Amritsar
( Justice Newqs )
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann’s advocacy for a ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ for Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir is an insult to the brave soldiers of India and Punjab who laid down their lives for the unity, integrity and defence of the nation’s borders. This advocacy is akin to rubbing salt into the wounds of soldiers guarding the borders, thousands of families affected by terrorism, and the people of Punjab who are fighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and the drug menace. The statement is also a grave insult to India’s integrity and national security, and strengthens anti-India forces while deeply hurting nationalist sentiments.
The question is: if Mann harbours such hatred for India, why is he taking advantage of India’s democratic system, elections and constitutional rights? One thing is clear: India is the world’s largest and strongest democracy, because even people like Simranjit Singh Mann have the freedom to speak as they wish, express anti-national views and question India’s sovereignty. If India were truly a dictatorship, as Mann claims, people making statements against the country’s armed forces, martyrs and national security would not be openly engaged in politics. The Constitution of India grants every citizen freedom of expression, but that freedom certainly does not exist to advance the narrative of anti-national forces.
Mann, a former IPS officer, has reportedly taken pride in issuing verification letters to militants to help them seek political asylum abroad. There have also been allegations that he collected large sums of money for such work. This raises serious questions about his mindset and his loyalty to the country and the community.
It is well known that Mann’s family history has also been surrounded by controversy. He is the grandson of Jathedar Arur Singh, who, according to historical references, presented a siropa to General Dyer, the man responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, while serving as the head of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. That historical stain remains fresh in public memory even today.
Today, when Simranjit Singh Mann advocates a Nobel Peace Prize for someone like General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Army Chief and former ISI chief, it appears to be a continuation of the same mindset—one that shows sympathy for anti-India elements and hatred for nationalist forces. The people of Punjab and India now clearly understand such statements and such politics. There is no place on the soil of Punjab for those who nourish the narrative of the ISI, the Pakistan Army or Khalistani separatism. Nor do those who issue anti-national statements for cheap publicity have any right to defame the country in the name of democracy. There can be no compromise on India’s unity, integrity and the sacrifices of its martyrs. India was strong, is strong and will remain strong. Those who speak the language of anti-India forces will be thrown into the dustbin of history.
The Nobel Peace Prize is meant for humanity, peace and global welfare—not for those whose hands are stained with the blood of innocents, terrorism, narcotics and instability. Who does not know that the Pakistan Army and the ISI have long been responsible for infiltration into India, terrorism, drug smuggling, weapons supply and sending arms and grenades through drones to spread unrest in Punjab and Kashmir?
Even today, the ISI and the Pakistan Army are waging a “low-cost war” and a “proxy war” in Punjab through gangster modules, Khalistani networks, drones, weapons and social media propaganda. The supply of deadly weapons and narcotics through drones along the Punjab border is being increased. Pakistani drones have been shot down several times by the BSF and Punjab Police.
This is not mere smuggling; it is a well-planned conspiracy to ruin Punjab’s youth and disturb peace. It is not only a challenge to India’s security but also a major threat to Punjab’s social harmony and its young generation. Does Mann not know this? Is advocating a “peace prize” for the head of such forces not clear evidence of an anti-national and anti-humanity mindset?
The matter does not end here. General Munir’s hands are also stained with the blood of Baloch people in his own country’s province of Balochistan, where people are demanding their rights. During Munir’s tenure, open violations of human rights, repression, enforced disappearances and military atrocities have increased. The fact that Baloch people demanding their rights are not only being suppressed through tanks and artillery but also devastated through aerial attacks affecting lakhs of people proves that the Pakistan Army uses not “war” but “terrorism” as a strategy. How can a person who cannot ensure peace and justice for his own people deserve a peace prize?
Who does not know about the mistreatment of religious minorities in Pakistan? Their population, which was earlier 16 percent, has now fallen to 4 percent. Does S. Mann not know about the abduction of Hindu, Sikh and Christian daughters, their forced conversions and forced marriages? The matter does not stop there; even the Ahmadiyya and Shia communities have not been spared from the violence of the Sunni majority.
The history of the Pakistan Army is full of wars such as those of 1947, 1965, 1971 and Kargil, as well as proxy wars in Kashmir and Punjab. But one certainly cannot expect Simranjit Singh Mann to have forgotten that after Pakistan’s humiliating defeat at India’s hands in the 1971 war, the Pakistan Army, under the leadership of then Army Chief General Zia-ul-Haq, adopted the policy of “Bleed India through a thousand cuts” to take revenge. Pakistan continues to follow that same policy even today.
Today, General Asim Munir, who previously served as the chief of the ISI and is now Pakistan’s Army Chief, is the new face of that “Bleed India” mindset. Under his tenure, hybrid warfare against India has intensified further. Targeted killings, infiltration and firing along the LoC in Kashmir, including in Pahalgam and other areas, prove that Pakistan uses terrorism—not conventional war—as its strategy.
Has Mann’s memory become so weak that he no longer remembers the massacre of innocent tourists in Pahalgam in April 2025 by Pakistan-backed terrorists? In response to that, actions such as Operation Sindoor sent a clear message to the world that New India does not merely condemn terrorism; it also gives a befitting reply to terrorists and their patrons and handlers. Does Mann not remember the surgical strikes after the Uri attack and the Balakot airstrike after the Pulwama attack?
Simranjit Singh Mann’s entire politics has been based only on provocation, controversy and misleading the youth. To date, Mann has not made any meaningful contribution to the Sikh community or Punjab. He has merely been making statements at the behest of radical elements sitting on foreign soil and using them to serve his political interests. Allegations have been made in the past as well that Mann worked with alleged foreign agencies and pursued politics with the support of foreign funding. How can people who take funds from certain radical elements abroad to meet their personal and political needs do any good for Punjab?
The people of Punjab have now fully understood such poisonous and divisive politics and will give such elements a befitting reply in the days to come. Punjab today needs development, employment for youth, and freedom from drugs and gangsterism—not provocative statements from people like Mann. Mann’s statements expose his mindset, his history and his anti-national tendencies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear from the very beginning that India will never tolerate terrorism. The policy of the Modi government has been that “terrorism and its sponsors will be answered in their own language.” The Modi government’s position is clear: until Pakistan shuts down the factory of terrorism operating from its soil, it will continue to be exposed on global platforms.
If Pakistan and its military masters such as General Asim Munir attempt to play with India’s integrity, New India has both the capability and the resolve to enter their home and respond. Simranjit Singh Mann’s support for a person like Asim Munir is a betrayal of Punjab, India and the sacrifices of our martyrs.
(Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala)
Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party, Punjab
Phone: +91 9781355522
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