Dear Mr Chandra Shekhar
A week after you became Prime Minister of India on November 10, 1990, you appealed to the militants to lay down arms.
In making the appeal, you displayed, deliberately, utter lack of Understanding of the compulsions of the Sikhs to take to arms. Guru Gobind Singh has said.
When all other means of ending injustice have failed, it is just to wield the sword.” The Tenth Master said end all tyranny by manfully opposing it.
Being ‘in the mainstream of Indian politics for over three decades, you are fully aware of the discriminatory policies against Sikhs. These policies forced the Sikhs to start Dharam Yudh Morcha in August 1982. In keeping with its premeditated policy, Government of India launched the Army attack on Darbar Sahib and 40 other Sikh shrines. You also remember that you were perhaps one of the few, if not the only, non Sikh leader who had counseled Indira Gandhi against this foolish act. Sikh mobilization for Indian freedom struggle was beyond their numerical strength. I.N.A. had 12,000 Sikhs of 20,000; 92 Sikhs “of 127 received’ death’ sentences; 2,147. Sikhs out of 2,646 were deported and 1,550 Sikhs out of 2,125 received prison sentences over one year during the freedom struggle (Arun Shourie in the Punjab Story, Page 150). The Sikhs resort to arms in response to the Army action, desecration of their holy ‘shrines, death and torture of their men, Women and children and fake encounters which, you know are still continuing.
The Sikh Nation knew it had “been betrayed and on October 7. 1987, declared achievement of sovereign Sikh State of Khalistan as its goal.
Various units of Sikh defence forces were set up, these forces have been fighting for the freedom of the Sikhs since then. The forces have liquidated quite a few traitors and torturers and the rest of them would pay their dues in due course.
Mr. Prime Minister, those whom you refer to as militants are, in fact, freedom fighters, in the finest traditions set up by Sikh predecessors and contemporaries like S. Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Sant Jarnail Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh, General Shah beg Singh, Satwant Singh, Kehar Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Harjinder Singh, Sukhminder Singh Sandhu, Ranjit Singh Gill, Dr. Gurpartap Singh Birk and Sardar Simranjit S. Mann. These freedom fighters represent in true colors, the picture of the supreme sacrifices made by the thousands of the bravest of the brave for the freedom of their land.
They are the true and blessed soldiers of Guru Gobind Singh who are laying down their lives and whose sacrifices would ultimately form the brick and mortar in the foundation of Khalistan.
You do not have any solution to the problem, as you have not addressed it. You, do not even have the mandate of the people to govern the country. In view of your precarious position in Parliament, you are the Prime Minister at the mercy and pleasure of Rajiv Gandhi. It seems you have achieved your life long goal of becoming a Prime Minister. You should be content with it. In so far as Punjab and the Sikhs are concerned, I on behalf of the Sikhs Nation ask you to withdraw all the occupying forces and let my people go free.
Amarjit Singh Buttar, Member
National Executive Counsel
World Sikh Organization. U.S.A.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 7, 1990
