Journalist : Mr. Ambassador, most of the journalists covering Barnala Government sponsored Sarbat Khalsa meeting at Anandpur Sahib on February 16, 1986 put the number of the gathering between 50,000 and 60,000.
Ambassador : That’s right.
Journalist: Barnala, however, claimed that the number of participating Sikhs was much larger. He also roared from the heavily guarded Dias that Damdami Taksal and Federation sewadars (volunteers) ‘would shortly be evicted from the Golden Temple.
Ambassador : Very correct.
Journalist : How is it that Barnala failed to muster support from Punjab and had to request Haryana Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal, to send truckloads of hired school boys to put up a reasonably respectable show? (See photo alongside.) How does he propose to evict the Federation and Taksal volunteers from the Golden Temple? Will he resort to another “Operation Blue Star”?
Ambassador : Not in National interest to disclose.
Journalist : Mr. Ambassador, according to latest press reports, religious violence is raging in India. 27 persons have been killed and more than 500 injured in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir in just three days, mostly in police firings.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist : It is also reported that majority of them belonged to Muslim and Sikh faiths and fell victims to the bullets of either the police or the Hindu mobs.
Ambassador : Very correct.
Journalist: How is it that in religious clashes and police firings only Muslims and Sikhs get killed? Does it not mean that police fires only ‘on Muslims and Sikhs or is it that Hindu riotors come with bulletproof jackets?
Ambassador : Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist : Mr. Ambassador, Rajiv Gandhi has been boasting of Keeping the interests of the country above the party interests.
Ambassador : That’s right.
Journalist: He has also been trying to give the impression of restoring democratic norms by departing from his mother’s policy of authoritarianism.
Ambassador : Very correct.
Journalist : How come that he reverted to his mother’s policy in relation to the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab? Could it be that the election reverses in Punjab, Assam and in many States by elections have made him conclude that Hindu fundamentalism alone will keep him in power?
Ambassador : Not in national interest to disclose.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 28, 1986
