LONDON: Dr. Jagjit Singh (Chohan the pioneer in the Sikh struggle for a free homeland has stressed in London, the need for an all party conference as a prelude to any talks with the Government of India.
Commenting on the recent statements by Professor Darshan Singh, in which he had advocated talks with the Government of India to find a solution to Punjab problem, Dr. Chohan said that a consensus of Sikh opinion was a necessary prerequisite for holding any fruitful talks with the Indian oppressors.
“The Akali history is a continuous story of failures and letdowns for the Sikh nation,” he said. “It is time the entire Sikh nation was involved in sensitive parlays like the one proposed by Professor Darshan Singh.”
Elaborating the point, Dr. Chohan said that the Sikh people had given full support to the Akali Dal throughout the 68 years since its establishment, but all the sufferings and sacrifices of the people have been in vain.
The formation of a Punjabi Suba was achieved by the Akali Dal in 1967 in such a haphazard way that the Sikh problems continued to grow instead of abating. Chandigarh was presented to the Hindus on a platter, the water and power resources were bartered away and the sufferings of the Sikhs were intensified as a result. Two years later, the Akali leadership tried to restore its image by passing the Batala Resolution. But though clothed in impressive words, the resolution lacked sincerity and the Akali Dal, instead of striving for its implementation, sought refuge behind equivocations, exhibiting lack of firmness in its demands.
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