The World Sikh News was born seven years ago. It enters he eighth year with a sense of accomplishment and hope to Jo better in the service of the Sikh community. The past seven years have been exceptionally eventful. The community holiest of places Akal Takhat and Haramandit Saheb were ransacked by the Indian army and tanks. The community and its youths have been bearing the brunt of total Indian aggression. Thousands of young men and women have been killed. Thousands of others have been jailed several thousand are underground and are fighting for freedom from Indian imperial domination.
There has been a sea of change in India’s political situation The Sikh movement for Khalistan dominates India’s world: wide view as well as its domestic policy. In the international sphere India makes it a point to judge countries on the basis of their attitude towards the Sikh movement and not on any other consideration. This massive one-track diplomatic attack has neutralized many who otherwise should have beer on the side of Sikh human rights. But numerous good men and women the world over stand by Sikhs in their hour of trial. They refuse to be bribed or bamboozled by the Indian propaganda blitz against this tiny community.
The WSN takes pride in the fact that it informs thousands of citizens of the democratic world about the Sikh plight and their heroic struggle for survival. The result is that there i world-wide sympathy for the community’s struggle and aspirations. This is so despite the fact that no world government has so far come to the Sikh side. We live in a material world and not in a world of make-believe. Eventually what matters is our own strength our own wisdom and our own diplomacy. Our prayer is: the guru may grant us strength wisdom and capacity to match the enemy on the diplomatic front.
While the struggle within Punjab primarily is armed in nature it is political and diplomatic internationally. An effective medias sin a qua non for the success of Sikh politic and diplomacy. The WSN is playing a token role. Much more remains to be done to strengthen this small organization funded now by a band of selfless professionals and others While we fully appreciate the limitations of the Sikh organizations within Punjab and outside they enjoy immense goodwill and support among a cross section of the community. We call upon these organizations to realize the relevance and necessity of an effective Sikh media to take the struggle to a higher plane and to nail the lies spread by the enemy worldwide. We take this opportunity to appeal to the Sikh organizations to devise an elaborate media plan without undermining the professional commitment and impartiality of WSN.
On our part we rededicate ourselves to the cause dear to the Sikh nation namely freedom from Indian imperialism this we shall not be partisan. While working within this framework we pledge to be totally Impartial. We shall endeavor to be on the side of shabad and ideas rather than individuals. It will also be our effort to encourage in the New Year a greater amount of inter-action and discussion on our goal our strategy and our tactics. While our goal is fixed an unchangeable our strategy and tactics are not. There i room for debate and discussion. We invite contributions to enrich our strategy and tactics. But strengthening WSN should assume primacy. With gurus grace we shall do it.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 7, 1992
