Virinder Verma’s appointment came as a surprise even to politicians in India. Verma was a virtual non entity even in his home state of Uttar Pradesh. His political career has been singularly lack luster. He was close to the late Charan Singh and now to the Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal. They were together in the Lok Dal.
The importance of being Devi Lal has yet again been hammered home. He has managed to prop up his son Chautala as big chief minister of Haryana in less than two months after he was forced to resign on charges of rigging polls and violence leading to the death of several people in the Meham constituency elections, Devi Lal being close to the old Akali leader Parkash Singh Badal got Verma his “yes man,” appointed governor. The idea obviously is to foist Badal on the people of Punjab as chief minister.
Devi Lal is unlikely to succeed in this plan but his protégé has done him proud in other spheres. The Hindu government has reason to be pleased with the new governor’s style of functioning. More people are being killed in Punjab now than ever before and Verma has made it clear that the only way to deal with militants is to kill them.
KPS Gill the butcher in Sikh guise, who does the dirty work at first chafed at the bit under Verma. Gill made rebellious noises and any thought he was on his way out. But Verma is firmly in the saddle and Gill is not bucking anymore. Gill and his ilk, characterless, conscienceless people born to Sikh families have been the bone of the freedom movement in Punjab.
Verma made rain and an altogether stupid offer of amnesty to the militant youth to lay down their arms. Mr. Verma does not know that most Sikhs are cast in a mold far different from KPS Gill’s. The Sikhs struggling for Khalistan are not mercenaries. There are men and women of faith and convictions who value their principles more than their lives. Thousands have gladly embraced martyrdom and many times that number is ready.
The Hindus had better concentrate on setting their own house in order before trying to meddle in Sikh affairs. The coalition government is going the post emergency Janata Party way. VP Singh and Devi Lal will not be able to pull together for long. The entire cabinet is trading charges against each other. Rajiv Gandhi, it seems, does not have to carry out his well laid plans with the ever unhappy Janata Dal leader Chandra Shekhar to topple the government. He must be laughing up his sleeve as Arun Shourie goes at Devi Lal hammer and tongs.
The only value in Indian politics is self-aggrandizement no matter what the cost. The system is rotten and is bound to collapse upon itself the sooner, the better.
Repression has never kept the Sikhs down. The so called super cops of India, Ribeiro, threw up his hands after several years of trying every repressive method, and he came to the conclusion that force had proved counterproductive. KPS Gill too thought he could scare the Sikhs.
Over the years, many governors have come and gone, as have police chiefs, but the movement has gotten stronger. There is no stopping it. Khalistan is a reality and it is only a matter of time, the oppressor will be thrown off.
The Mughal and the British temporal might withered and is dust. The Hindus as yet have time to see the futility of their way.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 20, 1990
