NEW YORK: Jethmalania member of the Indian parliament met with Sikh expatriates in New York in an endeavor to win their support for the V P Singh government and was mostly told that only a sovereign independent Sikh state would meet the aspirations of the Sikhs.
In his meetings, the eminent jurist, who had represented Simranjit Singh Mann and Bhai Kehar Singh, amongst other prominent Sikhs, blamed the problems which ‘Sikhs face in India on the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and told the Sikhs that he had come on a goodwill mission for the new government.
Jethmalani wanted the Sikhs to give more time to the V P Singh government, since it was only two months old. He said that those guilty of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence ought to be punished, but pointed out that it was difficult to convict them six years after the crimes were committed. He pointed out that the 59th amendment had been re-appealed by the new government.
According to informed sources, the Sikhs pointed out that these actions ought to have been done so as to set right the wrong, without showing them as a favor to the Sikhs. They said they wanted peace in Punjab and pointed out that the killings by the police had not yet stopped, and neither had the police officers who killed and tortured Sikhs been replaced, let alone punished. Mr. Jethmalani has since left for India.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 16, 1990
