CHANDIGARH: Well-known Indian journalist Prem Bhatia, remembered for his support to the Operation Bluestar as a ‘neat operation’, has demanded stern measures against militants.
Bhatia whose weekly column continues to be published by The Tribune even after four years of his retirement says in the latest issue of the newspaper: Whenever the repentant Kashmiri rebels are shown by Doordarshan (govt TV), l ask myself why we do not see Sikh militants similarly paraded on the TV screen, The reason is that Doordarshan is unable to produce any for public view. And perhaps that explains a major point of difference, If Chander Shekhar has not already reached the necessary conclusion, he will soon do so when he finds for himself that the protagonists of Khalistan are much harder to deal with. They are far more determined in the pursuit of their goal and have much less faith in the capacity of the rulers in Delhi to resist them. Thus going by available evidence, there is little hope that the laudable initiative for discussions taken by the Prime Minister for a dialogue with Simranjit Singh Mann is going to lead to fruitful results. The show of accommodation by Chander Shekhar cannot be stretched to a point acceptable to the militants. A general election will not soften the demand for self-determination. According to Bhatia’s assessment there is no brotherly love between Pakistan and Sikh militants and that the Pak support in Punjab is intended it only to help the Muslim part of Jammu and Kashmir. Will the suggested political level talks with Pakistan alter the picture in Punjab? Not, unless India is prepared to yield on the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir. Bhatia in the write-up does not oppose concessions being given to Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.
Evidently the Hindu journalist whose writings week after week in The Tribune could not be stopped by militants pleads for more and more harsh measures against the Sikh militants, application of severe torture methods on them so that they are paraded on the TV in the same way as the Kashmir youths are being paraded.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 11, 1991
