KURUKSHETRA: Mr. Bansi Lal, president of the Haryana Vikas Party (HYP), is penetrating into the Sikh vote bank in particular and Punjabi community in general, if the large gathering of the members of these communities at the public rally addressed by him at Pehowa, 25 km from here, is any indication.

‘The gathering in the Anaj Mapdi at Pehowa a few days ago was a ‘‘sea of turbans,” and was almost in contrast to early addressed by BansiLalat the same place about three months ago which was then described as a “flop.” Political pandits attribute this change to a number of factors. The creation of “Purusharthi Prakoshth,” a wing of the party for the Punjabi community, with Mr, Harish Katara as its president was the first factor which attracted the community towards HVP. It was tireless work on the part of Mr. Kataria, who visited each and every place in the districts of Kurukshetra, Yamuna agar, Ambala, Karnal, Kaithal besides other places in Haryana to mobilize the support of Punjabi community during the last three months, which helped in making this change possible.

Raghubir Singh, an executive member of HVP, who is an advocate at’ Kamal, and his associates accelerated the mobilization work of Kataria by visiting each village in the Pehgwa constituency a number of times during the 20 days preceding the rally to attract the large gathering. The rivalry in the Congress unit of Pehowa over the power struggle between MLL. Dua, president of Pehowa Congress and Balbir Singh Saini, a former SJP minister, who had joined the Congress a few years ago, proved a boon for HVP.

Bansi Lal, on his part, also concentrated on the problems and demands of the Punjabi community particularly Sikhs his speech able rally He took explain that the Second tarbsrovided amillangua invanandhy passed clan Punjab language by him as a chat minister in his first tenure, was the need of that hour, and now he was all set for paving states of second language to Punjabi language. He claimed that the second language status announced by Bhajan Lal was just eyewash, and he would ensure proper and complete second status to the language If voted to power.

To prove his sincerity and love towards Sikh community, Bans} Lal Said that he was responsible for withdrawing all the false cases registered against Sikhs during the tenure of Bhajan Weal and Devi Lal as chief ministers, when he took over as chief minister of Haryana for a period of over a year in 1987. — Bhajan Lal, Chief Minister of ‘Haryana, will lay the foundation stone of Punjabi Dharamsala here on October 19 the Punjabi community Kurukshetra pnder the sbannen, of “Panjabi Sudhar Sabha” is organizing the funeion which’ likely 0 be attended by a large number of prominent Panjabi leaders of ease, and “Punjabi ministers of Haryana.

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 13, 1995