MOGA: The Akali Dal led by Mr. Parkash Singh Badal affirmed full faith in the democratic and constitutional methods while committing itself to peace on 75th anniversary of ‘the party.
An impressive turnout provided a big boost to the leadership which gave a call to the people to dislodge the Congress government in the state and at the Center holding it was responsible for many ills.
The senior party leaders made a valiant attempt to shift the blame for militancy in the state on the Congress party.
The party reiterated the demand that the Constitution of the country should be amended to provide for autonomy to the states to fulfill the hopes, aspirations and desires of the different regional, linguistic, ethnic, religious and social groups.
In his presidential address, Mr. Badal spoke at length about the historical ‘role of the Akali Dal, including the Contributions made to be freedom struggle. He asserted that it was Akali Dal which had opposed the division of the country tooth and nail in 1947. The party later cast its lot with the Congress trusting to it the Sikhs minority rights. He said the story of independent India was a sad story of injustice and betrayal to the Sikhs, Punjab and other minorities.
Launching a frontal attack on the Congress and counting its tale of betrayal with the in Punjab, he came down to the recent period and ‘squarely charged the ruling Congress party for creating and encouraging militancy in the state, He said Punjab had passed through a trauma because of the undemocratic and dictatorial policies of the successive Congress governments. It was with the sole intention to teach a lesson to the Sikhs that the Center adopted callous attitude towards Punjab and resorted to, Operation Bluestar.
He assorted that the Akali Dal had always strived for the freedom of the country, protection of interests of the minorities, for just demands of Punjab and the Sikhs and for the restoration of human rights.
Mr, Badal said the country was now facing new challenges and the Congress had become synonym of the ‘worst type of corruption. The hawala affair had unmasked its character, the policies adopted by the Center had greatly damaged the federal character ‘of the country and the need was to restore it through internal autonomy. He said his Akali Dal was keen to cooperate with the parties who believe and strive for internal autonomy.
He said the Akali Dal was the symbol of desires, aspirations and hopes of Punjab and had always struggle for human rights, Punjab, Punjabiat and just demands of the Sikhs.
While reaffirming the Akali Dal ‘commitment to the goals and struggle to achieve them, Mr. Badal pledged to restore civil liberties by giving them & fully democratic government.
Referring to the dispute over the appointment of river waters with Haryana and Rajasthan, Mr, Badal reiterated that being a riparian state, Punjab has full rights on the waters of the rivers passing through the state and expressed the determination to save every drop of it. The party would do its utmost to give profitable prices of farm produce and encourage cash crops.
He reaffirmed the resolve to create conditions where Dalits, other backward classes, women and other downtrodden sections of the society get full Justice, His party, when returned to power, would create new avenues for employment by encouraging indus trizlization in the urban and rural areas.. He also referred to the demand for the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee president, Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, said the Akali Dal never supported the gun culture and attributed the rise of militancy to the wrong policies of the Congress government at the Center. He blamed the Congress for the trouble in the state.
Mr, Tohra categorically said the police officers guilty of human rights ‘violations in Punjab would be punished by his party government.
He referred the disappearance of the human rights leader, Mr, Jaswant Singh Khalra. Referring to the Hindu-Sikh relations, he said it wore the policies of the Congress which created a gulf between them and now it had been fully realized. He said now the all-round realization was there that Akali Dal had been wronged. It was the Center which conspired to give the Punjabis a truncated Punjab in 1966, He referred to injustice in the apportionment of river waters, He said the Congress went to the extent of propagating AnandPur Sahib Resolution as secessionist. Now the people know the truth.
Delegates from foreign countries ‘were also there to bless the party on its 75th birth anniversary.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 28, 1996
