CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Beant Singh and his monitors in Delhi are quite nervous. They are afraid of releasing Akali leaders even afier the conclusion Of the February 19 election. Apprehension in government a circle is that Sikhs will reassert their authority through agitation to topple the newly installed state government.
Almost all senior traditional Akali leaders like Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Parkash Singh: Badal Simranjit Singh Mann, Bhai Manjit Singh, Kartar Singh Narang and there were arrested by Indian authorities to prevent them from propagating boycott of the election, They were detained under the antiterrorism laws although none of them committed any indent of violence or incited others to commit acts of violence. Yet, the detained Akalis are not being freed.
The chief minister issued a series of statements blowing hot and cold in the same breath. He asked Akali Leaders to give an assurance to the government that they would behave as “responsible citizens” and would work for the restoration of normalcy in Punjab; He also said that Akalis were making statements threatening to launch an agitation for the fulfillment of Sikhs demands. Such talk of agitation and confrontation is preventing the government from releasing them, Beant Singh stated, His deputy, Harcharan Singh Brar, in a statement at Muktsar stated that the government was ready to hold talks with Akali and militant leaders.
It appears that the real decision making center in respect of Akali prisoners is Delhi and not Chandigarh. The Indian government’s advice is to the chief minister and his ministerial colleague’s is to propagate the virtues of conciliation and non-confrontation but not to release Akali prisoners for the present. Indications are that the Akali prisoners would not be set free until a least the conclusion of the first siting of the newly elected Punjab Assembly beginning its session on March 16 at Chandigarh.
No wonder the state government has not only retained Punjab police chief K.P.S. Gill as well as governor Surinder Nath but has also been advised by the central government to retain chief secretary Tejinder Khanna for the present. Beant Singh had initially praised ill and Nath for their role during the recent past and had omitted any such laudatory reference to Khanna to suggest that he is looking for a replacement for Khanna. In fact, it was mentioned in some circles that home secretary Chatha might be promoted and made chief secretary. In other words, the Punjab chief minister does not have authority even to post his own chief secretary.
The state government’s fragility is indicated by the fact that the army, inducted for the purpose of holding lection, is being allowed to stay in Punjab for an unspecified period, In addition, for the first time in the history of the so called largest democracy in the world, military officer has been made Adviser to the chief minister. In their words, Delhi will continue to hold in its hands directly the law and order subject which in terms of the Indian Constitution belongs to states,
A series of statements issued by chief minister Beant Singh and his senior colleagues show that Delhi is in no great hurry to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab. Instead, they are taking in terms of holding negotiations with neighboring states on territorial and water issues.
Meanwhile, despite the chief ministers directive to ministers to go to villages, most ministers find it difficult to travel in the rural areas. For instance minister of state Gurmaj Singh asked his constituents to meet him at Circuit House, “Amritsar, to apprise him of their Amritsar to apprise him of their grievances. It appears no Punjab minister is being welcomed to rural areas by the Sikhs who had organized an unprecedented boycott recently. Since when ministers and legislators received votes mostly from Hindus, the former find more at home in towns with their consitents rather wan with members of the majority community.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 13, 1992
