AMRITSAR: The All India Sikh Students Federation Manjit faction has emerged as yet another Akali organization without any personality or purpose in the tangled politics of Punjab today. This was evident to competent observers after the much publicized function held here on September 20, the first major public meeting of Bhai Manjit Singh after his release from jail.
The function was attended by about 15,000 people with women and elderly people forming the majority. Present at the dias was Baba Thakur Singh, the head of the Damdami Taksal but as soon as Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode ascended the stage the Baba felt uneasy and made to leave but was persuaded to stay.
Justice Ajit Singh Bains, President of the Punjab Human Rights Organization was also present in his individual capacity.
The AISSF activists burnt midnight oil to prepare the draft resolution. One of the resolutions talked of Khalistan as a AISSF demand. But Bhai Manjit Singh refrained from any secessionist talk while concluding his address.
A section of the press falsely attributed the demand for Khalistan to Bhai Manjit Singh rather than to the AISSF while reporting the proceedings, One wondered why governor S.S. Ray was silent to such utterances. Ray was unmoved because presumably he knows Bhai Manjit Singh’s real stand.
The police registered a sedition case against members of the Panthic Committee for sending a message to the AISSF function which was read out. The fate of the person who read out the message was not yet clear.
The AISSF has decided to gherao the notorious Mal Mandi intefrogation centre at Amritsar at some later date as also the centre at Batala. But according to police sources the Batala centre has already been wound up.
Bhai Manjit Singh even when requested refused to join the Punjab Human Rights Organization ‘sponsored gherao of the Raj Bhawan on September 30.
Meanwhile on the AISSF factions unity moves it seems obvious that the Manjit faction is against it from the contradictory messages it has been sending out.
Bhai Manjit Singh, ridiculed Baba Manochahl and Baba Wassan Singh Zaffarwal for being enconsed in the safety of Pakistan.
The AISSF general secretary Harminder Singh Sandhu pleaded from jail with Pakistan to provide refuge to Sikhs as it had done for millions of Afghan Mujahideen.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 29, 1989
