CHANDIGARH: Large scale induction of Indian army in Punjab has been criticized by various quarters.

The Babbar Akali Dal in a statement said that Punjab had been converted into a concentration camp. The Sikhs could not be suppressed through the use of force, it said. Indian government’s earlier attempts failed to cow down Sikhs. The party warned that a situation of “no return” was being created in Punjab thanks to Indian government’s unwise policies.

Various Marxist groups, other than C.P.I. and C.P.(M), met at Jalandhar last week to discuss the “sudden failure” of socialist regimes in Soviet Union and esteem Europe. The convention was attended by representatives of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), S.N. Singh group, Communist Party of India (M.L) Phulla Reddy and Communist League of India. The convention in a resolution condemned the deployment of army in Punjab and said that the only solution to the problem could be through politics and not the use of force.

S.G.PCC. chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra described the army’s induction as another chapter in the sad story. Elections under the shadow of bayonets would have no legitimacy and would not lead to a solution of the problem, Even if elections are held, Delhi would again dismiss the government and impose its own rule before long. He reiterated Akali Dal (Badal’s) resolve to

Singh Surjeets  recent statement claiming to know Delhi’s mind on how it wanted to produce a “political package” proposing merger of Chandigarh into Punjab and reference of the water issue to Supreme Court etc. Tohra said Surjeet had no locus stand on Punjab,

Hindu fundamentalist parties the Congress (I) and Hindu Shiv Sena as well as Shiv Sena (Bal Thakre group) have hailed army’s induction and said that the step would instill confidence among the public, While Congress (I) Beant Singh said his party would participate in the proposed lection, the other Hindu organizations said that no poll should be conducted until the situation was “normalized”.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 29, 1991