Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, according to press reports Rajiv Gandhi has started practicing target shooting at his Mehruli farm along with his son Rahul, Both of them go religiously every morning for the practice.
Ambassador: That’s correct.
Journalist: Rajiv has started practicing after his security miserably failed on October 2, 1986, in stopping S. Karamjit Singh from making an attempt on his life.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Will the Sikhs be blamed and massacred indiscriminately if in his attempt to become a warrior, the timid Kashmiri Brahmin were to fall victim to a rebound from his own pistol?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr, Ambassador, Barnalas candidate for the President ship of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhic Committee was defeated by Mr. G.S. Tohra who was put up by the Badal Akali Dal though Punjab Government and the Central Government used every conceivable temptation to win over the voters.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: Reacting to Tohras victory, Rajiv Gandhi said that it does not augur well for the country and has threatened to introduce new measures to further crush the Sikhs.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Don’t you think Rajiv’s comment is an uncalled for interference in the religious affairs of the Sikhs? Why can’t the Indian government leave Sikh affairs to Sikhs?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, India Today in its Nov. 15 issue states that foreign based Sikhs are subjected to humiliating interrogation at the Indian airports when they come to visit their families and relatives.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: The report further says that these interrogations are carried out following reports from the “informers” about the underhand connections of these Sikhs to the so called “extremists”. The reports, however, always turn out to be baseless.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Don’t you think Intelligence Bureau has purposely created the myth of informers to cover up their illegal harassment of the innocent Sikhs living abroad? Don’t you think I.B. wants to make Sikh is fight with each other and in the process destroy themselves?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 5, 1986
