WSN Service
CHANDIGARH: Simranjit Singh Mann has confirmed his reported statements calling upon Sikhs not to support India in case of a war with Pakistan. Such a war he said would be to suppress the aspirations of the Kashmiri and Sikh peoples. Why should we support a war against ourselves he said at the Press Club here.
During the hour long meet the press program Mann spoke of the constitutional rights of the Sikhs. The frustration of the youth because of denial of justice to them was apparent he said. There was need for a democratic set up in the state.
He blamed the Govt of not conceding his demands under pressure from the communists, the right wing Hindu fundamentalist BJP and Congress I advisers.
“The world has changed but our Rip Van Winkles are still sleeping. Our fight is for basic human rights and democracy,” he said.
Asked by a Hindu journalist whether he was trying to emulate Mohammad Ali Jinnah in demanding self-determination for Sikhs, Mann said Jinnah was the product of the Hindu press.
He said Delhi would never hold elections to Punjab and Kashmir as these were its colonies. At the same time he demanded elections to test the Lok Sabha verdict asserting that it was not he but the center which was backing down. Rajiv Gandhi when he was Prime Minister used to ask “‘who should I negotiate with in Punjab?” Today, Mann said he was asking the same question, he did not know who to talk to in Delhi.
He reiterated his charge that Gandhi was responsible for the genocidal policies against Sikhs. Mann said Kuldip Nayar, now envoy to UK, had conveyed to him the offer of chief minister ship and a cabinet post for Badal. The people and not the center made chief ministers he said Mann scoffed at Janata Dal M.P Jethamalani’s charge that he had a split personality.
Mann said he would continue to attend the bhog ceremonies of militants killed in fake encounters. After the entire center too had given big rewards to the butchers of Operation Bluestar, he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 4, 1990
