Promises Made to The Sikhs and Promises Never Kept

1. In 1G2G Congress, at its Lahore session incorporated the Sikh national color into the Indian national flag and adopted a formal resolution that Congress ensures the Sikhs that no solution, in the future Constitution, will be acceptable to the Congress that does not give Sikhs full (ibidp.607)

2. In 1G31 Mahatma Gandhi speaking at Gurdwara Sisganj at Delhi, stated ” Sikh friends have no reason to fear that Congress party will betray For, the moment it does so, the Congress would not only thereby seal its own doom but that of the country too. Moreover, the Sikhs are great people they know how to safeguard their rights by the exercise of arms if it should ever come to that.” (Young India March 1C, 1S31)

3. In July 1G46 Jawaharlal Nehru, while speaking at the Congress committee meeting declared that:

“The Braves Sikhs of Punjab are entitled to special consideration I see nothing wrong in an area set up in the north of where in the Sikhs can also experience the glow of freedom.”

4. In another resolution adopted by the Congress committee on January 5, 1G47, it was declared that by the British cabinet scheme of 16th of May 1G45, the rights of the Sikhs should not be jeopardized.

5. In June 1G47, Hindu and Sikh members of Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution that: “In the divided Punjab, special Constitutional means are imperative to me the just aspiration and right of the ”

6. British parliaments “Transfer of Power Act 1G47“also provides: -” that the Indian Constitution will be a federal loose – center government exercising power on only 3 subjects namely, communications, defense and foreign affairs“.

7. As far back as 1G20, at the Nagpur Congress session it was decided to carve linguistic states as Nehru says on page 22 of his book The Glimpse of Word History

“In 1947, the governor of Punjab Mr. C. M. Trevedi issued certain instruction to all the deputy commissioners of Indian Punjab. These were to the effect that without reference to the law of the land, the Sikhs in general, the Sikh migrants, in particular, must be treated as ‘a criminal tribe’ harsh treatment must be meted out to them to the extent of shooting them that so that they wake up in the political realities and recognize who are the masters and who are the slaves.”

8. Delhi and in other places in the critical and turbulent days of the All sorts of names were given to the Panjabis. They were held up to ridicule and not a single day pass when Mahatma Gandhi would not only criticize the Punjabi refugees, especially the Sikhs. Not a day would pass when Mr. Nehru would not order his police and army to shoot at site the so-called rioters. There was an occasion during Delhi disturbances when in the Karol Bag area standing in front of street number 9, Beadonpur. Pandit Nehru tried to snatch a rifle from the hands of a soldier to shoot at a Punjabi whom he suspected of looting and empty house of a Muslim. It was lucky for him that he did not do so because in the eyes of Law he killed a rioter he would have been guilty of manslaughter, but it shows how strongly he felt for the Muslim minorities and how deeply he hated all the Punjabis, especially the Sikhs. (Nehru Unlimited by A.N. Bali pg. 69.)

9. The question of separate linguistic identity remained dominant even after Independence. Master Tara Singh, a prominent Akali leader, on October 19, 1949, said that “Every minority except the Sikhs have been given justice. The Muslims demanded Pakistan, they got it.” The Shiromani Akali Dal was in favor of formation of provinces on a linguistic and cultural basis, it was denied. In December 1G53, the government of India appointed the states reorganization commission. In 1G55, Akalis launched a nonviolent agitation for a Panjabi Suba. Twelve thousand Sikhs went to jail for 64 days. My father also went to jail in this morcha. All other fourteen languages in the Constitution were granted statehood except the Sikhs. The growing popularity of Master Tara Singh created fear and the government brought in Sant Fateh Singh as a new Akali leader. After a struggle for more than a decade, in 1G66 the Sikhs were granted a state. Panjab was divided into three states. Sikh dominated Panjab and Hindi speaking dominated Haryana. Mountain regions were transferred to Himachal Pradesh.

10. The reorganization did not resolve the issues relating to greater autonomy to the states, apportionment of river waters between Panjab and Haryana and reallocation of Punjabi speaking areas and transfer of Chandigarh was to be Panjab’s capital and Haryana was to get a new capital. Even after 58 years Chandigarh has not been transferred to Panjab, in fact it is under the control of central government. In 1973 Anand Pur Sahib resolution was passed by Akali Dal for greater autonomy of all the states.

11. During Indira Gandhi’s emergency rule to get their long-deserved rights Akali Dal/Sikhs continue their To revenge that Indira Gandhi started Operation Blue Star, attack on Golden Temple and many other Gurdwaras killing thousands of innocent Sikhs including women and children. Attack on multiple other Sikh gurdwaras. After Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Rajiv Ghandi and Congress started Sikh genocide in Delhi and other areas.

12. BJP replaced the Congress government 10 years ago. Everything has gone from bad to worse.

Constitution and Rules, BJP (September 2012) Article 4: commitments

The party shall be committed to nationalism and national integration, democracy, Gandhian approach to social and economic issues leading to the establishment of an egalitarian society free from exploitation, positive secularism that is, Sarva Dharma Shambhav and value-based politics. Party stands for decentralization of economic and political power.

Let us examine each of the commitment made by BJP

A. Gandhian philosophy of nonviolence is only on paper. Violence against minorities including the Dalits is everyday phenomenon in present Indian prime minister and his cronies have been openly declaring “Gus Ke Marenge” which means we will intrude into your home and kill you. They have killed Sikhs and Kashmiris in Pakistan by paying money to the Taliban. They killed Sikh activist in Surrey Canada and England. Another Sikh activist assassination has been thwarted by FBI in USA.

B. Let’s examine the idea of decentralization:

• Kashmir has been broken into 3 different states under the direct control of central
• In the state of Punjab, the Governor of Punjab is BJP activist from Madya Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court is now also brought from the same state.
• Bakhra Beas management board which controls the water sources of Punjab, all its members are nominated by central government none of them belong to The new plan is to divert water of Sutlej River connecting Jamna River before Sutlej enters the Punjab. This will make Punjab into a barren land.
• There are 5 major universities in Panjab, their Vice Chancellors can be appointed only with the approval of the governor of Three of the 5 vice chancellors have been brought out of Panjab. Chief minister of Panjab appointed a Sikh physician to be Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences. The governor did not approve, and new Vice Chancellor from Delhi was appointed.
• Even though Chandigarh is the capital of Panjab, Panjabis entering Chandigarh are treated like they are entering another country for example a taxi driver from Panjab must have a separate permit to drive in
• In article 355 of the Indian Constitution BSF jurisdiction has been increased from 15 km to 50 Panjab is a relatively small state and some of the major cities come under that.

C. Respect of other religions is only a slogan. According to Sikh Gurdwara Board election rules 1959, any Sikh more than 21 years of age who wish to have his name registered as a voter in any constituency in which he is resident may register his name with a revenue officer.

In 2016 with the blessing of Mr. Adwani the Lok Sabha passed the Sikh Gurdwara Amendment causing ripples in the Sikh community. This bill debars Sehjdhari Sikhs from voting in gurdwara management elections. As a result of that SGPC voters dipped by 50% in 13 years. This was done to divide the Sikh community.

The Rashtriya Sikh Sangat “National Sikh Association” is Sikh affiliate of the Rashtriya Swyasevak Sangh (RSS) was created in 1G86. In 2004 Akal Takaht declared that the organization to be “anti-Sikh and antipanthic” .The main purpose of this organization is to bring Sikhs into Hinduism. It has published many misleading books. It has 450 branches in Panjab and neighboring states. It’s 3rd president, Rulda Singh was assassinated in 2009.

BJP government is trying to create disturbances in Panjab so that they can bring Panjab under Presidents rule or make Panjab another Kashmir.

Sacrilegious incidences are increasing at an alarming rate in Sikh Gurdwaras.

BJP/RSS members are openly propagating violence against the Sikhs. A RSS leader Mr. Suri in Amritsar was openly saying that you keep a gun and whenever you see a Sikh kill him. No action was taken against him. He was killed by a young man whose business was affected because of his actions.

Recently another RSS leader was celebrating the 1984 attack on Golden Temple by distributing sweets. He was attacked by 3 Nihangs. Recently there has been another attack by the Nihangs on Hindu shopkeepers in Amritsar. Some of the Nihang organizations are under the control of government. Similar organization also tried to create disturbances during farmers agitation.

My appeal to people of Panjab, my Hindu and Sikh brothers is not to become pawns of BJP/RSS. Any violence against each other will be detrimental to the interest of Panjab. Panjab is for all the Panjabis, let us fight together for the freedom of Panjab from colonial rule of Delhi government.