No single incident connected with the Sikh militant struggle, with the exception of Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s assassination, had as far reaching an impact on the political situation in India as the one at Chandigarh last week. India had been proclaiming all these years that the Punjab problems was merely one of maintaining law and order and that it had been solved by ‘suppressing the Sikh militancy with an iron hand. As an enthusiastic, rented Sikh, K.P.S. Gill had asserted more than ‘once in recent months that the back of the militancy had been effectively broken. India’s partisan, nationalistic media praised Beant Sing hand K.P:S. Gill as national heroes. Now suddenly voices have started rising asking Gill as to why he was still in Punjab. The change in the political scenario is not limited to these calls only. The “Punjab peace” was projected by India a major theme of national and international importance. ‘The evident calm in Punjab was cited as Indian policy’s gateway to Kashmir. Indian diplomacy was all set to market the Punjab press all over the globe so much so that Punjab Supplements were being planned for the Chinese language newspapers. This massive propaganda blitz was also aimed/at the local population in the context of the forthcoming national elections in India. The prime minister has now suddenly fallen silent. He dare not talk of peace in Punjab as an achievement of his regime. An already weakened ruling party has received afresh poll eve jolt from which recovery will not be easy. Gill boasted that fresh recruitment to militancy had come to an end. But to India’s shock and bewilderment, not only the fresh recruitment continues but it has an unlikely source: Gill’s Punjab police itself, India’s quiet, likely response could be that more outside forces would Jand in Punjab to marginalize the State’s force. It, in its turn, would have an impact on the military situation in Kashmir where even in the rosiest of circumstances Punjab’s K.P.S. Gill and his rough and ready handling of Sikh issues and people was unwelcome. The “election in Kashmir after Punjab?” There will not be many takers of the idea now in the near future even within India. As far as Punjab is concerned, the new chief minister Harcharn Singh Braris talking of ending “confrontation” in the state. In that case, whose shoulders will carry the burden of India’s guns? Perhaps Brarisnotyery realistic. It is sufficient for him if his administration scales down the level of corruption and there is no work resumption on the S.Y.L. canal. As for the latter, even Beant Singh had promised not to lay a fresh brick on the anti-Punjab project. There has been a change of the wind in the Akali formations, Badal is scurrying for cover as he apprehends fresh danger to his life and politics from Sikh militants until not long ago, Simranjit Singh Mann was forborne. At the recent Chhapar fair, Sikhs thronged to Mann’s platform to evenly balance Badal’s audience. Leaders like Tohra and Talwandi who have more efficient political antenna to hear signals from the Sikh masses were quick to assure the Mann group that they had not abandoned the Amritsar declaration, and that there is need for Panthic unity.
Perhaps Beant Singh’s tragic end was avoidable. He headed a party that barely polled 10% positive vote in 1992. The Sikhs had called for a boycott of the poll. Nearly 80% electoral responded to the call. Instead of listening to the Sikhs, the Indian government foisted the minority government on Punjab. Beant Singh as a rented Sikh was more enthusiastic than the situation warranted, India further tried to invest this minority government with legitimacy by asking friendly foreign diplomats to go to Chandigarh to meet Beant Singh. The conduct of these diplomats left much to be desired. It is hoped that they would not be a party to the sermons now that the Punjab problem was made one of law and order. Let the world recognize the essential political nature of the issues in Punjab.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 15, 1995
