Replying to my question on Hindu-Sikh problems, Sant Bindranwale questioned me about Punjabi Hindus always opposing every Sikh demand made to the Government, be it a demand for a holy city or the naming of one train after the Golden Temple, or even naming of a road inside Punjab after the Guru’s name. Why has not any Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Jain ever opposed any of these demands? Whether or not Hindus of Punjab and Haryana, along with the Government, are responsible for the present day Sikh-Hindu tension, it is for you to judge from the recent history. Bindranwale then reminded me that the Sikhs have often supported Hindu religious causes, like the banning of cow slaughter, etc., but never once opposed any of their religious demands. We have never interfered in their religious affairs, yet the support of the Nirankari movement by the Arya Samaj was a deliberate move against the Sikh religion. This will explain to you, who are responsible for the communal tension in Punjab. For further proof you only need to look at communal utterings in the mass circulation newspapers of Punjab, owned by the Arya Samajists. This has been going on for the last 30 years. He said, “It suits Government to publicise me as an extremist, thus making an excuse to frustrate the just cause and the legitimate demands of the entire Sikh community and the Punjab State. This also explains, why the Government is encouraging violence and communalism in Punjab,
Bindranwale was very bitter about the police atrocities and their murder of over 30 men in garb of false police encounters. He criticized the double standards of the Government citing various incidents. e.g. there was an immediate appointment of inquiry committee for Jagat Narain’s murder and none for any killing of the Sikhs including the recent firing of 4th April on peaceful Satygrahis, killing 24 of them. These actions of the Government are designed to encourage extremism in Punjab. Bindranwale then talked of Sikhs as a separate nation (quom) within India like Muslim, Christian and Hindu. We disagreed with him and strongly emphasized our views of Hindus and Sikhs being the roots and branches of the same tree. He replied back saying that by their actions, Hindus in Punjab and the Government have proved it otherwise.
