During Kerala floods, we had seen ugly display of north-south divide perpetuated by various sections including left-wing parties, Congress and liberal section of media. Of course, it is nothing new, many political parties have always instigated people from one region against another region for electoral benefits. And the champion party in this aspect is the grand old party Congress. The party never fails to create divisions in society on the basis of caste, religion, language, relationality etc.
And it seems whoever joins the party, imbibes this aspect of the party. Former cricketer and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was a long term BJP member before joining Congress few years ago, has come up with such a statement. He said that there no similarity in culture and languages of North and South India. He also said that he feels more at home in Pakistan than south India. Attending a literature festival, Sidhu said, “For me, when I travel to South, I can’t understand the language. Not that I don’t like the food, but I cannot have it for a long time, the culture is totally different. When I got to Pakistan, the language is the same, like you know, when you abuse in English 10 times, one abuse in Punjabi overpowers all.”
This comes weeks after Sidhu’s controversial journey to Pakistan, where he was seen hugging the army chief of Pakistan. Sidhu was in Pakistan to attend swearing in ceremony of newly elected PM Imran Khan, whose anti-India stand is well known. Sidhu had also claimed that he has received assurance from Pakistan that Sikhs from Indian will be allowed to visit Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. But later Pakistan had denied the claims of the Congress leader and said that it is not opening the Kartarpur border due to vast difference between the two countries.
This recent Pakistan love from Sidhu is surprising, given that he used to give fiery speeches against Pakistan till a few years ago. He loves Pakistan more than South India because he can abuse someone in Punjabi in that country. He does not like south India because the culture there is different.
Sidhu was trying to highlight the cultural similarity between North India and Pakistan. That is an obvious thing, because during partition the Punjab state was split into, one side going to each country. But there was absolutely no need to bring in south Indian culture to make that point. The language and culture difference between north and south India is already a very sensitive issue, and politicians should try to minimise them, not fuel them by such reckless comments.
The Congress party may disassociate itself from the statement, saying Sidhu has said this to remain in news, but it has a lot to answer regarding some of its leaders’ affinity for the country that is known as the global sponsor of terror worldwide. At the time when Pakistani terrorists are killing our jawans regularly, at least Congress leaders should hide their love for that country.
