AMRITSAR: The chief of the Bhindranwale Tigers Force of Khalistan (BTFK), Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, has reportedly announced his decision to quit as the head priest (jathedar) of the Akal Takht.
In an audio cassette made available to the office of a regional daily here, Manochahal, who is a leader among the militants, stated that he was resigning from the office in the interest of the unity among the militants. The 90minute cassette urged the militants to regroup in the interest of the Sikh community.
The police have, however, questioned the authenticity of the statement released on behalf of Manochahal. They wonder why it was made available to one particular newspaper and that too. making a departure from the routine practice of using Press notes for the purpose. The persons, who brought the cassette to the newspaper office, reportedly took it away after about half an hour without giving any evidence of its authenticity, Manochahal was appointed head priest by the panthic committee he heads about two years ago.
In the cassette, he appealed to the militants not to hope for any positive assistance from the Akalis who were themselves divided into various factions. Among the Akalis, there were black sheep who, he said, had been harming the cause of the community.
Defying the call by the DGP, K.P.S.Gill, to surrender, Manochahal said he would rather die fighting the cause he had cherished than bow down in front of the police.
He warned that suicide squads would be formed soon with the help of other militant groups of revive the movement.
Manochahal is one of the most sought-after militants by the police, who according to intelligence reports, has been moving around in the border areas only, At one stage, it was assumed that he might lay down arms in the face of mounting pressure from the police as also the militants’ alienation from the rural people.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 5, 1993
