[Interview] ‘AAP And Congress Are Playing Tag Team’: Ambassador Turned BJP Candidate For Amritsar Taranjit Singh Sandhu

Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate from Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency, sat down for an exclusive interview with Swarajya's Sharan Setty.

He recently retired as an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, having served as the High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and later India's Ambassador to the United States of America. He is known as Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar's lieutenant who took over the reins from him in the US after his retirement.

Over time, he has become indispensable to the current establishment. Swarajya reached the holy city of Amritsar. As you know, Swarajya has been following the campaign of several candidates across India.

We discussed his journey, his vision for Amritsar and Punjab and about entering the political turf.

Excerpts:

Sharan: Ambassador Sandhu, thank you for speaking with us. Firstly, you've had quite the career as a diplomat. You recently retired on a high note, having served as India's ambassador to the United States. How did you arrive at the decision of taking a plunge into politics?

Ambassador Sandhu: I have somewhat transitioned, but I see this as a continuation of public service... 36 years of public service. There too, I tried to be the bridge... establish a good relationship between the United States and India, which itself is a different challenge, but we succeeded in delivering the relationship into a partnership.

So today, lots of investments have come into Bharat. Lots of factories are being opened, and that's leading to the creation of jobs. The youth has been engaged and the overall development of the country (is also taking place).

Sharan: You have proposed the vibrant villages programme. How important is it that we develop Amritsar as a model city for others to follow suit? Especially given its importance, of being a big urban centre near one of India's most strategic land borders.

Ambassador Sandhu: Well, Amritsar has its importance as a city within Punjab and beyond the state too. Issues like law and order (decline), (abuse of) drugs, and decreasing productivity in agriculture and industry, lack of job opportunities are a big concern for the people of Punjab. That's why there needs to be a change.

There needs to be a special package for Amritsar, and as you said, Amritsar can be a model.

Sharan: Your family has roots in Amritsar, and so do you. Could you tell us more?

Ambassador Sandhu: My grandfather, Sardar Teja Singh Samundri, was a freedom fighter. He was also a leader of the Gurudwara Reform Movement, which was against the British. He died in 1926 in Lahore jail. And he's the only non-Sikh guru in whose memory a building within the Golden Temple complex is named.

My father, Sardar Bishan Singh Samundri was a legendary principal of Khalsa College, Amritsar. Later, he went on to become the first vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University. In this Majha border area, his contribution to education is extremely well known. My mother contributed too. She did her doctorate in the US and came back to serve in Amritsar at the government college as the principal.

I belong to Amritsar too. I have been visiting the city every year, despite being abroad most of the time at work. It is like any other job, say when a defence forces person comes back home every year. Whenever he gets leave, he comes home. That's what I have been doing too.

Now, after my retirement, I have come to settle here once and for all. So, people understand that. They also understand that I have good contacts and that I have a history and performance of delivery. And since my ideas for Amritsar are oriented towards its development and growth, it would help the city going forward.

Sharan: The US has built up its institutions that promote public diplomacy. They have an entire machinery dedicated to building brand America. Although we've had individuals who have contributed to public diplomacy, we haven't thought of creating such long-lasting institutions which is a more sustainable idea.

This is perhaps more important now than it was ever before, given the amount of caricaturisation India is subjected to, especially around election season when the Western media makes a mockery of us.

Ambassador Sandhu: So look, in any democratic polity, there will be challenges. I'll give you one example: education partnership. You know, in the last two and a half years, particularly the last year, a lot of American universities are opening their campuses in India by tying up with local universities here.

They are starting degrees... intertwining them and doing joint research works. These will go a long way. In Amritsar, that is lacking. We need to bring that in because of the young population we have here. They need to get appropriate education which is not degree-based but actually skill-based. So, such examples are very much there.

Sharan: What according to you are the biggest problems in Amritsar? My conversation with locals here suggests that garbage disposal is a massive problem, along with declining law and order and drug abuse.

Ambassador Sandhu: There you go. You said it. These are existential problems of Amritsar, and we are talking of 2024. It is amazing and shocking that the Member of Parliament from here, who has been a Congress MP for two terms, has undertaken very little development work. I see Indore becoming one of the cleanest cities in India. If Indore can change in six years, why couldn't Amritsar do the same in 10 years?

Politically, there is a bit of a problem, because AAP and Congress are playing tag team here. In Delhi, they have a clear alliance, but in Punjab, they are going their separate ways. But in Punjab, it looks more like a facade than a real competition. People need to understand this. I am drawing their attention because Congress has been (in power) for five years, followed by the AAP for two and a half years.

Look at the results. We have these problems, and for each of these problems, I have put out concrete ideas — very practical ideas which can be used to solve these problems. And a lot of those initiatives will come from the existing policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sharan: Punjab has been a challenging turf for the BJP. Since you are new to politics, it may be a bit more challenging. How confident are you of your victory, sir?

Ambassador Sandhu: Yes, if you go around Amritsar, you can see the buzz. There is a desire for more development in this region. As I said, connectivity, income generation, the fight against drugs... BJP has the intention to bring a rehabilitation programme and the best practices along with the right medicines. So I think through that we will be able to get to the people.

Sharan: Very good luck to you and very excited to follow the rest of your campaign from here.

Ambassador Sandhu: Thank you so much.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

This report is part of Swarajya's 50 Ground Stories Project - an attempt to throw light on themes and topics that are often overlooked or looked down. You can support this initiative by sponsoring as little as Rs 2,999/-. Click here for more details.