No other Prime Minister has taken such a bold step as Chandra Shekhar in inviting Simranjit Singh Mann for talks and paving the way for a meeting with the militants to resolve the country’s most serious crisis namely Punjab on which we have written so much It is true that only a small communal (Nazi) section among upper castes are opposed to peace in Punjab and in this Opposition to peace the Nazis and the “Marxists” have joined hands proving our oft-repeated contention that when Karl Marx came to India our vaidiks have put a “cross-thread” round his chest. Marxism in India is nothing but Brahmanism in red it was the Marxists of India who gave a lead on the nationality question but it is the same people who are now opposed to the nationality question (National Question in India CPI Documents 1942-47 Editor J.G.Jacob Introduction by K. Venu 1988 CPI-ML gen sec Puthen Veedu Anthikadu Trichur dt. Kerala) In the course of the last 30 years the upper castes thought that Marxism was a better weapon to fight Muslims and Sikhs and enslave the SC/ST/BCs. (“Marxism to the rescue of Brahmanism” DV edit June 1 1985). And that is why the Sikh militants have made the “Marxists” their main target in Punjab. Had our Marxists been really honest Marxism in India would not have been like this? To our “Marxists” their jati became more important than their party. So on Punjab Kashmir Jharkhand Mandal Commission and many other problems afflicting the SC/ST/BCs and religious minorities Nazis and Mario’s are hand in glove If the Nazis are our open enemies “Marxists” are more dangerous enemy in disguise. “Sacred Brahmins” are any day better than “socialist Brahmin’s” (“Beware of socialist Brahmin’s” DV edit. Jan.16 1984). In fact the Marxist opposition to the latest Punjab talks is more vehement than that of the Nazis.

Yet despite this opinion from all “national” parties including the Congress Chandra Shekhar’s stand On Punjab has secured good response from all those peace loving people interested in the country’s unity and integrity. Because even the PM has said that Mann’s memorandum did not talk of Khalistan or Article 51. Neither Sant Bhindranwale nor the Anandpur Saheb Resolution ever demanded Punjab as a separate country. If the Sikhs wanted a separate country they had the option at the time of partition (1947) itself but they willingly opted for India. This should convince all of us that Sikhs would like to be in India. Khalistan like Pakistan is a Nazi invention. Sikhs may not want Khalistan but their gesture and generosity for having opted for India should not be misused and abused

Sikhs have their own religion their own culture identity which has to be respected. That is all they are asking for When Mann talks of “self-determination” what he means is the right of the Sikhs to decide what they should talk eat sing dress write plan work and think. That is all. Self-determination does not mean Khalistan as a separate country. We will be the first person to oppose it. We have said this in our editorial.

In other words self-determination means their distinct cultural identity should not be interfered with by others. And if this is also the demand of all the different national segments inside India. Nazi forces and “Marxist” Nazis are trying to give their own interpretation to the “nationality question” and spoil everybody’s brain.

Punjab has a large (30%) Dalit population and these people are never consulted by the authorities on the Punjab problem. Dalit’s are not interested in going over to Pakistan or Khalistan. (“Khalistan Forced on unwilling Sikhs?” DV edit Feb.161986). So in any dialogue with the govt. Dalit representatives also should be included. Sikhs also should know that the corruption that has set into their religion started because they started straying away from the tenets of Sikhism which was founded by Guru Nanak and cemented by Guru Gobind to liberate the

Sant Bhindranwale was the first to realise this and when he tried to purify Sikhism by weeding out Brahmanism he was finished with “Blue Star”. All this has become part of the Sikh’s blood-stained history (Sikh Revolution Jagjit Singh).

Parliamentary democracy functions on the basis of periodical elections. But the govt. has been repeatedly imposing presidential rule on Punjab for the last four years or so Punjab is under the President’s rule which is unconstitutional denying democracy to Punjab. The ruling class fear is that if elections are conducted Mann and his militants would get elected. We don’t rule out this possibility. But on this score can democracy be denied? If so what claim India has to boast of being the “world’s largest working democracy?” Already human rights organisations in India and outside have produced mountains of evidence of army and police atrocities in Punjab. We don’t know how long India’s ruling class can carry on like this in Punjab denying democracy and killing innocent Sikhs and making them angry In Delhi the rulers are living within fortresses fearing death from Sikhs. What life is this? Is it not a living death for Rajiv Gandhi Bhuta Singh Arun Nehru H.K.L.Bhagat? Do they like to be prisoners in their own home? See what happened to Gen. Sundarji on the Ooty hills? See what happened to Gen. Vaidya? Can we go on like this? Should we not become a free country? Or, do the rulers want this to be a vast prison house? People all over the world are laughing over this prison house that we have made of India. But our rulers are not ashamed of it.

We on our part congratulate Shekar for his initiative and urge him to put all his heart and soul to solve the country’s gravest problem that has already taken thou- sands and thousands of innocent lives.

We also want to warn the Hindu Nazis (those who subscribe to this thought are not even 5% of India’s population) that if they think that by crushing and killing the Sikhs (or for that matter anybody else) they can bulldoze the people they are mistaken. We have said that in India Hindu fundamentalism, or Nazism to be more apt, has a place. It has been there and it will be always there with us. We wish them all success. Neither the Sikhs, Muslims nor Dalit’s are interested in Hindu Nazism, This Nazism can remain with Nazis. We have no objection. But the problem with the Nazis is they think that Nazism can thrive only by consuming the flesh and blood of the rest. This is bad. Why should the Nazis think that? Cannot the Nazis live if others don’t die?

Sikhs were never against the Hindu or Hindu Nazis. There was no Hindu-Sikh conflict before the partition. How did it crop up after 1947? What is the role of Arya Samajis? We have written enough on these subjects (DV edit: “Hindu war against Sikhs in Punjab”, June 16,1984, “A Dalit kills Indira Taking Sikhs closer to Khalistan”. Nov.16,1984).

So, for the first time Punjab has a leader that is Mann. Also for the first time, the country has a PM who knows Punjab and the Sikh problem so well and has the courage to say so. This beginning that is made must be taken to the logical end. We can assure the PM that he has the support of the over 85% of the country’s population. Particularly Dalit’s Only a small section which is contaminated with a anti-national Nazi thought is opposing it Since they control the media, they are magnifying their Opposition, and making it appear as a national consensus. But the silent majority of India wants peace and country’s unity and integrity which is possible only by talks with Mann and his militants – leading to elections and restoration of democracy.

Dalit Voice

Article extracted from this publication >> March 1, 1991