By pr. Jagjit Singh Chohan

The article ‘VIRUS OF DISUNITY’ by my comrade in arm, Ganga Singh Dhillon, published in the World Sikh News of December 25, 1987, has touched my heart with his kind remarks about my humble services to the Sikh cause.

But, in his zeal for unity in the ranks of the Sikhs and under the influence of affection for me my friend has been led to misconstrue the recent developments in Sikh polity. His article gives the impression that I have been unfairly and unjustly ignored in the appointment of the new Khalistan Council by the Panthak Committee.

While I am grateful to Mr Dhillon for his sentiments, I will be failing in my duty towards the Sikh nation if I do not set the record straight.

My not being included in Khalistan Council need not mean my “expulsion” from it. I view it as my “transfer” to another front in the war of liberation —a front to serve on which I have been wishing for quite some time.

With the revival of the institution of Sarbat Khalsa, the political initiative of the Sikhs has been retrieved from the hands of political adventurers and entrusted to the Sikh masses. With the installation of an elected Panthak Committee, a representative nucleus has been created to guide and coordinate the Sikh struggle. With the constitution of a Khalistan Council by representative nucleus, an organ has been created to implement the wishes of the Sikh nation as expressed by the Sarbat Khalsa. (The commission of certain veterans of freedom struggle from the Khalistan Council is more because of the hurry in which it had to be constituted, than a deliberate attempt to snub and exclude them. Tam confident that, with time, the commissions will be rectified and failings corrected.)

The necessary infrastructure for the revival of the Sikh glory has been created. A decisive step has been taken to continue the freedom struggle till final victory. It is now only a matter of time for the sovereign state of Khalistan to come into being.

I declare unequivocally that I fully support the elected Panthak Committee and initiatives taken by it. I urge my friend Mr. Dhillon and the entire Sikh nation to stand solidly and firmly behind the Panthak Committee and its Khalistan Council for these are the symbols of Sikh unity, Any dissent on these issues will do more harm than good to our struggle for freedom.

I also take this opportunity to make it clear that my retirement from Khalistan Council in no way means my retirement from the Sikh struggle. I will continue to fight the war of liberation on a different front.

With the struggle for liberation in the safe hands of Sarbat Khalsa, assisted by the Panthak Committee and the Khalistan Council, I find myself free to attend to the equally, if not more, important task of winning international support for the Sikh cause and securing a dignified place for Khalistan in the comity of nations. Fraternal relations with the people of other nations are as important for a sovereign state as is the winning and defending of sovereignty.

With the Eastern border of Khalistan adjoining an expansionist and fascist state of Hindu India. Khalistan needs to cultivate good relations with her Muslim neighbors across the northern and western frontiers, Kashmir and Pakistan respectively. The entire Asian and African region beyond our Western frontier comprising Muslim states, we must seek good relations with the Muslim world. With most of the Asian region beyond our northern neighbor, Kashmir, comprising Peoples Republic of China, we need good relations with her too. In the south, across the waters of the Indian Ocean, we need to forge alliances with Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines and other states of the region.

It is to win friends among these states that I will be striving. My special objective will be to promote mutual understanding with the Muslim people with whom we have monotheism and general attitude towards life in common.

I am sure that, working together, the Muslims and Sikhs can play an important and decisive role in transforming the region into a Region of Peace.

LONG LIVE

MONOTHEISM.

LONG LIVE FREEDOM

AND PEACE FOR THE

ENTIRE MANKIND.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 12, 1988