NEW DELHI: Former Union Home Minister Buta Singh is all set to re-enter Punjab politics and play an important role assigned to him by the party high command after completing two months penance at various Sikh shrines in the country.
Buta Singh who had to shift to Jailor in Rajasthan for his political activities in the wake of his excommunication from the Sikh Panth nine years ago is happy to be back with his people in his native village and the state of Punjab.
Talking to a reporter at his 16 Akbar Road residence Buta Singh declared that his penance was in the interest of the nation the government and the party.
He did not hesitate to admit that it would help him personally too. But personal ambitions did not drive him to Amritsar to seek for governess. What he had uppermost in his mind was the interest of the nation. And I will say that I did it in the national interest the former Home Minister said.
Buta Singh went on to declare that he had not sacrificed anything by appearing before Akal Takht betrayed his party or the government by his actions. On the contrary he had strengthened the hands of his party and the government Buta Singh said.
When asked if this repentance now was in a national interest Were his actions anti-national nine years ago. Buta Singh said In retrospect if am my own judge I will Say what I did then was not appropriate It was not proper to flout the instructions of Akal Takht.
But were the instructions of Akal Takht not against the Instructions of the Government of India? To this question Buta Singh explained at length that they were not Akal Takht had issued a set of instructions about how the repair work should be carried out I ignored those instructions. The SGPC also wanted the repair work to be carried out and the Government of India also wanted to complete the reconstruction. Had I followed the instructions of Akal Takht the repair work could not have been completed he added.
Buta Singh said the excommunication was on his mind ever since it was done. But there was no appropriate opportunity or time to tender an apology. The situation was fraught with danger and hostility. Akal Takht had witnessed nine head priests in nine years a six of them were in jails at one time or the other. There was the SGPC which had no role to play in Sikh affairs. The complex was in the hands of militants. As many as 12 members of his family had been wiped out by militants. The penance cannot be an Occasion in isolation: It must be in consonance with ground realities.
Buta Singh praised Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh for creating conditions in the state which made his penance a possibility. He restored law and order in the state and priests were in a position to discharge their functions according to religious tenants.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 8, 1994
