Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Indian government is planning to ban mixing of religion with politics and is likely to introduce a bill to this effect in the Parliament.
Ambassador; That’s right.
Journalist: But Hindu religious rites are performed and Hindu gods and goddesses are invoked at the time of almost all official functions like inaugurations, foundation stone laying ceremonies, etc. Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: It means practicing or protecting any religion other than Hinduism would be considered mixing religion with politics, hence illegal? Would it not be better to openly declare India as a Hindu
theocratic State?
Ambassador; Not in national interest to disclose.
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Journalist! Mr. Ambassador, some opposition parties like communists and Bharatiya Janata Party have rallied to the support of Surjit Singh Barnala and are highly critical of the Sikh High Priests efforts to bring unity in the Akali Dal ranks.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: But only the other day these parties were shouting hoarse about Barnala’s incompetence and his inability to check violence in the state and were demanding his resignation. Ambassador; Very correct. Journalist: Does it mean these parties are afraid of unity in Sikh ranks and support only such Sikhs as can be used to divide and crush Sikhs?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
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Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, some eminent Punjabi Hindus like I.K. Gujral and Kuldip Nayyar are striving very hard these days to persuade Sikhs to forget about Operation Blue Star and November 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: Like the Indian government and the media, they conveniently ignore the inhuman atrocities being committed against the Sikhs but go out of the way to highlight and condemn stray acts of violence against Hindus.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Don’t you think they would be doing greater service to the country if they were to concentrate on getting men like H.K.L. Bhagat and Tytler punished for engineering anti-Sikh riots rather than finding fault with the besieged Sikh youths? How come C.RPF.’s beastly behavior in Bramhpura and their killing of Sikhs in fake encounters never finds mention in their speeches and articles? How would they feel if Sikhs were to tell them: “Physician, heal thyself first’?
Ambassador; Not in national interest to disclose.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 13, 1987
