CHANDIGARH: The former Prime Minister, Chandra Shekhar has said the Punjab problem is not a law and order problem as is being thought by the Congress leaders in Delhi.

Talking to newsmen during “meet the press” program organized by the Chandigarh Press Club, he said that the state of affairs in Punjab could only improve Provided the Center corrected its perception on Punjab.

“Some pasties feel that the gun can solve the issues on Punjab, they blame Pakistan for their brothers going astray. They must think why these brothers are listening to Pakistan and not to them,” he questioned,

He said that if he had not stayed in the Patiala jail for 18 months during his younger days, he also like those in Delhi could not have been able to understand the sentiments and the feelings of the people of the State.

He condemned the human rights violations in states like Punjab, Kashmir and Andhra. He said that, “it is a very sad thing that we have become insensitive, human lives have lost their value, Even if someone tried to raise these issues in Parliament, the subject is pushed aside by other issues, we should all be ashamed of this.”

Chandra Shekhar felt that the Punjab Chief Minister was behaving very foolishly by trying to criticize former Punjab Governor Gen O.P. Malhotra. “He perhaps does not know that the Congress government pleaded for nearly two weeks before Gen Malhotra asking him to continue but Gen Malhotra refused because he had taken a stand on an issue,” he said. The tenure of the Punjab Government, Chandra Shekhar felt would depend on its performance. Beant Singh was trying to behave immaturely by stopping the Akali rallies and by imposing bans on their meetings. “I do not consider Parkash Singh Badal any less nationalist than Beant Singh,

Chandra Shekhar categorically supported the Sant Rarchand Singh Longowal Anandpur Sahib resolution, seeking a federal structure for the country rather than carving out Khalistan, Opposing the second interpretation of the Anandpur Sahib resolution seeking separation, the SJP leader was present at the conference at Ludhiana as Janata Party leader when the resolution was adopted by Akalis in 1978, before deciding on a federal set-up there should be a national consensus.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 2, 1992