Punjabi farmers have turned the dangerous and swampy jungles of Terrai into the second granary of India, at the same time Punjabi businessmen settled in different parts of U.P. established themselves as successful business men by dint of their sheer hard work. Their success had caught the evil eye of the greedy Congress politicians who were in the lookout for an Opportunity to unsettle then.

Representations to the Centre met with sweet assurances, but no tangible relief The bias of the State Government of U.P. against the Punjabis in general and Sikhs in particular was obvious.

Discrimination by the U.P. Govt. against the Terrai Sikhs dates back to the early seventies. Frequent circulars were issued to the local administration to discourage Sikh settlers. The State Govt.’s policies are patently discriminatory aimed at unsettling the Punjabis in general and Sikhs in particulars for this purpose the present “Punjab problem was exploited to the hilt. Few instances ‘ are narrated:

Bageshwer Sahib Gurudwara was demolished, looted and pilfered, statue of Mrs, Indira Gandhi was reported to have been installed on the spot where Guru Nanak Deviji sat _in Samadhi, and This statue has now been removed. Compensation ‘for the restitution is said to be deified by U.P Chief Minister, on the ground that there is now no Sikh population there,

Not a single miscreant of November 1984 riots has been booked up till now

Gurudwara Nanak Matta – Police posted outside the Gurudwara, but police moves frequently within the Gurudwara by installing a local Gurudwara Managing Committee, which was imposed on the Sikhs after ousting pro-Akali Managing Committee headed by S. Harinder Singh.

The Sikhs ore not allowed staying in Gurudwaras. To a Sikh Gurudwara is a home of his father and he has every right to stay there Denial of the right to stay at Gurudwara ds direct interference, in the religious affairs of Sikhs. Free ‘board and lodging to all needy and equal treatment to high and low within the Gurudwara is the hall marks of Sikh faith.

Sikh houses are being constantly searched under the excuse of sheltering terrorists. ” Sikh passengers are singled out from the buses and their luggage ransacked. Body searches are carried out on Sikh women by male police adding to their humiliation.

In the matter of jobs there is total discrimination against the Sikhs by the U.P. Government. –

In the matter of granting arms licences, Sikhs are being discriminated against. Very rarely a licences is given to a Sikh, while licences are given to others quite freely.

In the name of land reforms, Sikh farmers are being harassed under technicalities of revenue procedure, This is a continuing problem and Akali Dal was even constrained to incorporate it in the Anandpur Sahib Resolution.

Compensation for destroyed property is not being given. Where it is being offered, it is so disproportionate to the actual loss that the people refused to accept the “claim, In Haldwand alone; 200 shops, houses and about 50 trucks and cars were destroyed and ransacked under the very nose of the administration.

Under the Rajiv-Longowal accord, the Akali Dal has agreed to limit inquiries to the communal carnage that took place at Bokaro, Kanpur and Delhi. This was an agreement between Sant Longowal and the Centre. It did not, however, absolve state Governments from making their own inquiries and taking action against miscreants, abetting politicians and errant officers at places like Dehradun, Haldwani, etc. Shos and houses were burnt and looted under the very nose of the S.D.O.(C) Haldweni (Bhatnagar). Such Officers were merely transferred. No action was taken against them.

In the past Congress campaigns in Terrai were virtually financed by the Sikhs. This was a sort of protection money give to the ruling party. The Haldwani shop keepers, apart from giving money for Congress Election Fund were supporters of the Congress (I). This did not save them from the Congress (I) anti-Sikh vendetta after Mrs. Gandhi’s assassination.

Recently a D.I.G. of U.P. Police came out with statistics about the recovery of Arms from the Sikhs in the Terrai and about the unearthing of one gun factory producing 12 bore pistols. It is wished he had come with comparative figures as far more weapons are recovered from District like Morena, Moradabad, Jhansi, Meerut and Kanpur. Hardly a day passes “when gun factories of the type described by the D.I.G. are not discovered from the mentioned districts.

While a preponderant majority of the 20 Lakhs Terrai Sikhs favor Akali Dal (B), U.P. Sikhs were advised to develop local political roots by joining such non-Congress secular parties who are sympathetic towards Sikhs and minorities, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes and through their own personal conduct demonstrate that they are members of a caste- less religion, which, has, at heart the welfare of the entire mankind. Dual political party membership was recommended – one for Punjab and one for the adopted State. This became necessary as Congress had communalized the political environment.

Set up legal cells to go to the Sikhs in distress. Ensure property of the Sikhs in communally disturbed pockets is insured.

Diversify assets and divert business/farm surpluses to Punjab and non-Congress (I) States.

Those living in commonly disturbed localities, should move over to the safety of such localities where Sikhs have sizeable population and take protection through numbers, ‘4n the absence of equal protection by the State law and order enforcing machinery.

“The Uttar Pradesh Government was reminded of its obligation to take action against those newspapers which are spreading anti-Sikh tirade,