CHANDIGARH: Indian authorities imposed an unannounced ban on a public rally sought to be organized jointly by four pro-militant groups at the “Hola Mohalla” function at Anandpur Saheb early this week.
The groups whose rally was foiled by the police are Akali Dal (Baba Joginder Singh), Akali Dal Babbar, Babbar Students Federation and the Sikh Students Federation (MchtaChawla), However, the Indian government permitted other Akali groups such as the Badal Akali Dal, the Mann Akali Dal and the Manjit Singh Akali Dal to hold their functions undisturbed.
The police surrounded the stage Organized by the four groups adjoining the Sarovar as soon as Baba Joginder Singh, Bhai Kartar Singh Narang, Prof Bhupinder Singh, Bhai Swinder Singh, Bhai Wirsa Singh Waltoha and others moved ahead to occupy seats. A Punjab police official forcibly tried to prevent Baba Joginder Singh from moving towards the stage and said that the groups had no permission to hold the function. Baba Joginder Singh and his associates showed to the police written permission granted by the S.G.P.C_ to hold the rally but to no avail. The police continued to surround the functionaries and would not allow them to mount the stage. The Akali workers raised antipolice slogans; they also condemned the S.G.P.C.’s connivance with the government in preventing the rally. They tried to read out resolutions from the religious stage organized by the S.G.P.C. at Kesgarh Saheb but the S.G.P.C. functionaries snapped wires of the public address system to frustrate the Akali groups” attempt. Bhai Wirsa Singh alleged that the police tried to abduct one of their supporters, Bhai Manjit Singh Mukatsar, but the attempt was foiled.
Interestingly, none of the Akali groups which were permitted to hold their rallies adopted any resolution affirming the goal of Khalistan which was in sharp contrast from the proceedings of last year’s “Hola Mohalla” function when all major Akali groups had publicly announced that they regarded militants as their political leaders.
The Mann group on paper did pass a resolution “reiterating” “the last year’s resolutions,” the group at the same time sent out a diluted message by “warming” the Indian government against scrapping the S.G.P.C. It demanded early election of the $.G.P.C, house. “We shall give a befitting reply if S$.G.P.C. Act is repealed,” the group thundered.
The Mann group as well as other Akali groups who were permitted to hold their rallies passed separate resolutions demanding dissolution of the present Punjab Assembly and fresh elections to give to Punjab a representative government in place of the Beant Singh government.
Meanwhile the Badal group is busy making feverish preparations to organize a political show at Jalandhar on March 14; the aim appears to be to project the group as a leading force among the Sikhs. The rally is being held away from places of religious worship to send # message to India that the Badal Akali Dal is “secular” in nature and that Hindus should find it acceptable. That also explains the fact that the rally will be addressed by two former prime ministers, Y.P_Singh and Chander Shekhar.
The Badal group has encouraged propaganda that the government may not permit the Jalandhar rally to be held. But from the manner in which Indian authorities allowed the group to hold its function at Anandpur Saheb it is evident that there will be no ban on the Jalandhar show either unless the rally poses any problems on the law and order front.
Indian government’s support to the Badal faction is in direct proportion to the stepped up pressure ‘on the Mann and other pro-militant Akali groups. The murder of Ropar advocate Kulwant Singh and his family are viewed by political observers as a threat to the Mann group. Kulwant Singh was president of the Ropar district of Mann Akali Dal. Its immediate fallout was that the group’s workers in Amritsar district headed by Ranjit Singh Brahmpura trouped out to join the Badal faction, Parkash Singh Badal, in turn, immediately rewarded Brahmpura by appointing him senior vice-president of his group. There is talk in political circles that several other important leaders of the Mann group will also leave the party. That may be one reason why Simranjit Singh Mann was subdued in his rhetoric at Anandpur Saheb.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 12, 1993
