Reports from India suggest that the pro-Khalistan movement of Sikhs is in for fresh repression. India had brought in its army in November last year on the eve of the February 1992 election. The world outside was made to believe that the army’s induction was aimed at holding elections to the Punjab Assembly and not to violate Sikhs’ democratic rights. It was argued that the army would be pulled back as soon as the election was over. But, then, the Sikhs under the leadership of militants boycotted the election. Hardly 20% of voters turned out and the boycott was a big success. For the first time, a clear and unambiguous message was sent to the world by the Sikhs that they were against India’s presence in Punjab and that they were for Khalistan. The pro-India state government formed as a result of the February election had the backing of just 10% of Punjab’s population. Incidentally, upper caste Hindus alone constitute a little over 14% of Punjab’s 135 towns. Clearly the Beant Singh government was shown up as bereft of legitimacy as a democratically-elected entity. But the Hindu-dominated media has been bending over backwards to project the slate government as a legitimate government. Even India’s enteral affairs ministry left no stone unturned to lend a helping hand to chief minister Beant Singh. Many an unwary visiting diplomat was flown to Chandigarh to meet Beant Singh, have himself photographed with the host to be projected in the national and international media. An impression was sought to be created that foreign governments “recognized” Punjab’s Beant Singh government. Now the State government is planning to hold elections to the municipal committees. It is bound to be a repeat performance. The Hindu-dominated municipal committee voters will return Congress (I) candidates in big strength. But India will try to project to the world that the ruling party and the Indian state had triumphed in another forum of democracy in Punjab and that the pro-Khalistan Sikhs had been “isolated.” But such propaganda cannot cut ice with those who have elementary knowledge of Punjab. Under the circumstances a fresh wave of repression against the Sikhs will be justified. The Indian army’s unending presence in the state and the plans to further activate it give a lie to the Indian propaganda that Punjab had a democratically-elected legitimate government in office. There is, of course, K.P.S. Gill’s personal factor in play in Punjab. He has to retire in four months. Gill wants a plum new job from the Indian government. He is doing his best and is employing every means to put the pro-Khalistan militants on the defensive at least for a few weeks so that he gets away “gracefully.” But India’s bigger games cannot be ignored in the process. Delhi is road-rolling in Punjab even as most Americans are busy these days with their Presidential election, The U.S. people are sensitive to violations. They are effectively out of Delhi’s hair for the present. Delhi is trying to take advantage of the situation, Besides, it is an ideal opportunity to crush Sikhs with Pakistan’s eyes glued to the Kashmir problem to the exclusion of everything else. The Sikhs and the freedom loving people the world over must assert themselves at this crucial moment to tell the world that India must not get away with its fascist ways in Punjab.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 4, 1992
