Journalist Mr. Ambassador, the officials at the seven nation SAARC meeting are reportedly bogged down over evolving a commonly acceptable definition of a “terrorist”,
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: Indians are objecting to Sri Lanka’s description of Tamil guerrillas as terrorists but insisting that Sikh freedom fighters should be branded as terrorists.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: How come India is shouting hoarse to get the rights of ‘Tamils recognized but stubbornly denies the same rights to Sikhs? Isn’t it height of hypocrisy and double standards? Is it because Tamils are Hindus and Sikhs are not?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, police agencies investigating the Oct. 2, 1986, attempt on Rajiv Gandhi’s life have come out with a fourth version of the story.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: First they described the assailant as a non Sikh, the second version said that he is a Sikh but has no connection with the Sikh freedom fighters, third version connected him to the freedom fighters and the latest one describes him as a Pakistan trained hit man.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Don’t you think the self-contradictory versions make a mockery of the investigating agencies? Would not a dispassionate Judge dismiss the government case as unreliable in the same way a witness is dismissed as unreliable who changes his story every two minutes?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Captain Amarinder Singh, leader of the Dissident Akali Dal group in the Punjab Assembly, has ruled out unity in Akali ranks so long Barnala does not resign both from Chief Minister ship and party President ship.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: He has described the unity move initiated by the High Priests as a conspiracy by Surjit Singh Barnala to stall Badal Akali Dal’s efforts to bring all Sikh organizations under one banner.
Ambassador :Very correct.
Journalist: Do you think Sikh problem can be solved with Barnala’s resignation or with Amarinder Singh becoming the Chief Minister? Don’t you think both are irrelevant and the problem can only be solved by meeting the just aspirations of the Sikhs?
Ambassador. Not in national interest to disclose.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 17, 1986
