CHANDIGARH: The Simranjit Singh Mann said his party would not be the Center to hold elections in troubled state of Punjab. In an interview, he said the govt would either have to hold assembly elections soon or face the music internationally.
He had no doubt in his mind that in case the again postponed elections with another amendment to the constitution it would be criticized by the international community. Mann said he was demanding elections not because he was keen to become chief minister but only because he wanted the Punjab problem solved it is the democratic right to have elections.
Mann made it clear that he had no intention of meeting any Central leader or the governor. “If they want they can come and meet me, he said.
If the govt wanted to resolve the Punjab problem, it should change its thinking, frame a new policy and then talk to the Sikhs, Mann also indicated a distinct change in the attitude of his party towards unity overtures by the Badal group. Mann who was insisting till recently there would be no unity ‘with those who had been rejected by the masses in the parliamentary elections, noted with approval that Badal was moving closer to his party ideologically It had supported his stand on the Kirpan, 65th amendment and release of Sukha and Jinda and the SYL canal. He said, he would have no objection to a coordination committee.
Mann said there was much resistance within his party for unity but he was persuading the rank and file. He said workers of a party could not be held responsible for their leaders’ mistakes. Traditional Akalis should restore the status quo which had prevailed a few years ago when he was made president of the unified Akali DAI by the then Jathedar of Akal Takht Darshan Singh.
First Akali Dal-C, then Dal-B separated from the party. Mann said it had come to his notice that certain members of his party were involved in extortion. They would be purged, he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 20, 1990
