AMRITSAR: The Damdami Taksal and the All-India Sikh Students Federation will soon join hands to form a political party to lead the Sikh struggle “aimed at safeguarding Sikh interests and attaining an independent sovereign State.”
In an interview today, Harminder Singh Sandhu the detained General Secretary of the Federation said it was imperative to have a new political force parallel to the Akalis who had failed to come up: to the expectations of the Sikhs. Except Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann and a few others, all other Akali leaders were “redundant” having lost their credibility.
The future struggle would be moulded by the Taksal and the Sikh youth he told this correspondent at the local district courts where he was produced in connection with a case pending against him.
The new political force, Sandhu continued would not only stand as a “bulwark” between government “repression and the militants but also work for achieving the goal of a separate Sikh state.”
During the last decade the Taksal had emerged as the most respected organization. It would give new shape to the degenerated Sikh politics. The mode and methods of the struggle would be decided through consensus among the Sikh masses, he added.
When asked about the immediate course of action, Sandhu said first pro-Bhindranwale elements in the Akali Dals would be approached and brought under the Taksal. Only the Akali faction led by Mr. Mann would be recognized and included in the proposed new political party.
The current situation, Sandhu said, had thrown challenge to the Sikh youth who would work in close cooperation with the Taksal. But the Federation would not be subservient to any organization and would continue to have its independent entity.
When reminded that the Taksal throughout its history had been a religious body the Federation leader said since religion and politics went together in Sikhism, particularly now when the political leadership had failed to protect Sikh interests the Taksalal was bound to intervene in the present situation. That was exactly what the late Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale had done, he said.
Without naming “Khalistan” Sandhu said the goal of the Sikh struggle would be achievement of a “separate geographical area.” where the interests and sentiments of the Sikhs would be protected. The Center’s failure to fulfill promises made to the Sikhs at the time of independence had culminated in Operation Bluestar he said. Drastic constitutional and geographical changes were needed at present to satisfy the Sikhs.
On being asked about his views on the killing of innocent persons the Federation leaders said government elements had infiltrated the ranks of the militants and were indulging in dastardly acts of killing and extortion which were against the tenets of Sikhism. The police was using counter terrorist groups to kill innocent persons to discredit the militants. He called upon the militants to identify and weed out such elements as soon as possible.
He said though the silent majority of the Sikhs was peaceful, the Government was creating a situation where the Sikhs would be compelled to “take up the gauntlet to save their interests.” There could be not dialogue with the present Government which he said, had decided to keep away from all civilized means and ethics in dealing with the Sikh problem, which also had a psychological dimension. The militants would not surrender their arms for initiating a dialogue as the Centre had “discredited itself and cannot be believed.”
When asked whether a change in Government at the Centre would help defuse the crisis the Federation leader remarked, “It depends on the attitude of the rulers towards the Sikhs. However we expect a fair deal from Opposition leaders if they come to power. A dialogue with the Government could be possible only on an equal footing and not by treating one party as slaves.”
Sandhu said during his detention in the Jodhpur jail he along with other Federation leaders was taken to Delhi four times to evolve an accord on Punjab. “But we refused to sign on the dotted line and sell our conscience,” he asserted.
The Sikh struggle he maintained was no more an internal problem of the country. It had “assumed the dimensions of an institutional issue.” Referring to human rights violations, at the hands of the security forces Sandhu expressed the hope that the issue of repression on the Sikh community would be taken up at the UN sooner or later.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 28, 1989
