At Sikhism’s holiest shrine Congress’s Rahul Gandhi appears making subtle outreach to Sikhs

Rahul Gandhi's two-day visit to Golden Temple in Amritsar is seen as an attempt to reach out to Sikhs, aggrieved by Operation Bluestar and 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He performed 'sewa' and offered 'Rumalla Sahib' as a sign of penance. His visit is seen as an attempt to bridge the gap between Congress and Sikhs, and send a signal of reconciliation. SGPC raised questions over his visit, asking if it was for repentance or politics.

As Congress leader and Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday spent his second-day performing ‘sewa’ (voluntary service) at Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) - Sikhism’s holiest shrine in Punjab’s Amritsar, the attempt is being seen as a subtle outreach to the Sikhs.

Even as the party leaders have asserted that Mr. Gandhi is on a ‘spiritual’ visit to Amritsar yet the ‘political’ message of reaching out to the ‘aggrieved’ Sikhs, following Operation Bluestar and subsequent 1984 anti-Sikh riots, can’t be just brushed aside as Mr. Gandhi is expected to spend one more day in Amritsar. It appears that through performing ‘service’ at the Golden Temple, a silent message of ‘penance’ from Mr. Gandhi has been delivered, the political significance of which can’t be ignored in the run-up to the 2024 parliamentary poll. 

The Congress party and especially the ‘Gandhi’ family has been over the years been cornered by several Sikhs and political parties for Operation Bluestar and subsequent 1984 anti-Sikh riots. It was on June 6, 1984, when the Army had stormed the complex of the Golden Temple to flush out extremists led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. At that time, Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of the country, and months after the operation, on 31 October 1984, Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated in vengeance by her two Sikh bodyguards as a consequence followed the anti-Sikh riots.

Since then, a sense among a larger section of the Sikh community has been feeling ‘aggrieved’, and has been seeking an apology from the ‘Gandhi’ family. In 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had apologised to members of Parliament and the nation for the riots. Earlier, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had also expressed regrets. This year, during his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Mr. Rahul Gandhi had endorsed the position of Mr. Manmohan Singh on the 1984 riots, as well as by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi.

The purpose of the ongoing visit seems to be removing the hard feelings and an attempt to make a comeback with the Sikhs. Mr. Gandhi during his visit paid his respects at the Golden Temple by offering a ‘Rumalla Sahib’—a sacred cloth used to cover the Guru Granth Sahib. He also performed ‘sewa’ (voluntary service) by cleaning water bowls used by devotees. At the community kitchen (langar) he chopped vegetables and served “langar” to the visiting devotees to devotees.

“Rahul Gandhi has sent a signal to the Sikh community about reaching out to them, and that he is making an attempt to ‘build a bridge’. Sikhs have been aggrieved due to Operation Bluestar and the 1984 riots. The personal visit for over two days in fact is a very subtle and effective way to convey his message. Had he gone with his workers it would not have served the purpose. It appears he has been successful in sending a signal although how it is received and perceived by the community only time would tell,” said Kehar Singh, former head of the Department of Political Science, Punjabi University.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the body responsible for the management of Gurdwaras raised questions over Mr. Gandhi’s visit. SGPC General Secretary Gurucharan Singh Grewal said Mr. Gandhi must answer whether he had come here for repentance or politics.