Indian newspapers recently carried news of Dr.Sohan Singh’s resignation or retirement as one of the members of the Panthic committee. Another report suggested Dr.Sohan Singh’s inclination to put up candidates in favour of Sikh’s right of self-determination. There has been no effective denial of these two stories by an authentic spokesman of the committee. It is difficult to determine the real position. The resultant confusion should be cleared by members of the committee as early as possible. Otherwise the image of the committee will be sullied. It should be remembered that the Panthic committee associated with Dr.Sohan Singh is one of the most effective vehicles of Sikh struggle. The struggling Sikhs in Punjab and elsewhere in the world will fell demoralized and cheated if the Panthic committee does not sort out internal differences if any. At this crucial stage the Panthic committee cannot afford to give an impression of working at cross purposes.

‘Assuming that Dr.Sohan Singh is in favour of putting up Panthic committee’s ‘candidates to demonstrate the militant leadership’s mass base the veteran Sikh leader should be persuaded not to reopen the issue of Sikh consensus in favour of boycott. Almost all Akalis with an amount of following among the public have veered round to the idea of keeping off the election. The lone kali group namely the one associated with Harchand Singh Longowal is inclined to start from the point where it left in May 1987. This tiny group is led by discredited Sikh politicians like Barnala Amarinder Singh and Kanwaljit Singh The masses rejected these so-called leaders decisively in the last Lok Sabha election when all the candidates of this party lost even their security deposits. All the other Panthic organizations in Punjab today stand limited in favour of the boycott. Even certain non-Sikh groups such as the Samajwadi Janata Party and even the Janata Dal led by V.P. Singh are said to be disposed towards not participating in the election. Any controversy around whether or not to put up candidates should be ended at once.

‘Theoretically WSN has always stood for democracy and election The idea of democracy i in fact central to the Sikh religion. The questions whether in the present context in Punjab one should participate in the electoral process. In other words isit practically possible? Will the Indian state allow ‘nominees of the militant movement to take over the reins of power? There has been considerable support among Sikhs for the idea of contesting ‘lection and showing to the world what the Sikhs stand for. But the emerging scenario should negative these hopes. The way the Indian state is behaving in Punjab these days should shatter many a democratic dream. A massive rigging even against the threatened Sikh boycott is very much on cards. It should surprise no one ifa petty Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police is quietly put on the job of stuffing every polling box in every booth with vote papers ‘enough to fill up these boxes eventually to show to the world that the people of Punjab including Sikhs are not on militants’ side. It appears the Indian state is determined to repeat Kashmir in Punjab to make a total mockery of ‘electoral process. India at bests willing to tolerate one or the other Akali Dal but that too at its own terms and on the basis of prior secret or not-so-secret understanding It should be remembered that the Akali Dal named after Simranjit Singh Mann was originally planted on Sikhs by Delhi. It is however different that subsequently Mann himself being a smart politicians ‘came out of the Indian cobweb. Even his Akali Dal in the eyes of India is today suspect.

‘This does not mean that Sikh militant movement has no use of or has no need for an over ground mass movement. On the contrary the Sikh leader ‘ship must give a serious thought immediately to promote a viable over ground Sikh movement. Depending on Akalis for running the over ground movement is fraught with grave dangers because no one can tell when they will compromise with Delhi and surrender Punjab’s and Sikhs? rights. The over ground movement has to be based on certain principles and not on individuals. The chief principles in our view have to be so designed as to effectively weaken India and strengthen the Sikh movement. Unlike the people of Kashmir or Assam the Sikhs have in their hands strong levers of economic power. They must therefore immediately launch a program of curtailing wheat and rice production and bringing the area thus left free under forests as well as under such bushy crops sugar cane. Punjab at once should also take steps to stop supply of river water to the neighboring Hindu states The mass movement has to be centered round these two issues while a few more items could be added to them. No amount of coup-like manoeuvres ‘on the eve of election whosoever may be at its back will help. However a Powerful over ground Sikh movement committed in favour of the underground Sikh movement to completely replace and overshadow the traditional ‘Akali leaders is an answer to the current replace and overshadow the traditional Akali leaders is an answer to the current controversies. There is need for looking beyond the current election controversies.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 31, 1992