Akali leaders have ego problems
AMRITSAR: Former Indian Foreign Service officer Harinder Singh Khalsa, who quit the service in wake of Operation Blue Star in 1984, has ruled out the possibility of joining Sikh politics saying he ‘was “not cut out for politics.”
Mr. Singh who had been allowed to live in Oslo on “humanitarian grounds” has returned to India after the change of Government in Delhi and plans to stay here permanently. He was honored on Wednesday along with his family at the Akal Takht by the head priest of the Akal Takht, Mr. Darshan Singh.
Mr. Harinder Singh said that the biggest problem facing the Sikhs was a problem of “ego” in its leadership. Akali leaders in the state are being led into self-deception. Psychophants tell them that only what they are doing is right. He therefore, thinks that there is no Possibility of unity among the Akalis. There was no unity among the Sikhs during the time of the Gurus either, so it would be foolish to hope that the Akali leadership would come together, he added.
Though he said he was aware of the prevailing situation in the state, it would take him some time before he can study it in detail and make comments on it.
Mr. Harinder Singh falls in the same category of people such as Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann and Mr. Gurtej Singh who quit the service to protest against the attack by the armed forces on the Golden Temple.
Almost all political parties have tried to establish contact with Mr. Singh. But he says he would not cash in on the sacrifice made by him while responding to his conscience.
During his stay in Oslo, he was tortured mentally and twice attacked physically at the instance of Rajiv Gandhi government, he said. Prior to his quitting the service, there was no Research and Analysis Wing RAW official posted in Norway, but after he quit four officers of RAW were posted in Norway to keep a tab on him, he alleged.
Every effort was made by these men to isolate him and his family from the Indian community. He was warned by the Norwegian intelligence not to go to local Gurdwara as RAW planned to assassinate him there and later declare inter-terrorist war as the cause of murder.
Mr. Singh was charged with terrorist activities by Rajiv Gandhi Government and of sending $1 lakh to Beant Singh on October 3, 1984 for the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
Due to threats that he received from Indian Intelligence agencies he had to change his residence often and even had to remain in hiding for one and a half years.
Though Mr. Harinder Singh has not given politics a thought, politics runs in his family as his father Mr. Gopal Singh Khalsa was the Chief Parliamentary secretary from 1952-1957 and also a leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly.
The former charge D’ Affairs of the Indian embassy in Norway said “I am very happy that T have been able to come back to Sri Akali Takhat.” The Government he said had alleged that I had sought political asylum because I saw “greener pastures” in Norway.
He started a “dhaba” of Indian food along with his wife and brother in law. He said he had done a lot of hard work which he was not used to. He would settle in Ludhiana now.
Mr. Singh who had been made a member of the Council of Khalistan set up by Mr. G.S. Aulak in the United States resigned from the council in 1988 as he did not want to get into political controversies.
Mr. Harinder Singh sent a request to Mr. I.K. Gujral on January 4 this year expressing his desire to return to India giving the details of his experience. After some leaders took up the matter with Mr. Gujral he was allowed to return.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 23, 1990
