A report from Punjab suggests that four Sikh groups Babbar Akali Dal, Baba Akali Dal, Sikh Students Federation (MehtaChawla) and the Babbar Sikh Vidyarthi Jathebandi have announced their intention to dissolve their separate identities and join in a unified new Sikh party committed to a sovereign Sikh state independent from India. These groups held a joint press briefing at Chandigarh to State that they would complete the process of unity by April 13, Leading functionaries of the groups Kartar Singh Narang, Sukhbir Singh, Virsa Singh Waltoha, Amrik Singh Mukatsar and Gurnam Singh Sidhu stated that they continued to regard militants as a predominant force notwithstanding the up and down phases the movement had been going through. The leaders of the four groups declared that they would continue with their program of peaceful agitation to achieve the goal of Khalistan, They asked militant organizations to analyze the causes of the setback received by the armed struggle and advised them to purge their groups of Indian government’s infiltrators.The views and moves of the four groups are unexceptionable, It is evident that the dramatic events at Anandpur Saheb on the occasion of “Hola Mohalla” hastened them towards unity, These groups wanted to hold a joint congregation at a site allotted by the $.G.P.C. management but were evicted from there by the Indian police. The groups resented the police interference and staged an angry demonstration. The spokesman of the four groups alleged that the stage prepared by them at Anandpur Saheb was allowed by the police to be occupied by Bhai Manjit Singh and his supporters. They made serious allegations against Manjit Singh personally and said that the leader of the Manjit Akali Dal was hand in glove with the Indian authorities, It is obvious from the observations of the group leaders that they find little common ground to come to terms with the Manjit Akali Dal, The group leaders expressed the view that the Badal group had gone back on its stand in favor of Khalistan. They were also confident that the Mann Akali Dal would join hands with the proposed new Sikh party committed to peacefully achieve the goal of Khalistan. There is no doubt that the sudden silence of militant groups has left a void in Punjab’s politics, The four groups’ assessment that the armed militants are down but not out is more to the point. It is advisable that a democratic, over ground Sikh movement should develop to supplement the armed campaign for Khalistan. The militants themselves had the means and opportunity to build up such ‘a movement but they missed the bus. An in-depth analysis of the causes of the setback received by militant movement is obviously called for, In the meantime the four groups must continue with their initiative to constitute a pivot for an eventual principled unity of all elements committed to the cause of Sikh freedom. There will be many hurdles in the way but these should be overcome through 2 patient resolution. Leaders’ personal vanity and ambitions stand out as the most formidable hurdle. Bhai Simranjit Singh Mann could be an asset to the new political combination, but he has to do a lot of self-education to be compatible with the challenging tasks ahead of even the over ground, democratic movement. Mann is articulate enough to be in the vanguard but he has to shed his arbitrary ways and submit himself to a collective leadership. Correspondingly the new Organization has to be democratic rather than central is The Mann group at present is led by a centralist philosophy which does not quite fit in with the basic Sikh political organization. His group also has many shady elements in positions of responsibility who will create problems for any responsible Sikh political party committed to the cause of Khalistan, ‘The new proposed Sikh political combination will have to formulate Specific program of action to achieve its goal, Mere talk of Khalistan will lead it to nowhere. The most important task is to articulate the Sikh human rights situation the world over. The formation of a government under the present dispensation is a means to an end and not the end in itself, The government can be used to tilt the balance Of political power in favor of the Sikh struggle for Khalistan internationally and not a source of obtaining quotas and permits for individuals. No headway towards a purposeful unity is possible without a concrete program of immediate action. While the initiative of the four Sikh groups is welcome, they will have to do a lot of homework to make it really a success.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 12, 1993
