Charanjeet Singh, a Sikh community leader, and human rights activist was shot in broad daylight in Peshawar yesterday. It is undeniably another blow to minority communities in Pakistan. The assailants shot Singh in the Scheme Chowk, Budhbir area of Peshawar, where Singh was sitting at his shop. The attackers fled the scene immediately. How and why a man fighting for harmony between Sikhs and Muslims becomes a threat to Pakistan’s ‘peace’ is a question pretty much beyond the scope of logic. According to initial reports, an FIR has been lodged against the unknown attackers in Inqilab Police Station. The irony of this name couldn’t be more glaring than it is at this point.
Who was Charanjeet Singh exactly?
He was a respected Sikh community leader who moved to Peshawar 20 years ago. A trader by profession, he was also an avid supporter of inter-religious harmony between Sikhs and Muslims. It is being reported that he often served iftar for Muslims in Ramazan. He was also a loyal patriot of the country. It is terrible that someone would gun down a man who is trying to help another in their faith.
#CharanjeetSingh a famous sikh community activist was shot in Peshawar today – a very tragic news. ???? Hoping that govt apprehends the killers and penalises them as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/cuZs76P63P — Shiffa Z. Yousafzai (@Shiffa_ZY) May 29, 2018
If this is a crime based on intolerance for minorities in Pakistan, then is this the face of the threat to nationalism? A man who is holding the Pakistan flag and celebrating independence?
Sikhs have been a part of subcontinent since well before partition.
They contribute to the socio-political fabric of this country. Not to mention they incorporate a very vibrant mix of culture amidst the milieu of many microcultures existing today in Pakistan.
Two days ago, in India, a Sikh police officer saved a muslim’s life from an angry mob who was about to lynch him for being with a Hindu girl. Yesterday in Pakistan, some muslim men shot a Sikh named #CharanjeetSingh in his shop for initiating Iftaar dinners for muslims. pic.twitter.com/vmfKwt3K2f — Anas Tipu (@teepusahab) May 29, 2018
While the reason cited by this Twitter user is just hearsay at this point, the first point made is a relevant one. Intolerance exists on both sides of the border no doubt, but what are we doing to curb down intolerance on our side of the border? The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Mehsud took notice of the Singh’s killing and ordered an arrest of possible suspects on a priority basis. While the motivation behind the crime remains unknown, it has surfaced that Singh didn’t have any foes as such. This makes it an even bigger problem for Pakistan. Killing anyone randomly due to intolerance of any kind means assailants can become active anytime they flip their switch of rationality and just plain humanity. Without cause or warning. And, if this is a part of something bigger, even then the gunning down of a peaceful citizen is condemnable on all accords.
“The minorities in Pakistan will be the citizens of Pakistan and enjoy all the rights, privileges and obligations of citizenship without any distinction of caste creed or sect.” said MA Jinnah; but todays Pakistan is belittling words of its Father of Nation. #RIP #CharanjeetSingh pic.twitter.com/pp0L6AIzUH — Raminder Jit Singh???? (@ramindersays) May 29, 2018
Waiting for the day we wake up and see that the real enemy isn’t someone with a turban wrapped around their head. Nor is it someone bothering down to the same God all Muslims regardless of sect worship. It is the space given to extremism to flourish and the administration’s inability to check these elements once and for all that results in such incidents time and again.