Indian Prime Minister Deve Gowda’s statement that the United Front government will implement the Rajiv Longowal accord is clearly a misguided issue; The Prime Minister appears to have mistakenly convinced himself that Ramoowalia is a Sikh’s right representative in the Union Council of Ministers and that he must go by his advice.
Far from being a Sikh representative, Ramoowalia has had a record of serving the Indian state at a crucial moment, [to happen that Ramoowalia was inside the Golden Temple complex when the operation Blue Star took place in June 1984. For months, he was planted inside the complex along with a few lieutenants of Indira Gandhi. Eventually when the operation was launched by the Indian army, Ramoowala was one of the few Sikhs who helped the army to identify the Indian enemies as well as friends. It was due to this invaluable help rendered by Ramoowalia that hundreds of Sikh militants were killed inside the complex by the army. For these services, Ramoowalia was rewarded with various posts in the state of Punjab and finally made him a minister even though he is neither a member of India’s lower house nor of the upper house.
Sikh’s misfortune is that Ramoowalia got recognition from leaders like Gurcharn Singh Tohra and Simranjit Singh Mann when he should have been exposed as a traitor. Tohra and Mann met Ramoowalia when he was a member of India’s Minorities Commission, a mere ceremonial organization with little concern for the interests of the minorities. Ramoowalia capitalized on those meetings and tom tommed himself as a Sikh representative. Originally, he was the late Balwant Singh’s plant on the late Longowal. These days, he is Harkishen Singh Surjeet’s plant in the Union Cabinet. Thus a Surjeet agent has managed to parade himself as a Sikh representative. Politically conscious Sikhs in Punjab know Ramoowalia’s real identity. That is precisely when the priest of the Golden Temple rightly refused to give Ramoowalia a robe of honor when Ramoowalia visited the Temple along with Prime Minister Deve Gowda, a few days ago.
It is altogether a different matter that the denial of robe of honor to Ramoowalia was due to technical reasons rather than hard political reasons. Strangely, the reason was that Ramoowalia had dyed his beard black whereas the correct norm was to leave it natural white at his age. At that rate, K.P.S. Gill was qualified to receive the robe of honor but Ramoowalia was not. Whatever the logic of the Sikh priestly class, the fact remains that the Sikhs by and large know the union minister for social welfare more as a representative of Harkishan Singh Surjeet rather than of the Sikh community. As such, his advice in favor of the discredited Rajiv Longowal accord represents Surjeet’s politics for Punjab.
The sum and substance of the accord is the Indian keenness on transferring Punjabi’s and Sikh’s most precious wealth, water, to Haryana and Rajasthan. Every other clause of the accord deals with mostly nonissues and is studded with “maybes “only one clause is definite in intent and refers to it with the word “shall.” In other words, mere lollypops are sought to be served to Sikhs even as the Indian state wants to take away Punjab’s water worth billions of rupees, nay, the very lifeline of Punjab and Sikhs. And the proposed transfer is contrary to all the laws and conventions India has been following for more than 200 years.
The accord was made possible, and at one stage was universally hailed even by Sikhs, because of the lack of political consciousness of an average Sikh and mainly due to the follies committed by Akali leaders. Thankfully, even men like Beant Singh and Harcharn Singh Brar did not support the water component of the accord. But Akali leaders Badal, Tohra and other, have still taken a dubious stand.
The prime minister must understand the constitutional rights of the people of Punjab to their river water and should keep his hands off the Rajiv Longowal accord. Otherwise the misleading and misguided advice tendered by men likes Surjeet and his proxy, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia will prove to be very harmful to Gowda ministry. People’s protest movement will arise in Punjab the likes of which was seen in 197577 when thousands of people went to jail to oppose Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s dictatorial rule. Popular movements are in the habit of uprooting governments, Deve Gowda would do well to assess and understand the implications of implementing the Rajiv Longowal accord.
Dear Editor,
Sat Siri Akal. I have read in your paper June 26, Page3 Column4 reported from Turlock regarding my version, that Congress party is still governing by proxy through Mr. I.K. Gujral, Foreign Affairs Minister, it was not so, I had said ‘during press Mr. Gujral has said in relevance Madam Benazir Bhutto, congratulation letter to P.M. of India that our foreign policy will be same as of Congress, I commented that United Front Government, shall be a puppet in hands of Congress, but not doubted political integrity of Shri. 1. K. Gujral, who is friend of mine even on different plate form of difficult thinking, but of course social ethics are those, so please amend, and correct my saying, so shall feel highly obliged. Kuldip Singh Wadala Jalandhar Editor’s note; this letter is being printed in its unedited and original language.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 3, 1996
