CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal chief Mr Simranjit Singh Mann has begun a process of consultations with the party leader’s heads of Sikh institutions and eminent Sikh personalities to decide the next course of action as regards talks with the center on the Punjab problem.
The first meeting he held in this connection was with Mr Baldev Singh Sibia president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on February 1.
This will be followed by a series of meetings with senior party leaders including its patron Baba Joginder Singh head of the Damdami Taksal Baba Thakur Singh and eminent Sikh personalities like Dr Khem Singh Gill Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana and Mr Barjinder Singh Editor of a Jalandhar daily.
Mr Mann hopes to complete consultations by February 5 after which he will give finishing touches to the final strategy to be pursued vis-s-vis the center.
The Akali Dal chief has been out of circulation ever since he was forced to put off the mass rally at Ludhiana on January 26 following the bandh call given by the militants in protest against army deployment. Mr Mann has also refrained from commenting publicly on various developments publicly on various developments which have taken place since then including dissident activity in the party the public utterances of Mrs Birnal Khalsa Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bulara both party MPs and Mr Gurtej Singh besides the proposal put forth by Bhai Manjit Singh president of the All-India Sikh Students Federation to send a probe mission to Delhi.
But silence does not mean inactivity say sources close to Mr Mann during this period the Akali Dal chief has been meeting various party men and exchanging views with them. One of the frequent callers has been Mr Gurbir Singh convener of the Punjab Sangharsh Morcha.
It has also been decided to hold a mass rally at Ludhiana in the third week of February after the budget session of Parliament begins.
Mr Mann has also let it be known that he has no objection if someone else also wishes to try his hand at finding a solution to the Punjab problem by holding a dialogue with the center. In this connection it is pointed out that if Bhai Manjit Singh who has suggested sending a probe mission to Delhi to access the intentions of the centre can secure something for Punjab he is most welcome to try it. If Bhat Manjit Singh can improve on his memorandum to the Prime Minister calling for the right to self-determination for the Sikhs neither Mr Mann nor anyone else should raise any obstacles.
However what is intolerable are the activities of certain persons who are trying to throw a spanner in the works at the behest of various central intelligence agencies
Mr Mann has also taken a serious notice of the utterances of certain party leaders. He however wants them to express themselves freely on various issues. Let a thousand flowers bloom he is reported to have told his confidants. The criticism of the party leadership has however shifted the focus from extortions fake encounters snatchings police excesses and killing of innocent Hindus and Sikhs. He said the party infrastructure would be reorganized soon
Mr Mann feels that there should be no confusion on what the right to self-determination means According to encyclopedia Britannica self-determination means the process by which a group of people usually possessing a certain degree of national consciousness form their own state and choose their own government.
Meanwhile Mr Sukhjinder Singh Jathedar of the party’s Sangrur district unit accused the Congress (I) and government agencies of encouraging its agents to create divisions among the Sikhs and speak out against the Akali leadership so as to create confusion.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 15, 1991
