Dear Mr. Singh,
To see a man who was shell shocked over the Blue-Star assault on the Golden Temple: to see a man who cried his eyes out over November 84 carnage; to see a man once regarded as a “forest man.” Someone who could see the wood for the trees, now glossing over the hills of Punjab by “blaming expatriate Sikhs for inflaming the hatred” is distressing and worrisome.
In your interview with Jack Anderson, host of the 30-minute T.V. segment entitled “Rajiv’s India” in which you paint us “Sikhs living abroad” as red-necks you speak of going to see Rajiv like a raging, wounded bull only to be spell-struck by the youthful, polite, film star like Rajiv who made you do an about-face. Longowal too, it seems had back-tracked in reaching an agreement with Rajiv which on the face of it was just alike those which he had so assiduously rejected in years past.
What miracle drugs are doled out, behind closed doors, which in an instant cure long festering wounds? What magic spells is cast which cleanse cone of all painful memories and turn one into an amnesiac? What lures one to lower ones guard while the future of Punjab continues to remain indefinite and uncertain?
Apart from the July accords and the September elections in which Congress (I), bitter foes of Akali Dal, covertly canvassed for Akali victory nothing much has changed. Predictably, the Centers behavior remains on a par with the words of Alphonse Karr: “plus ca change, plus c’ est la meme chose.”
Sikhs have been winnowed out into Loyalists (those who owe blind allegiance to the Center) and the chaff consisting of Separatists (those who seek special stats for Punjab). There is no neutral ground. Most Sikhs, therefore, remain bridled and fearful that even the slightest disagreement will be construed as anti-nationalistic and the brain-child of a separatist.
Just the same way as Israel succeeded in painting all Palestinian has as blood-thirsty terrorists and hence unworthy of compromise, India has likewise raised the bugaboo of Sikh separatists. Such simplistic categorization has stifled all domestic dissent, thereby encouraging overseas Sikhs to be vigilant and raise their voices over any wrong-doing or underhandedness.
For example, most Indians did not even blink an eye over the plethora of new laws recently put on the books wherein each new law nibbled away at some basic freedoms. The most frightening of these new laws is the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (prevention) Bill, the provisions of which are so wide and far-reaching and its definition of what constitutes a “disruptive activity” so all-encompassing that even an innocent, vague remark could land one in jail.
Similarly, the creation of a new cabinet ranking portfolio of Department of Internal Security, managed by Rajiv’s closest confidant Arun Nehru, brings us within a hairsbreadth of a police state. Even in a quasi-democratic India there must be a limit on how far a free society should modify its own behavior to cope with domestic threats.
Your senseless tongue-lashing of the overseas Sikhs for the hills of Punjab remains a puzzle. Punjab’s cycle of suffering and alienation punctuated by foot-dragging over Anandpur Sahib Resolutions. Sant Bindranwalas campaign. Sikh morchas, desecration of the Golden Temple. Beant Singh’s squaring-off of accounts. November program of Sikhs are all homebred imbroglios. To misread these events and blame them on overseas Sikhs smacks of intellectual dishonesty.
Worst of all to have said that Sikhs “are not orthodox Sikhs (and that) most of them are clean-shaven and that they try to express their sense of being Sikhs by doing these wicked things” is foul-tongued, over-wise and unbecoming of someone who takes pride in his understanding of the history of Sikhs. Also, for someone who has spent a good deal of his time in the field of communication to pretend that overseas Sikhs do not know what is going on in the country” is to lie in ones throat, Unless you believe that the news hand-outs are managed and controlled to keep the outside world in the dark.
Meanwhile, Punjab continues to be militarily occupied. Its borders remains sealed to outsiders. Its youth remains incarcerated. And the victims of the November Aceldama remain un-relocated and not fully compensated while the perpetrators of their crime walk freely on the streets, Indian soldiers display with pride their medals of bravery won at the desecrated grounds of the Golden Temple. Safdarjang has been turned in to a shrine, a Sis-ganj of a sort, and an ever-living reminder of Hindu-Sikh divide.
At the same time the Indian government has pulled out all stops to discredit the overseas Sikhs. Indian agents have been sent off to the four corners of the earth to infiltrate and destabilize legitimate Sikh organizations including the Gurdwara committees. And even innocent Sikhs who took advantage of the turmoil in Punjab, to pose as political refugees are today doggedly chased by the Indian government for extradition.
Both Longowal and you appear to have some blurring of vision to have fallen for some gratuitous reconciliation. Most of the Sikhs remain emotionally crippled and cannot so easily wipe away their tears. Too often Punjab’s needs and aspirations have been shuted away in an unending parade of forgotten memories. Too heavy a price has been paid and or exacted, and, therefore this once the Sikhs must hold their ground. As Kierkgaard said, life must be lived forward but can only be understood backward,
Condemning Longowal for his idolization of Beant Singh, in April 85 you are quoted to have said: “Longowal should keep a maun yrat (vow of silence) for a month,” Perhaps in the quiet of your study and in the stillness of the night you, too, may listen to your own words and take heed.
Yours truly, B.S. Mahal
Article extracted from this publication >> January 24, 1986
