GURDASPUR: Beant Singh Chief Minister, Punjab, has appealed to the Majha masses to spread the message to the militants that if they surrender, no action would be taken against them. Their families would also be provided protection against any reprisal by the militants, he said.

This appeal through the masses was made by the chief minister al an unprecedented big rural gathering here in a city located in the hot-bed of militancy. The rural gathering gave an impression of a public meeting held during normal times.

People of all religions, classes and shades representing rural and urban areas were present in the gathering. Women also participated in large numbers.

Beant Singh said this kind of response to their mass act program was not seen anywhere else.

Besides the militant outfits, Akalis specially the SGPC chief, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, was attacked by almost all the leaders who spoke at this meeting.

Beant Singh said Tohra as a chief of the SGPC was responsible for the present Punjab crisis. He said had Tohra not allowed the militants to use religious place as hideouts, the Punjab crisis would not have become so serious.

Giving the background of the current Punjab crisis, Beant Singh said it was the Akalis who by launching dharam morchas for non-religious demands caused division among the two principal communities resulting in the emergence of militancy in the state.

The Sikh religion was never under threat said Beant Singh, and added that the Akalis used the Sikh religion to promote their vested interests. The chief ministers said it was the government of Giani Zail Singh which saved Fazilka and Abohar from going to Haryana.

Addressing a contact meeting at village Nathwala Ragha Purana, Jhandeanna, and Singhanwala, Irrigation and Power Minister, Punjab, Harcharan Singh Brar announced that the state government was committed to meet power requirements of farmers in full. For this a comprehensive program had been prepared to ensure the supply to farmers.

He also announced that the state’s case for meeting irrigation requirements of farmers would be taken up with the Central Government and only the surplus water would be made available to other states after meeting Punjab’s requirements in to,

The mass contact program organized by Dhanwant Singh, MLA, in four villages of his Dhuri constituency including Mannwala, Dhura, Bhullar Hen and Cheema provided an impetus to polarization in the party in this district

The differences between the president of the District Congress Committee chief and his supporters and the supporters of the MLA came to the fore when the former were seen discouraging people from attending the function.

The people watched merrily when the DCC chief threatened at village Manwala, Satieh Singla, convener of the Beopari Cell of the block Congress Committee, Dhun, and a leading nice miller arranging respectable gatherings on the occasion. Singla strongly protested against the abusive threat to him by the DCC chief.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 17, 1992