NEW DELHI: The Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh has written to the Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao requesting him not to go ahead with the implementation of the Rajiv Longowal accord for the time being.
In a communication sent to the Prime Minister a few days ago Beant Singh has sought to impress upon Narasimha Rao that the situation was well under control and any attempt to disturb the status quo might create problems for him.
The Prime Minister according to informed sources consulted his Cabinet colleagues and it was agreed to go by the advice of the Chief Minister.
Some of the major points of the Rajiv-Longowal accord that are awaiting implementation include transfer of Chandigarh enactment of an All India Gurdwara Act and apportioning river waters among Punjab Haryana Himachal and Rajasthan now on dispute.
The immediate fall-out of the move is that the Center has put off announcing the Punjab package which was ready as early as mid-April. In fact no less a person than the Home Minister S.B.Chavan himself visited Punjab on April 26 and announced at a public meeting at Fatehgarh Sahib that the Central package for Punjab had been completed and that it would be declared by the Prime Minister himself.
The Home Minister went to the extent of saying that the Prime Minister would make the announcement during his visit to Punjab He also stated that Beant Singh would meet the Prime Minister in this connection and give the final touches to the package It is only after the Home Ministers public statement that Beant Singh moved fast and accorded in dissuading the Prime Minister from making any new pronouncement on the trouble-tom state.
Beant Singh reportedly told the Prime Minister in his personal meetings and in writing that he should be given more time to consolidate his position in the state. He is also believed to have told Rao that the law and order situation in the state was looking up and any new move at this stage may have a destabilizing effect.
Beant Singhs forceful plea in fact put the Center in a fix. Of all persons the Home Minister was greatly embarrassed having made the announcement of the Central package with much fanfare during hic Punjab visit.
The Prime Minister sought the opinion of the Punjab Governor Surendra Nath in the matter. Nath reportedly chose to be with the Chief Minister
The Home Ministry had in fact done a detailed study about ways to implement the remaining pant of the Rajiv-Longowal accord. An expert team of the ministry subsequently gave a detailed analysis of the situation and suggested alternative models for solution to problems like transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 26, 1992
