Simranjit Singh Mann: Defeat after defeat, the man who refused to lose hope

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 26

Simranjit Singh Mann’s political career was written off long back by the political pundits—from SGPC to Parliament, he lost one election after another in the past two decades, but perhaps it was too early to predict his political fate. The image of Sidhu Mossewala’s father crying while embracing Mann was too powerful an image for the singer’s shocked legions of fans who seem to have seen in Mann a leader who had truly understood their pain.

The political journey of Mann started when he resigned from Indian Police Services in protest in the backdrop of Operation Bluestar in 1984.

The first political breakthrough in his career came in 1989 when he won from Tarn Taran Lok Sabha (now Khadoor Sahib) by a margin 4.6 lakh votes despite being lodged in Bhagalpur Jail.

Even after getting 88 per cent votes, Mann never entered Parliament as he wanted to attend the house with a sword. Since then sword has been his trademark.  

After a gap of almost a decade, he once again entered the Parliament from Sangrur by defeating former chief minister and Akali stalwart Surjit Singh Barnala in 1999. 

Though historically Mann did not have any connection with Sangrur district but he knew the pulse of ‘impulsive people’ here and losing security deposit in election after election, he kept placing his bet from Sangrur, whether it was SGPC elections, assembly or Parliament.

Sangrur Parliamentary seat’s history tells us that voters participate in elections to teach lesson to established parties. More than victory of anybody, they are known for voting to ensure defeat to certain political parties.  That is why Sangrur in known to send to Parliament people from militant Left leaders like Teja Singh Swatantar to Simranjit Singh Mann to Bhagwant Mann. 

In the last assembly election while contesting from Amargarh, Mann had taunted the ‘Sikh kaum’, saying: “Will you hold ‘jharu’ or ‘sword’?” May be not then, but now people have chosen their preference.