Beant Singh lashes out at PHRO. WSN Service

LUDHIANA: Punjab Congress (I) chief Beant Singh after winning the Assembly election told the press ere that human rights organization was really an in human Right organization. Replying 10 questions on state repression, Beant Singh said that much was knowing —_of state repression, If someone responsible for 100 murders is killed that should not be called state repression. Or if a dacoit is killed, that too should not be called state repression. The human rights organizations are one sided. They do not speak out when innocents are killed at the hands of militants but when a militant is killed or an extortionist is arrested then they make a hue and cry. “I want to ask then whether they have ever expressed sympathy for the innocents killed by militants.” Beant Singh asked whether the government would ban human rights organization, Beant Singh said he was not in favour of any such ban. But | want them to work according to principles of justice and democracy. They should speak out against all without any discrimination. They should not become hand maids of someone. Asked whether human rights organizations were handmaids of militants, Beant Singh said: “Yes, why not. They should work for universal brotherhood.”

Asked to comment on Press censorship imposed by the governors regime in Punjab, Beant Singh said: “First of all I am not even aware of any restrictions imposed on the press. Even if the governor had put any such restrictions we would Try remove tem, At the same time I would like the newspapers to present a correct picture of the society because newspapers play a significant role in shaping the views of the public

Poll referendum, says Dal M JALANDHAR: The Akali Dal (Mann) has sad that the successful election, boy cot, resulting in a low turnout, is a referendum in favour of a sovereign Sikh state as demanded by the Panthic Organizations and the militants besides an endorsement for the demand to scrap the policy of repression and killing of young Sikhs in “fake encounters.”

N.S Sahota, a senior leader of the Akali Dal (Mann), said here on Friday that the lowest ever 20 t0 25% worn-out as against the average percentage of 60 to 70% in the previous elections, shows that the Congress (I) secured just 15% votes in the election. These figures clearly show that the masses had voted in favour of the election boycott call, Sahota added.

The statement said that the crushing defeat meted out to the Akali Dal (Kabul) proved that the masses had also rejected the leadership of Capt. Amarinder Singh who had “conspired” with the Congress (I) and stabbed the Sikhanth in the back to aspire for the chief ministers of Punjab. The future of Akali Dal (Kabul) as a party “is doomed”, Sahota said,

The Akali Dal (Mana) said that the Congress (I) should not feel proud of having won an absolute majority but it’s should feel ashamed of that it had also created a record of achieving 86 seats by securing just 15% votes.

Sabota said that the Sikhs on masses have boycotted the elections and on the other side, the Hindus had voted for the Congress but in this newly emerged rend was no reversed ,it could of proved dangerous for the state. The Akali Dal (Mann) demanded immediate release of all the Akali leaders belonging to various organizations. The union government should also initiate dialogue with the militants to solve the Punjab problem, it demanded,

The Akali Dal (Mann) demanded that the union government should not install the Congress (I) government in Punjab which had won the majority seats but on “minority votes.”

Major Narinder Singh Jail president of the Akali dal (Bad has congratulated the Punjab voter for boycotting the elections. By doing so, Major Jallo said, they had registered their resentment against the “unjust and repressive policies of the center toward the Sikhs.”

Major Jalfo also demanded that the center should not “impose” a “minority” government because it was “morally” unjustifiable.

Major Jallo said that in view of the “humiliating” defeat of Capt. Amarinder Singh, who lost his security deposit from Kharar, he should immediately resign from the Samana assembly seat that he had won unopposed. If had any sense of morality, Major Jallo said, then Capt. Amarinder Singh should re contest after resigning from the Samana Assembly seat.

 AMRITSAR: The Akali Dal Mann president, Simranjit Singh Mann, has said that the people of Punjab have given their clear and strong verdict against the repressive policies of the government.

Commenting on the polls in a statement, released here by the secretary, Manmohan Singh, the detained Akali leader accused the government of misusing government machinery and media against supponers of pro boycotters but even then majority of the Punjab people abstained from the pols.

Mann wanted the central ministers and the Punjab governor to quit their posts for their moral defeat in the Punjab polls. Manmohan Singh said that Mann conveyed his statement to him when he went to meet him in jail.

Mann described the poll boycott verdict of the people as “historic” and said this would give strength to the struggling masses.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 6, 1992