Will Rahul Gandhi’s Golden Temple ‘Sewa’ Translate to ‘Mewa’ at Ballot Box? Decoding ‘Apolitical’ Punjab Visit

For two days, Rahul Gandhi stayed away from politics. At Amritsar’s Golden Temple, in an intensely private visit, Gandhi insisted that no one from the Congress comes to meet him at the airport or the holy site as he wished to spend two days like a devotee.

On Day One, Gandhi — like a common devotee — did Kar Sewa. Kar Sewa, as per Sikh tradition, means doing voluntary labour either as part of devotion or in some cases as penance. It’s derived from the word Kar which means hand and Seva, which is labour. The MP from Wayanad was seen washing utensils and also serving food in the langar.

On Day Two, Gandhi did Joda Sewa where he stood at the shoe counter and collected and handed over the footwear of the devotees visiting the Golden Temple. This apart, he also did the Palki Sewa during the closing time when the Guru Granth Sahib is taken for ‘Sukhasan’ to the Akal Takht.

None of the Punjab Congress leaders were allowed to meet Gandhi and, in fact, sources say his office made it clear to all the leaders that no one would come to the airport to receive him or see him off. Gandhi was seen only with his immediate aides, Gurdwara personnel and Sewadars.

The timing of the apolitical visit, however, cannot be missed. The Congress, at the state level, is upset with the arrest of its MLA Sukhbir Singh Khaira. While the party has been reticent in its response, at the state level, they have threatened to step up their attack on the Bhagwant Mann government. What cannot be missed is the fact that Gandhi made no attempt to visit Khaira in jail. The visit, if it had happened, would have strained the already tenuous ties between the AAP and Congress.

However, the worry within the Congress is also of the Lok Sabha elections. Last time, the Grand Old Party had won seven of the 13 seats in Punjab. With Captain Amarinder Singh in the BJP now, the Congress is racing against time to ensure its flock stays and wins together and hopes that images of Rahul Gandhi doing sewa warms the heart of Punjabis.

Golden Temple has a connection with the Gandhis. Operation Bluestar under Indira Gandhi’s PM-ship had antagonised many Sikhs and also led to the assassination of the former prime minister. The Congress officially apologised for the 1984 Sikh riots and Dr Manmohan Singh’s appointment as prime minister was also a placatory step by the party to reach out to Sikhs after the riots.

It’s a scar which the BJP will never let Congress forget in a hurry. For now, the apolitical visit of Rahul Gandhi is clearly also aimed at some ‘mewa’ it hopes to get at the ballot box in exchange for his sewa.