By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
With Uttarakhand heading for assembly elections early next year, the BJP appears to be stepping up its outreach to the politically influential Sikh and Punjabi community in the state’s Terai region, with party president Nitin Nabin invoking the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and highlighting decisions taken by the Narendra Modi government for the community.
Addressing a Punjabi Gaurav Sammelan in Rudrapur on Thursday, Nabin said the country would neither forget the “genocide” of 1984 nor would the BJP ever forgive those responsible.
His remarks come months after the death by suicide of Sukhwant Singh, a 40-year-old farmer from Paiga village in Kashipur, which triggered anger among sections of the Sikh community and raised questions over the conduct of the Udham Singh Nagar police.
Singh, who allegedly took his own life in a Haldwani hotel in January, had posted a video before his death in which he accused several people of cheating him of nearly Rs 4 crore in a land deal and alleged police inaction and harassment. The allegations prompted Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to order a magisterial inquiry. Two sub-inspectors were suspended and 12 police personnel were subsequently transferred as the authorities ordered a probe. An SIT was also constituted to investigate the allegations.
Against this backdrop, Nabin’s extensive reference to the Sikh community’s contribution to Uttarakhand’s development and his emphasis on the BJP’s initiatives for Sikhs can be seen as an effort to strengthen the party’s connect with the community ahead of the polls.
Nabin praised Punjabi and Sikh families who settled in the Terai after Partition, saying they transformed the region into Uttarakhand’s “food bowl”. He also highlighted the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, recognition of the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas as Veer Bal Diwas, and the proposed Govindghat-Hemkund Sahib ropeway project, estimated to cost around Rs 2,700 crore.
The BJP president’s message also sought to revive memories of the community’s contribution to the freedom struggle, national defence and public service.
The outreach assumes significance in Udham Singh Nagar, where Sikh and Punjabi voters form an important constituency and where the BJP will seek to retain its political support amid a keen contest expected in the 2027 assembly elections.