjab's identity in narrowly Sikh and Punjabi-speaking terms, excludes and silences the region's most vulnerable communities. The Bathinda police briefing the media about the details of the murder of social media influencer Kamal Kaur alias Kanchan Tiwari. Photo: Videograb from In the Indian state of Punjab, a group of self-proclaimed defenders of the Sikh faith murdered social media content creator Kanchan Kumari (also known as Kamal Kaur) for posting videos they deemed vulgar and immoral. Kumari was reportedly strangled and left in a locked car. One of the accused, Amritpal Singh Mehron, released a video in which he proudly took responsibility for the killing, describing it as an act of 'moral purification' of Punjab. In the same video, he issued threats against others, including Deepika Luthra, who has since come forward expressing fear for her life. Prior to her death, Kumari had also received threats from a Canada-based Sikh gangster. In the aftermath, a Sikh woman lawyer publicly condemned Kumari, invoking the phrase Jaisi karni, vaisi bharni ('you get what you deserve'). In her videos, Kumari often spoke about sex and sexual acts. Mehron has since fled overseas and has been lionised on several Punjabi social media platforms. A YouTube channel conducted a sympathetic interview with him. Comments under the video are overwhelmingly supportive, with many praising the act and some offering prayers for the protection of Mehron and his accomplices. Many of the young women posting risqué content online come from marginalised socio-economic backgrounds and rely on this work for survival, with few alternative sources of income to support themselves and their families. While some of their content may veer into explicit territory – a grey area that social media platforms readily exploit – the regulation of such material is the responsibility of the state, not of vigilantes and criminals claiming to uphold religious or moral values. Mehron's hateful video, and the widespread support it has received, reveal a chilling rationalisation of murder. He and his supporters portray Kumari as an outsider – a non-Punjabi and a non-Sikh – accused of corrupting the cultural and religious purity of Punjab. Before assessing this bigoted rhetoric, it's important to place this tragedy within the broader context – examining how Sikh identity, extremism, and cultural policing are represented, and what is omitted from dominant narratives. The Western gaze and selective narratives In Western media and academic discourse, religious extremism in India is almost exclusively viewed through the lens of Hindutva – the majoritarian Hindu nationalist movement. Within this framework, all religious minorities – Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs – are cast primarily as victims of Hindu dominance. This narrative is further reinforced by segments of the Sikh diaspora in countries such as Canada, the UK and the US. Respected Sikh professionals and activists publish articles in major outlets like Time Magazine, with headlines such as ' Why India Is Targeting Sikhs at Home and Around the World, ' appealing to Western liberal ideals of minority rights and protection of the persecuted. Yet these voices remain conspicuously silent about violence perpetrated by Sikh extremists – both historical and ongoing – against dissenters and excluded communities. From the assassination of liberal Sikh journalist Tara Singh Hayer in 1998 in Canada (for opposing Khalistani terrorism), to murderous violence against Dalit Sikhs in Vienna in 2009 for challenging dominant-caste Sikh orthodoxy, a pattern emerges: internal critique of essentialist Sikh identity is ignored or suppressed brutally. Personal experience As I have written elsewhere, I grew up in Punjab during the turbulent 1980s and 90s. As per reports, at the height of militancy, state agents committed atrocities, but continued Sikh militant violence has also been devastating. I noticed and experienced the corrosive influence of Sikh orthodoxy on general freedom of thought and expression in Punjab. My issue is not with Sikhism itself – indeed, half my family comes from a Sikh background, and some of my dearest friends have been Sikhs. I hold deep respect for Guru Nanak's humane philosophy and historical Sikhism's inclusive ethos and egalitarianism. Instead, my concern lies with the rise of self-important Sikh orthodoxy (as analysed by Harjot Oberoi) and politicised Sikhism of the dominant-caste groups that glorify violence to project their power. Historical amnesia The dream of a Khalistani state is a dominant-caste fantasy of restoring a 'pure' Sikh kingdom. Yet, as the late Khushwant Singh – an atheist but culturally Sikh scholar and writer – reminds us, the Sikh aristocracy of the past was far from devout. The chiefs of Sikh misls (or militias) were more feudal than spiritual; they could be corrupt, their personal habits indulgent; one group, 'the Bhangis' were named after their 'founder's addiction to bhang (hashish)…' he writes in his monumental The Sikhs. Singh writes: 'As soon as the Sikhs settled down as landowners, property rights became hereditary and the disparity in wealth introduced an extraneous element in the choice of leadership.' When the Sikh confederacies eventually unified under Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century, his army and cabinet included large numbers of Muslims and Hindus. Punjab was – and remains – ethnically and religiously diverse. Ironically, modern Sikh attempts to purify Punjab on linguistic and religious lines have reduced it to a small state, with other regions going to the newly organised states like Haryana. The theocratic and political construction of Sikh history along with the rigid definition of Punjab's identity in narrowly Sikh and Punjabi-speaking terms, excludes and silences the region's most vulnerable communities. To cite one example, as suppressed Punjabi Dalits turn to Christianity for dignity, Sikh religious bodies express alarm. In this climate of hostility and control, a Christian pastor can be brazenly shot dead in public. Modern Sikh extremism and its soft targets An early instance of Sikh moral policing was the 1988 assassination of Amar Singh Chamkila, a wildly popular Dalit singer and musician, targeted for performing songs deemed vulgar. His murder set a precedent. In the years that followed, those punished for transgressing Sikh religious norms or Punjabi cultural values were almost always from marginalised socio-economic backgrounds. The 2024 biopic on Chamkila depicts how he was repeatedly hauled before Sikh religious courts to apologise. In one poignant scene, Chamkila quietly questions why he alone is being 'disciplined,' while other – usually upper-caste – musicians perform similar songs without repercussions. In contemporary Punjab and the Sikh diaspora in the West, Khalistani sympathisers often ignore pressing local issues – such as the systemic oppression of Dalits (who make up 32% of Punjab's population and are mostly landless), the struggles of women and the LGBTQ groups in a hyper-masculine culture, as well as the exploitation of migrant labourers from poor Hindi-speaking states. Meanwhile, Punjab has witnessed multiple incidents of lynching for alleged acts of blasphemy against the Sikh religion. The victims are almost always from poor, marginal backgrounds and receive little attention from mainstream media. One such killing drew widespread notice because it occurred at the holiest Sikh site, the Golden Temple. In another, a Dalit labourer was brutally hacked to death with swords over similar accusations. Migrant workers have been particularly vulnerable. These workers had arrived in Punjab during the agricultural boom of the 1970s and 1980s, many settling permanently and raising families. During the peak of Sikh militancy in the 1980s, these poor labourers – often Hindu, non-Punjabi, and from marginalised castes – could be killed to assert Sikh dominance. For example, in May 1990, over a dozen migrants were shot dead. A convenient morality What stands out in the current wave of moral policing is its selective nature. Young women like Kumari and Luthra – poor, vulnerable, Hindu, and lacking influential connections – are publicly threatened or even killed. In contrast, no such outrage is directed at wealthy or well-connected Punjabi celebrities who produce music and videos that glorify violence, upper-caste supremacy, sexism, or are overtly sexual. A few social media users have questioned why the self-appointed moral guardians remain silent about figures like Sunny Leone (born Karenjit Kaur Vohra), a Bollywood celebrity and former porn star of Sikh background. Leone's entry into Bollywood around 2012 arguably accelerated the mainstreaming and commercialisation of sexually explicit content in the entertainment industry, and influenced aspiring Indian female performers on social media platforms. Yet she remains largely shielded from belligerent critics because of wealth, influential connections, and a privileged caste status. In stark contrast, Mehron's video repeatedly dehumanises the murdered Kanchan Kumari, mocking her outsider and marginal status, using ethnic slurs like ' Bhaiya Rani [Bhaiya Princess] of UP and Bihar'. Bhayia is a derogatory term in Punjab commonly used to belittle Hindi-speaking migrant labourers, many of whom belong to marginalised Hindu castes or are socially disadvantaged. Kumari's surname was Tiwari, an upper class surname, and she ' grew up in Ludhiana's Lakshman Nagar, a congested neighbourhood of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar." By targeting convenient scapegoats, these moral policemen and their supporters are not defending the Sikh faith. Rather, they are exploiting religious sentiment for personal notoriety, commercial gain, political clout, and online attention. Mehron himself was a minor internet celebrity. This selective vigilantism seeks to consolidate power by controlling the bodies, voices, and identities of those least able to resist – individuals whose murder is unlikely to spark widespread outrage, attract global media scrutiny, or result in serious consequences for the perpetrators. Rajiv Thind holds a PhD in English from the University of Queensland. He is a writer, literary critic, and currently a visiting academic at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. 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Hans India
15-06-2025
- Hans India
Influencer Kamal Kaur Bhabhi's murder: Police custody of two accused extended by 3 days
A city court has extended the police custody of two accused by three more days, in the murder case of Kanchan Kumari, popularly known as Kamal Kaur Bhabhi. Earlier, the Bathinda Police had secured two-day custody of the two accused -- Jaspreet Singh and Nimratjit Singh. Both men, belonging to Nihangs sect, an order in Sikhism identified with distinct blue robes and turbans -- were produced in the city court today, after expiry of two-day police remand. With the accused being resent into three-day police custody, the cops will interrogate the duo and seek to extract information about their third associate and the main conspirator -- Amritpal Singh Mehron, who still remains at large. Mehron, believed to be the main suspect accused in Kamal Kaur Bhabhi murder case has been absconding after committing the grave offence and is currently said to be hiding in Dubai. The murder case of social media influencer gained widespread attention after the body of Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi was found inside a car in the parking lot, three days ago. The two accused -- Jaspreet Singh and Nimratjit Singh were arrested after the body of influencer was recovered from the car. Kamal Kaur Bhabhi was targeted by three Nihangs, for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Sikh community. According to police, the key mastermind Amritpal Singh Mehron plotted a plan to entrap and isolate the social media influencer and then killed her by strangulating inside the car, along with two of his associates - who were subsequently apprehended by the Bathinda police. Mehron has also released a video on social media, claiming responsibility for the act. In the now-viral video, Mehron alleges that the influencer brought bad name to Sikh tradition with her 'obscene and vulgar' content and hence was punished. In the video, he is also heard warning other content creators and vloggers on social media to desist from defiling their religious gurus else they all will meet the same fate as Kamal Kaur Bhabhi. 'Our Gurus have given us the surnames of 'Singh' and 'Kaur' and we cannot allow women from other states to suffix the title of Kaur. Khalsa never attacks women, but when a woman targets our Takhts and mocks Sikh values, we won't spare them," he is heard saying in the video.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Time of India
Who was Kamal Kaur, the controversial Punjabi influencer found dead in Bathinda?
Kamal Kaur , a popular Punjabi influencer was found dead in a car on Wednesday night near Adesh Medical University in Bathinda Kaur was a resident of Ludhiana and had more than 3.8 lakh followers on social media. She had posted 1,351 times on Instagram. She was known for her funny, often controversial, Instagram Reels. Bathinda Police , in a post on X, said that a foul smell had begun emanating from the car. However, the post did not mention Kaur by name. 'The police party immediately reached the spot and upon investigation, discovered the body of a lady inside the vehicle. The forensic team has also reached the spot and is conducting a thorough examination. Legal action is being initiated based on the findings. All facts related to the case will be investigated, and the culprits will be traced,' a police officer said. — BathindaPolice (@BathindaPolice) Live Events Preliminary police investigation suggests it is a case of murder. Speaking to the media, Bathinda SP (City) Narinder Singh said, 'Prima facie, it appears someone abandoned the car here after committing the crime. The post-mortem report will provide clarity. The car appears to bear fake registration number plates, and we are seeking details from the transport authorities.' Who was Kamal Kaur? Kaur's real name was Kanchan Kumari and was in her mid-30s, according to a report in The Tribune. As per an October report by the same publication, Kaur had received threats from Canada-based Khalistani Arsh Dalla , who had reportedly asked her to stop posting inappropriate videos. Kaur had faced criticism in the past for Instagram posts and videos that included foul language. Her last Instagram post was shared three days ago.
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Influencer Kamal Kaur's body found in car in Punjab, probe launched
A popular Punjabi influencer was found dead in a car on Wednesday night in Bathinda. According to a Times of India report, Kaur's body was found in a car near Adesh Medical University in the Punjab city. Kamal Kaur was a resident of Ludhiana and has more than 3 lakh followers on social media. She was known for her funny, often controversial, Instagram Reels. In a post shared on X, Bathinda Police said that a foul smell had begun emanating from the car. The police post did not mention Kaur by name. 'The police party immediately reached the spot and upon investigation, discovered the body of a lady inside the vehicle. The forensic team has also reached the spot and is conducting a thorough examination. Legal action is being initiated based on the findings. All facts related to the case will be investigated, and the culprits will be traced,' a police officer said.
Indian Express
04-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
‘Sadda Pind Bikau Hai' — a satire on the system in protest against drug menace in a Bathinda village
On Tuesday, locals at Bhai Bakhtaur village in Bathinda district displayed a rare show of unity — 'something never witnessed earlier'. They gathered in large numbers and stood by farmer Lakhbir Singh, who put up a banner reading 'Sadda Pind Bikau Hai' (Our Village is Saleable) — a symbolic protest against the drug menace which, they say, is destroying their community. 'It's a satire on the system in protest against the drug menace. Otherwise, no one can dare buy our village,' Lakhbir told the assembled villagers. The brutal assault on an ex-Army man Ranbir Singh, who is in his mid-40s, allegedly by Kuldeep Singh and Gurpreet Singh, both having prior drug-related criminal records, on May 31 triggered strong resentment among villagers, and the banner turned out on June 1. Singh, who earned respect among villagers for motivating youths to quit drugs and embrace sports, suffered serious leg injuries and underwent surgery on June 3. Police, however, suspect old hostility between the accused persons and Ranbir. However, on the contrary, locals see the assault as an attempt to silence voices challenging the drug network in the area. In a video message posted on social media, Lakhbir questioned the system and condemned the 'impunity with which drug smugglers operate.' Soon, the 'Sadda Pind Bikau Hai' banner became 'a symbol of rural frustration and resistance,' Lakhbir said. Bathinda SSP Amneet Kondal said police acted promptly, arresting both accused within 24 hours. 'No one will be allowed to threaten or harm citizens, especially those who are up against the crime,' the SSP said, acknowledging Ranbir's courage in encouraging youths to quit drugs, which reportedly angered the peddlers. The attackers were booked under serious charges, including attempted murder, unlawful restraint, and grievous hurt. The SSP said, 'Punjab Police is actively cracking down on drug networks, including demolishing illegal properties of identified drug peddlers, and encouraging citizens to report drug-related activity with assurance of confidentiality.' On June 2, Lakhbir posted a video, thanking the police for their swift action. However, in another video the same evening, he alleged that Kotfatta police station SHO Manish Kumar threatened him for speaking out. Lakhbir alleged that the SHO even warned him of getting his dope test done. 'I am ready for any such tests,' Lakhbir said in the video, holding his four-month-old daughter. The SSP said, 'In one video, he praised police action, while in another video… I sent an officer to his place to counsel him. I will also meet him to allay his fears.' Meanwhile, Bathinda police posted on X their official response under the hashtag #YudhNashianVirudh. 'A resident of village Bhai Bakhtaur recently shared a video on social media alleging that he was threatened by the SHO of police station Kotfatta. Taking immediate and serious note of the incident, Bathinda Police officials reached out to the individual and assessed the situation. SSP Bathinda personally spoke to him and assured him that appropriate action would be taken against the concerned officer. Contact numbers of the Bathinda SSP and the SP (Rural) have also been shared with him for reporting any drug-related information directly.' Based on the charges levelled by Lakhbir Singh, SHO Manish Kumar was told to report to the police lines, while Jaswinder Kaur was posted as the new Kotfatta SHO. Political reaction Replying to a question about Bhai Bhaktaur village in Bathinda putting itself on sale over the failure of the government to stop drug peddling, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said there cannot be a bigger slap on the face of the AAP government and proof of the defeat in the so-called 'Yudh', than an entire village putting itself for sale as the drug peddlers are having a field day there. 'Bhai Bhaktaur village is not an exception but an example of how drugs are freely available in Punjab, irrespective of the Punjab government's claims,' he said. The PCC president said not only are the peddlers selling drugs, but they also dare to beat up an ex-serviceman who was opposing the sale of drugs, and the state government should hang its head in shame. BJP's Punjab media head Vineet Joshi blamed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for 'failing to control the drug crisis'. 'The day the ex-serviceman was attacked, three overdose deaths were reported in different villages of Punjab. Youth are dying and the government is doing little,' he alleged. Joshi, however, praised the courage of villagers like Lakhbir and Ranbir Singh, saying, 'They represent the spirit of Punjab that refuses to surrender to addiction and fear.'
