CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal (Longowal) leadership is not associated with the memorandum on the Punjab accord submitted by some party men in Delhi to the President R Venkataraman and the Union Home Minister S.B.Chavan a few days ago.
The memorandum had reportedly demanded implementation of the Punjab accord signed by the late Akali Dal president Sant Harchand Singh Longowal and the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on July 24 ,1985.
The party leadership was not aware of the memorandum but later found on inquiry that some Akalis of Delhi had submitted it without taking the former into confidence. Capt Kanwaljit Singh general secretary of the Akali Dal (Longowal) did not own the memorandum.
The party is still of the view that any lasting solution of the Punjab problem could be found within the broad parameters of the accord which it considers as a blueprint for Center-state relations.
Anandpur Sahib Resolution which was referred to the Sarkaria Commission under the accord was subsequently rejected. But the party claims that the commission had taken consideration of the voluminous memorandum submitted to it by the Akali govt led by Surjit Singh Barnala in April 1987.
The Akali Dal (Longowal) leaders who had met here a few days ago had welcomed the reference to the Punjab accord in the Presidential address to Parliament on the opening day of its current session but took the stand that the historic document in spirit called for review of the Centre-state relations. Once these relations were decided on the basis of regional aspirations of the people forming the multinational society in the country the accord would stand implemented automatically.
The party seems to be shy of owning the Punjab accord as such because of its tortuous implementation by the Rajiv Gandhi govt which ended in a mess. The implementation relating to the territorial) and river waters issues was lost in a maze of commissions and now lies buried in their controversial recommendations. The doubts about the accord had risen within two years of the signing of the accord and that perhaps was why the Akali Govt supplemented its demand by submitting a memorandum to the Sarkaria Commission.
This memorandum had stated that with the reorganization of states on linguistic basis these are no longer mere administrative sub-divisions of the country with their boundaries for the most parts ahistorical legacy. It went on to say that states were now deliberately reorganized homelands of different linguistic groups which are growing into distinct nationalities.
It also suggested in details the division of departments into state Centre and concurrent lists for greater autonomy not only in political matters but financial and economic spheres also.
The accord with its vague clauses is not considered wholly relevant to the present situation The party has also revolved that it would enter into negotiations on the accord and the Centre state relations only if it is invited by the Centre.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 2, 1991
