CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal (Mann)is learn to have told active member British delegation that the party’s goal is “freedom for the Sikhs.”
The delegation, led by the parliamentary undersecretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs, Mr Mark Lennox Boyd, was known for a day. The other members were the British high commissioner to India, Mr Nicholas and officials of the high commission and he foreign office,
Making a case for a sovereign Sikh state, the Akali Dal (M) representatives reportedly told the British delegation that the Sikhs in these circumstances feel difficulties to give in Punjab because of the repressive and anti-Sikh policies of the government. The Akal Dal (M) was represented by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann sister, Mars Daljit Kaur, and his political secretary, Mr Maninderjit Singh, Mr Mann and some other Akali leaders are currently under detention,
The British delegations also called on Punjab chief minister Beant Singh and Governor Surendra Nath. They also met representatives of the Akali (Kabul), the BJP, and the Congress party had told the visitors that Punjab was essentially a political problem involving the Sikhs and rather hand one of law and order as projected by the state and central governments. “We told them that, we have no faith in the electoral system of the country”, he added.
In his meeting with the Brit delegation the senior Akali Dal (Reader, Capt. Amarinder Singh, emphasized the need for applying. international pressure on Pakistan to stop aiding the militants in Punjab. “I told them that whereas in Kashmir there is a mass uprising, in Punjab there was no such thing because the people of the state had turned against the terrorists owing to their misdeeds and sense less acts of violence,” he said.
He attributed the low turnout in the elections to the militant’s threats, and not to the boycott all by some Akal factions.
The Akali leader claimed that Mr Lennox Boyd had told him that they were constantly in touch with Pakistan”, But Mr Singh emphasized the need for applying eater pressure on Pakistan.
During the meeting with the visiting delegation, Beant Singh reportedly conveyed his appreciation of the British prime minister, John Major’s decision to sign an extradition treaty with India and expressed gratitude over the British environments, “sirone stand” against terrorism.
Beant Singh too, raised the issue of Pakistan’s involvement. While admitting that there may have been some instances or people being killed by security forces because of mistaken incidentally, he denied allegations of police excesses. He regretted that human rights organizations were silent about the Killing of innocents by the militants.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 20, 1992
