AMRITSAR: After its failure to bring round the mainstream militant groups of Punjab to the negotiating table through Akali leader Simranjit Singh Mann the Government of India is now working on the All India Sikh Students Federation headed by Bhai Manjit Singh to open a dialogue with it.

Most militant groups feel that the real aim of the Chander Shekhar government is not to thrash out Political issues but to pave the way for election in Punjab essentially to install a puppet administration in the State. Parliamentary leaders with high personal ambitions are said to be inclined to go along with the Centre.

Bhai Manjit Singh was released from the high security Sangrur jail last month. Although he announced publically his resolve to continue his fight on the lines indicated by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwalehe refrained from meeting Simranjit Singh Mann_INsteadhe met a dissident AkaliGurtej Singh at Chandigarh to Buy his idea of sending a mission to Delhi (for a possible meeting with Shekhar) to probe his mind on how it is Willing to concede the Sikh demands.

Gurtej Singh announced through the media that a preparatory meeting would soon be held at Chandigarh regarding the “probe mission”. This meeting he said would be attended by representatives of all shades of opinion. Invitations are proposed to be sent to Simranjit Singh Mann Parkash Singh Badal Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Leaders of Akali Dal (Longowal). Besides representatives human rights organizations as well as leaders of militant’s organizations would also be requested to express their views on the probe mission. If everything went well Gurtej Singh said a probe mission should be in Delhi next week.

Meanwhile the Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Bhai Simranjit Singh Mann has given “recognition” to the Punjab Human Rights Organization comprising Justice Ajit Singh Bains and General Narinder Singh and has praised that its services to the Sikh community

A Press statement issued from the head office of the SAD however clarified that the party did not recognize any other organization and indicated that the other PHRO with its head office at Ludhiana had the blessings of “Rajiv Gandhi Buta Singh and SS. Ray”.

On its part the Ludhiana-based PHRO welcomed the Shiromani Akali Dal’s move to treat Bains Narinder Singh-led PHRO as its wing and said the Mann Akali Dal was the first party in India to float its human rights wing.

The Ludhiana-based PHRO at the same time said it would continue to maintain its independent non-party identity and would not be a wing of any political party. The PHRO reiterated its opposition to any talks on the Punjab issue without creating a congenial atmosphere It is evident that the PHRO (headed by Bains and Narinder Singh) has no serious objection to the Shiromani Akali Dal leaders meetings and dialogues with the Government of India. This PHRO-Bains issued no statement on the Mann-Shekhar talks.

Meanwhile Bhai Mann in a strongly worded statement criticized the militants headed by Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal without mentioning them by name Baba Manochahal in a recent newspaper article had requested Akali leaders to wind up their shops allow one single Sikh opinion to be known to the world namely in favor of Khalistan and not to create hurdles in the way of the militants striving to gain freedom for Sikhs.

Mann also criticized the Ludhiana based PHRO for its statement against the talks (which it cautioned would prove futile if a proper political atmosphere was not created.) Observers feel that Mann’s rather belated move to extend “recognition” to the other PHRO is aimed at teasing the human rights activists belonging to the Ludhiana-based organization’s for their opposition to his dialogue with Prime Minister Chander Shekhar. The state Parliamentary leaders with high personal ambitions are said to be inclined to go along with the Centre.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 1, 1991