VIOLENT REACTION TO SIKH TEMPLE KILLING --

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001063

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, DRL, DS/IP/SCA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR ASEC IN
SUBJECT: VIOLENT REACTION TO SIKH TEMPLE KILLING --
RELATIVE CALM RESTORED


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Life has returned to relative normalcy in
major cities across the state of Punjab after curfews were
imposed to halt violent protests over the death of a
religious sect leader and injuries to another on May 24
during a clash in a Sikh temple in Vienna, Austria.
Mainstream Sikhs have objected to what they call the
sacrilegious practices of the sect. News of the violence in
Vienna spread to a handful of cities in Punjab on May 24 and
rioting quickly followed in the areas around the industrial
city of Jalandhar, which has resulted in at least one death,
several injuries, dozens of burnt vehicles and thousands of
stranded passengers from cancelled trains and blocked roads.
On May 25, the state government imposed a curfew in four
cities and the GOI deployed paramilitary forces to quell the
violence. By the evening of May 25, the state returned to
relative calm with the curfew relaxed and military forces on
stand-by to control any flare-ups. However, many are
preparing for a possible build-up of tensions when the body
of the deceased sect leader arrives from Vienna, possibly as
early as May 27. END SUMMARY.

Mayhem in Punjab Following Sect Leader's Death
---


2. (U) Riots erupted in four cities in the Punjab on May 24
in response to the killing of 56-year old religious sect
leader Sant Ramanand in an attack by armed Sikhs in Vienna,
Austria. The Punjab violence on May 24-25 resulted in
one death, several injuries, dozens of burnt vehicles and
thousands of passengers stranded due to cancelled trains and
blocked roads. At the Vienna temple, six young Sikh men
armed with guns and knives allegedly stormed into a hall
where visiting sect leader Sant Niranjandass, his deputy Sant
Ramanand and hundreds of worshippers had gathered. In the
assault, Sant Ramanand died immediately from wounds, while
Sant Niranjan Dass sustained serious injuries.

Deras: Caste, Class and Theological Tension
---


3. (SBU) Sant Ramanand was a leader of the Dera Sachkhand
Ballan, one of many religious sects that have cropped up in
recent years in Punjab and Haryana. Dera followers tend to
be Dalits, lower income, landless, and feel excluded from the
Sikh religious mainstream and from management and control of
the places of worship. Mainstream Sikh orthodoxy - dominated
by the land-owning, wealthier Jat community - views the
religious practices of these Deras as sacrilegious (such as
the worship of living "gurus"). The conflict occasionally
leads to emotive appeals, confrontations and violence. The
mix is particularly volatile in a state such as Punjab which
has the highest proportion of Dalits among its population in
the country.

Curfew Imposed, Relative Calm Restored
---


4. (U) Crowds of Dera followers gathered in Jalandhar and
three surrounding cities in the Doaba belt upon hearing news
of the Vienna attack at around 9pm (local time) on May 24.
Violence broke out shortly after and continued the early
morning on May 25 until the state government announced a
curfew and called in heavy reinforcement, including the
deployment of fourteen paramilitary companies, to help
control rampaging mobs.


5. (U) A sense of calm has returned to Punjab the evening of
May 25 and has continued through May 26. No major incident
of rioting or violence was reported after mid-day on May 25.
On May 26, the curfew was relaxed during daylight hours in
Jalandhar and Ludhiana. The public transportation system
remains stalled, and thousands of passengers stranded as

NEW DELHI 00001063 002 OF 002


trains to and from Punjab were cancelled. The state will
continue to be tense in the coming days because tempers are
expected to flair again when the body of the slain leader
arrives from Vienna, as early as May 27. The government will
remain vigilant and on high alert.

Peace to Punjab, Government Appeal
---


6. (U) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a Sikh from Punjab,
appealed for calm amid rioting on May 25: "Whatever the
provocation, it is important to maintain peace and harmony
among different sections of people." Home Minister P.
Chidambaram met with members of parliament from the Punjab on
Monday and pledged additional resources to help state
authorities "restore normalcy" in the state. The Home
Ministry has deployed fourteen companies of GOI paramilitary
forces thus far, and is ready to send eleven more. "We are
willing to help the Punjab Government restore peace," he
added. Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Badal convened an
all-party meeting on May 26 to show political consensus for a
peaceful solution to the violent protests that have wracked
the state in recent days.

Comment: Caste Tension in India's
wealthiest states
---


7. (SBU) One of the most important and foundational tenets
of Sikhism is equality of all and rejection of the caste
system. But the growth of caste-based Dera sects on the
periphery of the religion illustrates that remnants of social
gradations continue to exist. Though vastly diminished, the
millennia old caste system continues to hold some sway in
everyday life in the Punjab and Haryana. END COMMENT.
BURLEIGH