On acquittal, he became involved in Punjab's Maoist front, editing a literary magazine, "Siarh" ("The Plow Line"). He became a popular political figure on the left during this period and was awarded a fellowship at the Punjabi Academy of Letters in 1985. He toured the United Kingdom and the United States the following year; while in the U.S., he became involved with the Anti-47 Front, opposing Sikh extremist violence. His words had a great influence on the minds of the people.