CHANDIGARH: Militants’ hold on Punjab politics was further strengthened last week when the State responded in a big way to strike calls twice to protest against repression on Sikhs by the Indian security forces.
Certain militant’s organizations had called for a one day strike on September 3 in the wake of the death of Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthani at Mohali a day earlier to protest against the police Most of the small towns and rural areas observed the strike almost totally. It also had its impact on the major urban centers.
Reports from Ahmedgarh Mullanpur Ropar Samana Patiala Samrala Morinda and several other stations suggested that the public response to the strike call was almost complete. There was no movement of buses Roads gave a deserted look according to a report from Chamkaur Saheb Ropar Deputy Commissioner Ramesh Chander and SSP Mohammed Mustafa expressed the view that markets in the district remained closed as a mark of respect to the memory of Bimal Kaur Khalsa. They pleaded that the observance of the strike by the public was not in response to the militants’ call.
The public response to the joint call for strike on September 7 to protest against repression by Indian security forces was far greater as it involved not only the small towns and villages but also big towns with Hindu majority. The call came from 36 Sikh organizations that had earlier met at Anandpur Saheb and was backed by all militant groups and human rights organizations
A report from Amritsar said that the district administration almost “resigned themselves” to the strike. There was no official attempt at stopping the public from responding to the call. The response in the three border districts was total Amritsar city remained closed on the day. The public at Ludhiana also responded to the strike call in a big way. Almost all Govt and private institutions remained closed. No work was unsalted in Punjab Agricultural University run by the Punjab govt.
Most of the public sector undertakings at Mohali observed the “bandh” despite directions by the State Government a day earlier to the chief executives of these undertakings to keep open.
A report from Bassi Pathanan said that the strike in the town was “a unprecedented”. Not one bus belonging cither to the State Government or to the private operators could be seen on Sirhand Morinda road.
There was no incident of violence anywhere and the bandh passed off peacefully. However there were minor incidents involving a firing on a truck resulting in injury to its driver in Bathinda district and blowing off a portion of a rail track between Butari and Tangra railway stations in Amritsar district.
S.G.P.C President Baldev Singh Sibia who was not allowed by the police 10 move out of his residence at Mukstar on September 7 stated in an interview that the response to the strike call was complete all over Punjab. It was he said a warning to the Indian Govt to heed the voice of reason and stop repression on Sikhs. Otherwise every Govt action would have a reaction. The Govt alone would be responsible for the political consequences Sibia added. He said the action committee would soon meet to give further line of action.
Hindu media and the Indian Govt controlled radio and television networks reluctantly admitted that the strike was complete but tried to minimize its political impact by stating that the strike call was “to protest against the killing of Gurjant Singh Rajasthani”. These sections of the media thus sought to give an impression that the strike was in favor of a “dreaded militant” and not against the Govt’s repressive policy towards Sikhs
Article extracted from this publication >> September 13, 1991
