BBC reported on Sunday, 28th September 1986, that a one day Conference of concerned citizens ‘was held at the Town Hall, Brent in North London to consider the problem of unity in Punjab. The ‘organization which is responsible for the gathering called itself PUNJABUNITY FORUM and boasts of several present and past employees of India House within its folds although any association with the Government of India or Indian High Commission is denied without any provocation of any kind. The Conference was inaugurated by Sardar Swaran Singh who has recently been active against apartheid in South Africa and it was addressed by Shri Inder Kumar Gujral, former Indian Cabinet Minister and Ambassador to Moscow. The Indian High Commissioner, Dr. P.C, Alexander, along with his Deputy, Mr. R.C. Aurora, and an entourage of lesser officers was very much evident in the audience. Over 600 participants were expected, Less than 300 could make it and those who did had very little to do with Punjab, its unity or otherwise.
Sardar Swaran Singh, in a Punjabi oration faulted only by its modesty, referred to the current situation in India as being precarious; stressed that democracy cannot live by numbers alone nor coexist with violence; urged the participants to forget the past and work for the future, He pointed out that both sides had been deeply hurt and pleaded that who was at fault was not the issue; the issue was quovadis. He emphasized that external vested interests will take advantage of India’s internal disagreements as, indeed; they are already doing and outlined briefly the circumstances which, in his view, made Pakistan’s complicity in violence in the Indian Punjab quite clear. He expressed his sadness that the Gandhi Longowal accord has not been implemented and enumerated clarity of vision and long range policy ‘as two ingredients of healing the wounds on both sides.
Shri Inder Kumar Gujral had flown in from Delhi specially to address the Conference. He outlined briefly the emergence of the ‘Sikh faith, went on to talk about the collectiveness of the Sikh philosophy giving the faith a slightly Marxist tinge, eulogized Ranjit Singh for the first secular administration in India and recounting some Of his personal experiences, told the gathering that the Constitution of India aimed at unity in diversity and not uniformity. He stressed that unity of India could not be sacrificed at any cost and revealed that he had already floated an ‘Agenda for National Reconciliation supporting a gathering of all parties and persons interested in the issue of Punjab. He said that he would welcome anyone to that forum provided that it was recognized that ‘democracy’, ‘secularism’ and ‘unity’ are not negotiable.
‘Adverting to devolution of power, Shri Gujral stressed that CENTRESTATE relationship needs to be adjusted urgently and told his audience that in the absence of text book on the subject India was learning from her mistakes.
Mr Gujral was followed by speakers of local prominence who raised the questions of visas, the non-publication of the report on riots of November, 1984 and the lack of security in India but they uniformly echoed the theme that if Sikhs bad erred, it was for the Hindus like an elder brother to forgive the trespass and bring back the errant young one into the fold.
The Conference was memorable more for what remained unsaid than what was actually said For instance, Sardar Swaran Singh made no mention of the fact that it was under his Chairmanship that the text of the 42nd Amendment to the Indian Constitution was drafted. That amendment not only made ‘democracy’ and ‘violence’ co existent in India but went onto make violence inflicted by the State non justiciable in a Court of Law. Shri Gujral was a Minister at that time, His silent acceptance of the Indira Gandhi syndrome makes him just as guilty of subverting ‘democracy’ which he says is not negotiable, as Mrs. Gandhi or Sardar Swaran Singh. Neither of the ‘experienced politicians’ adverted to the fact that those who forget history only repeat it at great cost to themselves and to those around them, Surely they must know that the reality of India’s recent history will hold them equally responsible for brutalization of the Indian socially and politics, That brutalization, they forgot to tell their listeners, did not begin in Punjab. It began in the unholy alliance of selfish politicians in New Delhi who have amended the the Constitution of India, on an average, ‘once year and have killed the very spirit of the document delivered by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. Neither of them pointed out that even that document ‘was not formally approved by the Sikhs. They had to accept it under the conditions obtaining in India that is Bharat after being betrayed their trust that they placed in the Gandhi Nehru axis the present Gandhi, of course, had not do with it. Shri Gujral, after having said that unity, secularism and democracy as envisaged in the Constitution were not negotiable, went on to refer to CENTRESTATE relationship. One wonders which Constitution was he referring to because the Indian Constitution, even its distorted form, does not envision a CENTRE, It ordains a UNION OF STATES. Under the Constitutional scheme, New Delhi administration was to derive its identity and strength from the States which formed the Union. In the scheme that appears to cloud the minds of politicians especially ex-Central Ministers like Shri Gujral and Sardar Swaran Singh it is the States that derive their identity from New Delhi, The mythology of misconceptions is repeated ad infinitude valorem in gatherings organized by the Government of India through subsided/supported organizations and it is swallowed by ignorant psychophants who are herded together as the gospel truth.
A lie repeated becomes the truth. These meetings cost the poor Indian labourer tankful of his sweat and serve no constructive purpose as has been proved in Canada.
If Mr, Rajiv Gandhi is really concerned about the ‘precarious condition’ and is looking for solutions then the MUST as a matter of some urgency leave the psychophantic cocoon and listen to the voices of dissent as well as their reasons for dissent, The kind of loyalty displayed at Brent yesterday can only hinder solutions because it obscures the reality, And you cannot get the right answers until you ask the right questions, To ask the right questions you have to know them.
I have said it before and I repeat it now the only option left open to the people of South Asia is to make a new beginning on the basis of past experience. Not by forgetting history but by learning lesson from it, And that new beginning must include sovereignty of every people over themselves the notion of Khalistan being a natural consequence of that reorganization, I do not believe in any kind of Violence State sponsored violence or the violence of a collective or the individual, I do not believe violence can solve problems, And I and those who hold similar beliefs are willing to meet any emissary on any ground to solve any problems of mutual interest through the very methods suggested by Shri Gujral conversion by precaution.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 17, 1986
