CHANDIGARH, India: Opposition parties in Haryana called off 1 general strike today when the government of the mostly Hindu state postponed a controversial land exchange with neighboring Punjab, which is predominantly Sikh.
The deferment came after gunmen killed nine people and injured 13 in attacks in Punjab Friday and an organization warned of continued violence if Punjab ceded any terrority to Haryana.
The Haryana Protest Society, an organization set up by state operates had called the strike to protest the transfer to Punjab of Chandigarh,
The organization cancelled the strike as a result of the decision by the Indian Government late Friday to postpone the turnover of Chandigarh and the transfer to Haryana of 70,000 acres of Punjab in return.
But when Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966, it was given. Joining possession of the city. Since then, the predominantly Sikh Punjab and the largely Hindu Haryana have been agitating for sole possession of Chandigarh,
Punjab Chief Minister Susji Singh Barnala and “tentatively” rescheduled for July 15 the transfer.
He said Barnala had requested the deferment during talks with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to give a special commission more time to decide what terrority Haryana should receive from Punjab in lieu of Chandigarh.
It was the second postponement of the transfer, a major provision of an accord signed by Gandhi with moderate Sikh leaders in July aimed at settling long standing Sikh grievances.
The turnover of the city was first scheduled for January but postponed when disputes arose over the area Punjab should surrender.
A Haryana state spokesman said the tight security measures set up for today’s transfer and strike would remain in effect.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 27, 1986
