Chandigarh: Is the Indian government devising new plans on Punjab’s river water controversy? Or Delhi remains clueless about how to resolve the knotty problem? These baffling contradict tory assessments emerge on the basis of recent moves by Punjab Jand Haryana on the issue.
While chief minister Beant Singh blandly stated in the course of media interviews on the heels of his taking over the government post that he would ensure completion of the project his minister for irrigation and power Harcharan Singh Brar made it clear that work on the S.Y.L. canal would not begin unless Haraynas hare in Punjab’s river water was determined.
Brar spoke twice on the subject in one week. Beant Singh 100 had been repeating his stand. Yet the irrigation and power minister claimed that he had no differences with the chief minister. The minister added the Punjab’s “proper share” would be obtained and the state would also get compensation for the loss suffered by the state as a result of flew of river water to Harayna and not allow work on the S.Y.L canal to be started
Those who knew Beant Singh Bearer other Congress (I) men of Punjab assert that independence of thinking or zeal to protect Punjab’s interests was never the is concern. Observers suspect that what those gentlemen are speaking only reflects the confused and contradictory thinking of the central government authorities who find the S.Y L. canal issue to be too big a liability to be pursed any further. It is stated that Delhi would have given up the S.Y.L gamble long age even during Mrs. Indi
Gandhi’s or Rajiv Gandhi’s if Lime but for the Sikh community unique disposition to productraitors” First in was Harchand traitors”. First it was Harchand Singh Longowal that they were willing to barter anything for power. These gentlemen argued that a “Panthic government” in Punjab must be formed come what may to “save” the Sikh youths from “butchers” of Delhi and that the issues like water and territorial matters could be taken care of later.
Then beginning with Prof Darshan Singh a series of Sikh politicians were thrown up cither from jail or otherwise with a strikingly similar approach: “New that S.Y canal has been built up nothing can possibly be done to stop water from going through it In any case it was further argued the water issue or Chandigarh no Tonger matter. The Sikhs have “advanced” far too ahead! Significantly several Sikh leaders including a few belonging to the ALSSF as well as a few close relations of militants were involved by Delhi in the construction Of the canal by awarding them contracts and sub contracts.
In essence the S.Y.L. in particular and the water issue in general became a touchstone for many ever ground Sikh politicians to be judged whether they were working for a compromise with Delhi or not. Since India accorded topmost priority to the water transfer Harayna and Rajasthan Delhi judged Sikh negotiators credibility solely on their attitude towards the S.Y.L. Since most of them were willing there was no occasion for India to give up the S.Y.L project. Otherwise India was formally prepared to bury the project forever the project for ever and to other methods to rob Punjab of its water such as enhancing the carrying capacity of the Bhakra Mainline canal.
The only segment of Sikh political opinion which adopted consistently principled stand vis-à-vis the water issue comprised militant activist groups such as the Panthic committee associated with Bhai Daljit Singh Dr Sohan Singh and others and the Baber Khalsa International These groups made appeals to engineers and workers not to ¢cooperation building the anti-Punjab canal when persuasive efforts failed hey attacked the then chief engineer of the project to serve as a warming to others not to play with anti-Punjab and Anti-Sikh fire.
The difficulty with these groups was that they did not encourage a campaign to educate the masses about the games being played by the “over ground” groups to strike deals with Delhi on the water issue by hypocritically claiming that the Sikh struggle had gone far ahead” the S.Y.L issue as if the proposed Khalistan was announced of its water wealth The result was that it took years for significance Of the water issue in the context of the current struggle.
Through the Rajiv Longowal accord the only promise using the Indian government id was to incorporate a clause for building the S.Y.L. All other issues were left vague imprecise and without any timeframe. In sum all other matters including the Chandigarh issue were yoked to the S.Y.L completion. The pivot round which the accord was built was Akalis installation in power in Punjab. All use groups then headed by Longowal Tohra and Badal became willing partners to the accord some as direct signatories others as “disciplined soldiers” of the party. Indias commitment to the accord (read completion of S.Y.L) has been complete that it still talks of implementing the accord even while all the main signatories are ether physically or politically dad. The latest to join these categories is the Longowal Dals rump associated with Amarinder Singh Kanwaljit Singh and Ravi Inder Singh who have suffered a humiliating deviate in the February election at the hands boycotting Sikhs.
Indias best bet in Punjab was Amarinder as chief minister. But alas the Sikhs foiled that game plan Thus Beant is like a dead snake” round Delhi’s neck. The chief minister is trying his best to fill the gap. But he is too non clever He does not pretend to be one who bows to Akal Takhat Unlike his predecessor or rulers such a Surinder Nath O.P. Malhotra etc Beant did not go to the chief minister’s defiance of his community but finally he may prove to be useless.
Is that the reason why Beant has been assigned all the unpopular talks to be performed including the completion of the S.Y.L to be later thrown out for someone else like Brar to take ever to open the next chapter in the Punjab game plan? Is the row being deliberately kicked up to pave the way for freezing the canal controversy for the present? Or are the chief minister’s observations his own Exclusive contribution to the political Scene unrelated to Delhi’s master strategy for Punjab? Whatever the case India continues to attach the highest importance the transfer of more Punjab water to Harayna and Rajasthan. Whether it is Beant Singh or Brar none of them can afford to assert Punjab’s total ownership of is river water wealth.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 20, 1992
