CHANDIGARH: The Union Home Ministry continues dictating the Barnala Balwant Ministry despite the virtual collapse of Punjab Accord. The militant takeover of the Akal Takhat Kar Sewa is disturbing Delhi more than what Violence did in the past. Balwant Singh was called to brief him and to work out a strategy to dislodge the present organizers of the Kar ‘Sewa. The center first leaked out the Balwant Nehru talk, but later denied, The intention of this was to tell Surjit Singh Barnala to behave a good guy or in the alternative face the prospects of being replaced by Balwant Singh as Chief Minister.

The denial was issued to keep up the posture that law and order being the State Subject, Centre has no interest in interfering with it. As if Delhi briefed nothing but Constitutional Laws. Meanwhile, according to reports, the army has been redeployed along the Indo Pak border and boundaries with Himachal and possibly with Haryana have been sealed. The campaign built up in Hindu Press reminds off one of the preparation Blue Star drama enacted by Mrs. Gandhi, BS.F. is being replaced at the borders by the army for deployment around the Golden ‘Temple Complex to lend support to the Balwant led Sarbat Khalsa being readied to take over the Kar Sewa. An announcement should be expected soon from Delhi that Kar Sewa is an exclusive Sikh concern and that Delhi has nothing to do with such religious matters. Delhi seems to have arrogated to itself the power to decide the Sikh leadership question because more than Kar Sewa t is the Leadership that is at stake for the Balwant Barnala Group, The difficulty with Delhi is that it is refusing to recognize the plain fact that ground has been allowed to shift from under them, Bamala Balwant group by the actions of Center itself. The situation has worsened after the failure of the accord signified by the Jan. 26 fiasco. Even before this the ruling group had effectively alienated the Sikhs. This set Mr. Arun Nehru reread intelligence reports ‘on the mass turnout at the Fateh Garh Sahib and Muktsar function where Balwant Barnala group was where to be seen. While all the Sikhs had thronged the rival show. More than anyone else in the ruling establishment, Gurcharan Singh Tohra is acutely conscious Of the situation and that is why he is ready to strike less than honourably deal with Damdami Taksal and A.I.S.S.F. even after inspiring Gagandeep to undertake his Jan, 19 misadventure, Nature punished the boy for his misconduct. Balwant cannot escaped his Guru’s wrath,

Tohra offered his resignation as Chief of S.G.P.C. The same day as Jathedar Harchand Singh Kahlon handed over his resignation to his. group on January 27th, But Barnala appears to have persuaded Tohra to stay on any case until the former head is bailed out from Kar ‘Sewa mess. Two questions cry out for answers, Will the Sarbat Khalsa threat make the militants to vacate the premises without fuss? Unlikely, considering the unusual kind of clay Jathedar Gurdev Singh and his colleagues are made of, the related question is can militants be made to vacate merely by eating it as a law and order problem? Again, unlikely, because ‘work operation failed to crush the phenomena, It is a socioeconomic religious problem rather than law and order problem, Returning to the accord, developments once again confirm the Dignity’s assessment that in the Centre’s scheme, Chandigarh is linked up with water issue and Unless later is resolved, the town’s future will continue to hang in balance. In disposing of the water issue it seems Delhi has treated Balwant and Barnala as no more than asses. For the Ravi and Beas Water tribunal ordinance neatly keeps out the existing Indian law in water and imposes on Punjab an extra Constitutional agreement which makes nonsense of the pretensions treating Punjab at par with other states. Punjab’s advocate General G:S. Grewal rightly thinks the ordinance is ultra-wires of the Constitution. Will Bamala and Balwant go by their advocate General’s advice? Barnala advises his friend not to treat him as a weak man, But will he boycott the Tribunal? Why is he keeping his story silence on the matter? How does he consider it’s victory for Punjab on Mathew Pattern? The only way to wriggle out of the mess created, the idiot who prized himself as the clever negotiator, is to keep Punjab out of the Tribunal,

Article extracted from this publication >> February 7, 1986