There is an old proverb which says that one who considers ‘one-self over clever often bites the dust. Yet another proverb says that an honest man’s horse crosses treacherous snares unharmed, while dishonest man’s horse falls headlong even on straight paths. Whatever be the postures or claims that Indian Government flourishes to the outside world, the fact remains that the Punjab problems daily assuming more dangerous proportions. All because government’s policy has been marked with dishonesty and cunningness. Its approach has consistently been to evade and confuse the issues rather than seek honest solutions. The policy makers in New Delhi have displayed little imagination and have been targeting for short term gains. Operation Blue Star and the organized massacre of Sikhs in Delhi, no doubt, brought for Congress (I) unprecedented electoral victories. But at what price? These two ill-conceived villainies are chiefly responsible for pushing the country to the brink of disintegration. The pity is that the Indian Government is not any wiser even after these self-destructive exercises; the myopic operators of the Power Board in the South Block continue to be dictated by their communal passions and prejudices. They still dupe themselves into believing that the just aspirations of the Sikhs can be strangled through artful maneuvers. They think that the policy of divide and rule will take care of the Sikh struggle for justice and freedom. The bumptious brains behind the blindly intolerant rulers of Delhi had calculated that by killing Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and by undermining the credibility of other Sikh leaders, they would be able to defeat the Dharam Yudh Morcha, Their computer calculation failed to take into account the fact that the Morcha had grown into a popular movement which could be controlled only by popular leaders and not by self-seekers or government agents. Popular movements never die with the physical death of their leaders. The elimination of popular leaders through violent means invariably converts a democratic movement into a disorganized mob upsurge which, more often than not, assumes violent character. With none left to negotiate with, the government resorts to ruthless measures resulting in a total deadlock. The original issues are lost and forgotten giving place to irreconcilable hostilities. The only logical solution, then, shapes itself into the reality of a Pakistan or the fast developing solution of Punjab problem into the reality of a Khalistan. The men crowding the corridors of South Block in New Delhi seem to be oblivious of this historical reality. They insist on keeping leaders like S. Simranjit Singh Mann, S. Harmandir Singh Sandhu, Gen, Narinder Singh and a host of other popular figures out of contact with the Sikh masses, Through transparent conspiracies, they are trying to create alternatives to discredited Barnala in men ‘with questionable antecedents and clandestine connections with the government. The drama of dissidence cannot deceive those who have vowed to protect freedom with their blood. It would profit all concerned to realize that lovers of liberty never accept anyone from outside their ranks. Under the circumstances, only a bold initiative might help to heal the fractured equation. Immediate release of all politically detained Sikhs, withdrawal of all fictitious cases, withdrawal of army and Para-military troops from Punjab, government and recognition of the Sikh Nation are steps that must be taken instantly to generate a congenial democratic climate. So long the people of Punjab do not have the satisfaction of deciding their own destiny in a free and democratic way, the prospect of peace will keep eluding. There can be no lasting solution under the shadow of bullets and bayonets nor can the discredited leaders hold back the popular unsure.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 20, 1986
