CHANDIGARH: Nearly 70000 elected sarpanches and panchs in Punjab are getting ready to lay down their offices by June 30 in a massive show of protest against Indian excesses in Punjab.
The move for en mass resignations has been organized by Sikh militants comprising panthic committees and Babbar Khalsa International
In a Press release the panthic committee advised the panchayats to send letters of resignation either to United Nations or Amnesty International or other international human rights organizations or to Punjab Human Rights Organizations It also asked the village representatives to endorse these letters to the local media for a proper coverage.
The Press release was signed by Sikh Students Federation chief Bhai Daljit Singh Khalsa Dr.Sohan Singh Bhai Harminder Singh Sultanwind Bhai Shahbaz Singh Bhai Satinder Singh and four generals of the militant organizations connected with the panthic committee
The panthic committees decided to postpone the constitution of Khalsa panchayats pending finalization of the aims and objects of these institutions In the meantime panchayats were asked to keep on working even after resigning their posts. The committee said that it was consulting other militant groups regarding the future shape of the Khalsa panchayats. Meanwhile there is a lot of political activity in almost all 12000 Punjab villages these days. An overwhelming majority of village elders are in favor of quitting their note on the call of militant outfits. The common ground for these village representatives moves is the untold repression on the people in villages by the Indian state. Even the village sarpanches and panchs are not spared by the police. They are dragged to police stations and are tortured and humiliated there for not informing the police regarding the activities of Sikh militants. In numerous cases the entire village population including their elected representatives is asked to look down and is publicly beaten up.
The village elders also have grievances against the Indian state on account of exploitation of Punjab’s resources to benefit India. In this connection they point out the transfer of almost 75% of Punjab rivers water and the application of extortionist pricing mechanisms to cheat farmers of their produce.
Not many village elders have reservations about the militant’s initiative in view of their success in enforcing the election boycott by more than 80% of Punjab’s voters in February.
The Beant Singh ministries through sub-divisional magistrates and police officials are trying hard to stop the village panchayats from quitting. At Phagwara the local authorities organized an impressive lunch to lure the village elders but none of them agreed not to resign.
The government is also threatening to disqualify village elders who decided to quit in protest against the state governments policies. Normally — the administrations strategy is to keep the resignation letters pending and not accept them.
At many places the village elders are sending the letters of resignation on the grounds of poor health or for domestic reasons. But in most cases the letters bear the reason of police excesses and highhandedness of the Indian state against Sikhs.
The Indian authorities have made no claims regarding the prospects of the counter campaign launched by the Beant Singh ministry unlike they did on the eve of the February poll. Not a single village elder has notified his intention to stick to his office disregarding the militant’s advice.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 19, 1992
