CHANDIGARH: Five militant organisations owing allegiance to the Panthic committee (Dr Sohan Singh) have said in a joint statement that they stood by Dalits in their struggle against upper castes.
The statement, issued on behalf of Mr Paramjit Singh Panjwar (KCF”), Mr Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala (“KLF”), Mr Daljit Singh (Sikh Students Federation),
And Mr Sukhdev Singh Babbar (“Babbar Khalsa”), and released to the press here. Recently said that the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib made it mandatory for a Sikh to stand by those who were without protection. By taking action against the ant reservationists, an attempt had been made to revive a tradition.
It said that the continuous dominance by the upper castes (15%), over the downtrodden (85%) would not be acceptable to them anymore.
The activities of the so called political leaders and their agents supporting the antireservationists stir were being monitored closely by the militants, the five militant bodies stated. *
It said the antireservationists as a mark of protest undertook shoe shining, selling goods on handcrafts, cleaning and other jobs. If they were truthful and honest, they should take to such professions.
Referring to incidents of self-immolation, the statement said perhaps by doing so the upper caste youth were showing repentance for the “excesses” committed by their ancestors on Dalits and the downtrodden for centuries.
The statement further said the Communists must have an opportunity to criticize the action of the militants. These were the people who in the garb of ending poverty were “finishing off’ poor people. The Mandal Commission report, the statement said, revealed that the love of the Congress (I) for the downtrodden was for nothing more than getting votes.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 23, 1990
