CHANDIGARH: The governor of the troubled state of Punjab Nirmal Kumar Mukerji has resigned presumably due to BJP pressure following Jagmohan’s recall.

Mukarji’s resignation was delivered Friday by a special messenger to the president, who is holidaying in Shimla.

Mukarji had assumed office on December 8, 1989 following the resignation of S.S. Ray after the installation of the VP Singh led national front government in New Delhi.

Delhi has been removing and replacing Governors, chief minister’s secretary’s and police chiefs for the past 10 years blaming each for the worsening situation, it is obvious to discerning observers that it is Delhi’s colonial policy in Punjab which has led to unrest in the state and no change would help so long as the policy of state repression continued. There are no takers of this thought in Delhi.

There is much talk of PK Kaul replacing Mukharji though the cabinet is not unanimous as other names have been suggested. Arun Singh and Arjun Singh are among them.

Mukarji is the 23rd governor in Punjab since independence and he will be joining the band of 14 governors who stayed in office for less than a year.

Since the beginning of militancy in Punjab in 198283 the troubled state, where Sikhs are fighting for an independent nation. Punjab has had 10 governors in less than 10 years and nine of them occupied the office for periods ranging between 13 days (S.S. Sandhwalia) and nine months and 1 6 days (MC Reddy).

S.S. Ray was the only governor who remained in office for three years eight months and five days from April 4,198 6.

Arjun Singh, who played a key role in the signing of the Rajiv Longowal accord stayed in office for only eight months from March 14, 1985.

The first three successive governs of Punjab of independent India CM Trivedi, CPN Singh and NV Gadgil and € Payate, the ninth governor, were the only four, who stayed in office for four years ‘or more,

Two governors PA T Pillai from October 1,19 62 and MM Choudhury from May 21 1973 had the distinction of being in office for over four years while JL Hathi, beside Ray, was the only one who state for more than three years. HM Ibrahim was at the helm of the affairs for a little over 4 year.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 8, 1990