CHANDIGARH: The Movement for Khalistan was a step in the night direction, but it failed because the militants spearheading an independent Sikh homeland were either shortsighted or lacked political acumen or were misled by traditional Akali leaders and lured by money and power. This is how former bureaucrat and President of the Mann Akali Dal Simran pit Singh Mann feels. In an interview Mann said that despite the “setback to the Khalistan movement, caused by lack of commitment on the part of Some militants and Akali leaders who sabotaged our goal for money and power,” the Akali Dal (Mjs committed to peaceful struggle for a Sikh homeland, in which the gun will have no role, not even that of a Catalyst. The use of gun, be felt, had proved counterproductive as it provided an opportunity to Government agencies to infiltrate the militant ranks and bring a bad name to the movement by indulging in crime and killing of innocent persons. Members of the Panthak Committees and militants groups abroad amassed so much wealth in the name of “Khalistan” and criticized it for personal benefits that no one today is willing to contribute a single dime in the name of Khalistan anymore, Mann Said, and quoting reports. “Tell us to what use has the money contributed earlier been put to?” is the question being put before Khalistani proteges abroad seeking donations from Sikhs in the name of Khalistan.

Mann felt the boycott of the February 1992 polls was. A big mistake ‘on the part of the militants and the Akalis. “Thad told both the Akalis and the militants that the boycott would result in the formation of a Congress Government whose target would be the genocide of the Sikhs,” but no one agreed with me,” He said the US, Canadian, British and the German Governments had told him repeatedly that “we should not boycott the polls as they had succeeded with difficulty in pressurizing the Indian Government into holding, elections in Punjab.”

About Dr.Sohan Singh’s comments on the elections after his arrest, Mann said that the Panthic Committee Chief was playing a wishy washy role at that time and he never approached him to contest elections as he has been claiming. “I know he is speaking the language of the government under pressure and I want to meet him to find out what happened to his commitment for Khalistan. For this 1 have already made an application seeking permission to meet him.”

On why he agreed to boycott the elections, he said:” Word had gone around that I wanted to be the Chief Minister of Punjab, so everyone, including the Badal Tohra combine, was opposing the poll. In view of this, I decided to sink along with the others. By agreeing to their decision, I also proved to them that I was not greedy. For power.”

“T had told some militant leaders that their armed struggle was on the verge of collapse due to infiltration by security forces and large scale kidnappings, extortions, rapes and killings. The best alternative to sustain the struggle for Khalistan would be to participate in the elections and bring the struggle over ground,” he said. But the militants, on Pakistan’s advice, ignored his point, he added.

Mann said if militants had agreed for talks with the then Prime Minister Chander Shekhar it would have placed the Khalistan issue on record of the Central Government. But Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK) chief Gurbachan Singh Manochahal insisted that he would only speak to the President of India and that too in Geneva despite being told that the President was only a titular head of State. That was the end of the story, he said.

The militants he said had blindly followed the dictates of Pakistan which was not interested in a Sikh nation.

He said Akali unity was impossible as there was a conspiracy between the Center and the Tohra Badal camp to foul any such bid.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 17, 1993