CHANDIGARH: By thwarting the construction of the controversial S.Y.L. canal and projecting their aims and objects in a letter to the Indian President, the militants appear to have stolen the political limelight.
These measures coupled with a series of “corrective steps” the militants took during the past few weeks obviously aim at refurbishing the Punjab movement’s image which suffered in the past as much due to a hostile propaganda as by the militants own terror tactics.
The first thing the militants did was to distance themselves from extortionists and plain looters. That presumably was a lesson the militants learnt from the manner in which militants like Bhai Jug raj Singh conducted themselves and emerged as real popular heroes. Secondly, they undertook to associate themselves with immediate demands of the people such as the water issue without however losing sight of the long term goals.
A new and clear thrust to the militants political philosophy, aims and objects was provided by the 21page letter Sukhdev Singh and Harjinder Singh jointly wrote to the President of India explaining why they would not like to appeal against the Pune court’s judgement condemning them to death for the murder of General A.S. Vaidya, the then Chief of Indian Army, for assault on the Darbar Saheb, Amritsar. The militants not only had a collective hand in drafting the letter but they also ensured it was widely circulated. Leading Punjab newspapers reproduced the letter allegedly under threat while’ Lakhs of its copies had been circulated abroad. The letter also exposed the methods employed by the Indian security forces to torture Sikh youths detained by them in numerous jails and investigation centers.
The militant’s association with Sikh peasantry’s popular causes was reflected in the manner in which the panthic committee and its associate organisations entrusted the task of preventing S.Y.L. construction to the more resourceful Babbar Khalsa International.
The militants made it clear that Haryana and Rajasthan in India’s own laws had no right to any water of Punjab rivers. That water was sought to be taken to Haryana through the proposed SYL to please Hindus at the expense of Sikhs. They therefore warned the engineers and other officials involved in the project to desist from carrying out their work. The engineer had sought guards to carry out their work. Just last week two of them were killed in their offices here.
Meanwhile, Bhai Charanjit Singh Chana, Bhai Daljit Singh Dali and Bhai Amrik Singh Kauli on behalf of Babbar Khalsa warned that action against those still involved in making bridges near Kanhauli and Nasheriuld be taken if they persisted with the work.
They asked the engineers and workers to pan resolutions in favour of filling up the SYL canal. Junior engineers and a worker’s union has said they would cease work on the project. Some contractors too have sought to settle their accounts.
Punjab Sikh Lawyers Council welcomes the stand of the militants, D.S. Gill on behalf of the council declared that Haryana and Rajasthan did not have any claim to even a drop of Punjab water. The issue was not only of stopping
SYL canal construction but also of stopping water already flowing to other states. He asked the people not to have any truck with the so called Akali leaders who were party to the SYL sell out through the Rajiv Longowal accord.
If Badal were sincere in wanting to come back to the Sikh mainstream, he should surrender the Rs 30 corer plot of land gifted to him and his son by the Haryana government near Delhi as a favor in lieu of his concession to Haryana in the SYL deal, he said.
Advocates Swarn Singh Sandhu and Jagmohan Singh in another statement asked leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union to support Punjab’s case by filling up the SYL. canal.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 10, 1990
