India’s intentions in holding the elections are mala fide. It seek to legitimize a despotic rule and to continue the oppression of the minorities. The Sikhs therefore seek a referendum in Punjab since the UN charter of human rights guarantees each nation the right to self-determination.
An indication of how the crooked mind of the Indian despots works is the holding of the parliamentary elections but not the state elections in Punjab. The reason cited for denying local elections is the law and order situation in the state. It leads one to ask the question, if Punjab is calm enough for one election, why is it not clam enough for the other?
Of course power hungry individuals will unite under the banner of the Congress I and fight the elections. They have always done so.
Sikhs have never signed the Indian constitution, the protections enshrined in it were never granted to them and they were never treated with equality. Therefore they have no reason to participate in the elections which are held under the present political system in India.
Organizations which truly represent the Sikhs, the two Panthic Committees have already vehemently denied any electoral moves and have in fact strongly condemned any such participation by other Sikhs. The Punjab Human Rights Organization and the various groups of all India Sikh student’s Federation have all also decided not to participate in the electoral sham.
The Akali Dal elements, have overcome their factionalism and united in their ever increasing lust for power. They will participate in the polls. They have a history of betraying the community. Surjit Singh Barnala had not only officiated the murder of innocent Sikhs by the Punjab police, he also invaded and desecrated the Harmandir Sahib and thus tried to legitimize the 1984 assault. The then police chief Julio Riberlo has now admitted that he was given the names of the 37 or 38 people to be eliminated by Barnata himself.
The extra judicial killings, posting of rewards of over a hundred thousand rupees for activists and the operation of covert squads of hit men who killed the innocent, at the orders of the police, to blame the Sikhs and thus discredit them, all became a norm during his time.
That these people seek to come to power at all cost is no surprise. They have already betrayed their community, their faith and the trust imposed in them.
The role of the Shromini Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee does not inspire any confidence. They will use public funds, which were released from the coffers of the central government to fund the Akali candidates. It is indeed ironic that the same funds which were looted by the government forces during various assaults on the Harmandir Sahib will now be used against the Sikh interests,
The situation is in many ways similar to that during the British Colonial rule. We triumphed then, only to be betrayed by the Hindus and their lackeys.
The Sikh nation is wary and wiser now. We have only one demand, our sovereign, free and democratic nation Khalistan.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 3, 1989
