CHANDIGARH: The change in the attitude of the Bharti Kisan Union towards the six Panthic organizations had its bearing on the anti-repression rally organized by them at Alamgir in Ludhiana district August 30.

Inspite of lots of groundwork done by the Akali factions, mainly led by Simranjit Singh Mann and Parkash Singh Badal, during the last 15 days, the mobilization of the workers was poor.

The police had taken all measures to thwart the rally by way of preemptive arrests, however, nakas were set up only at the Sidhwan branch of the Sir hind canal on the outskirts of Ludhiana on the road leading to Alamgir and the other one just near the gurdwara the venue of the meeting.

It was unlike the previous rally of these organizations at Ludhiana last year when the police had to virtually seal all the roads leading to the industrial hub of the state and thousands had staged dharnas at nakas in the sweltering heat. But then that was the show of the BKU, whose workers, carrying green flags, had made every attempt to reach the venue of the meeting and staged dharnas. The rally had been banned by the state government.

BKU president Ajmer Singh Lakhowal had announced the dissociation of his organizations from the Panthic organizations, alleging that the Akali factions were victims of vested interests and were more interested in power politics, This was a major departure from its earlier supportive role. Rather, it was the BKU which had spearheaded the boycott of the February poll by the Panthic organizations.

The BKU had been under pressure since March, when its delegate session was held at the Guru Ki Dhab village in Faridkot district, at which a vocal section mainly Leftists, had pressured the dominant leadership to change its attitude towards the Panthic organizations and the militants, It was not known whether the present change was a result of that.

Lakhowal was also critical of the Panthic organizations for giving a call to the panches and sarpanches to submit their resignations in protest against state repression. Interestingly, it was the BKU which had earlier given this call, when the state was under President’s rule, and had submitted hundreds of resignations to the government. Lakhowal maintained that the BKU’s main concern was the humiliation and results heaped upon the panches and sarpanches by the police, and by seeking the resignations, the protest had been recorded. He said the motives of the Panthic organizations in seeking their resignation were political,

The BKU would continue to strive for political, social, economic and religious justice but would not now align with the Panthic organizations and Lakhowal felt the Akalis were mainly after political power.

Yet another departure in the line of the BKU was its attitude towards the sovereign and independent Sikh state, which was the aim proclaimed by the organizations at the Holla Mohalla convention at Anandpur Sahib in March. For him, this country was “great” and the only way out to keep it geographical entity was to go in for a confederation of independent States, as this was the only way to meet the growing regional aspirations of the people.

He said the country got its freedom in 1947, but at the same time, it was divided. The areas which were once part of this country must come under the umbrella of the confederation, he maintained. He referred to the balkanization of the erstwhile Soviet Union, where change had been brought about without bloodshed,

The Akalis for some time had been trying to organize the people against state repression but had failed to enthuse those who seemed to have turned apathetic. The Akalis might blame the harsh measures adopted by the state government in foiling their attempts, but the fact that people just did not respond had more to it than “repressive measures.”

Article extracted from this publication >> September 11, 1992