Reaction: Sikh political prisoner Amritpal Singh elected as MP

Election results in India this week confirmed that Bhai Amritpal Singh – the Sikh community leader at the centre of the biggest manhunt ever last year and currently imprisoned – has been elected as an independent member of parliament (Lok Sabha).

Bhai Amritpal Singh rose to global prominence as a voice for Sikh communities after being selected to be the head of social reform group Waris Punjab De, replacing charismatic actor turned activist Deep Sidhu, who passed after a suspicious car accident in 2022. On 4th June he was confirmed as the newly elected MP for Khadoor Sahib, gaining over 400,000 votes in the Punjab constituency.

Bhai Amritpal Singh – lead of Waris Punjab De – ran for election having been imprisoned since last April, after a month evading police capture before he gave himself up for arrest, ending the manhunt which began with one of the largest paramilitary operations seen in Punjab in recent history. Having returned back to Punjab from Dubai, the young charismatic leader became a hugely popular figure in global Sikh circles for tackling Sikh issues on-the-ground in Punjab, whilst advocating for Sikh sovereignty.

Since his arrest, Amritpal Singh’s wife has been forced to remain in India despite being a British passport holder, whilst he himself has reported torture. How his election may change those circumstances, or how he will run his seat from his cell in Dibrugarh in Assam over 2000km from Khadoor Sahib, remains to be seen.

Here we share examples of the reaction to his election which reflect wider sentiments.

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Initial reaction saw the victory hailed as “shock to the Delhi political establishment”, as well as a “stunning” victory which “has shattered the Indian narrative that Khalistan has no support within Punjab”. The parents of Amritpal Singh were given his victory certificate. The level of the victory underlines the fact that Amritpal Singh ran after being requested to by sangat (Sikh congregation), who wanted an opportunity to vote for a respected panthic (Sikh path/community focused) figure, something iterated by Sikh Canadian associate of Amritpal, Gurkeerat Singh.

The victory has also been aligned with the election of Sarabjit (also spelled Sarabjeet) Singh Khalsa, the son of revered shaheeds (martyrs) Beant Singh (the freedom fighter behind Indira Gandhi’s assassination) and Bimal Kaur. The elections were seen as “history unfolding”.

Many are also hoping Amritpal Singh will be able to push panthic (Sikh community/path focused) initiatives, which includes support for Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) movements.

In what may be a symbolic gesture of seeds being planted for Sikh sovereignty, supporters of Amritpal Singh and Sarabjit Singh handed out seedling plants to celebrate their elections.

After the recent former President and current Presidential candidate Donald Trump was convicted of crimes, facing possible prison before the election race, many compared Bhai Amritpal Singh’s win with the possibility of a Trump win from prison.

The Trump comparison’s came within wider global news coverage of the election wins.

Overall, the election was also of note due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi no longer holding a majority with the BJP any more. However, many will remain fixated on the Bhai Amritpal Singh situation, waiting to see how a prisoner can run a seat won fairly through election.