NEW DELHI: If the supporters Of the Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh have their way they will get the Bharat Ratna awarded to the Chief Minister for his services to the nation.

According to highly placed sources some of the supporters of the Chief Minister including his ministerial colleagues MPs MLAs and others have initiated such a move. It gathered momentum when the Central Government gave the indication that such a Proposal could be considered.

It is learnt that the proposal was first moved by Hamam Dass Johar Education Minister Lal Singh member of the Rajya Sahba and a few others. The Chief Minister was given no clue about the proposal at this initial state.

It is learnt that Johar and Lal Singh along with Surinder Singla met the Prime Minister in this regard. None of the three has revealed what the Prime Minister saidin response to their suggestion. Later several opinion makers on Punjab in the Capital and other important groups also called on the Prime Minister to impress upon him that giving the Bharat Ratna to Beant Singh will send the right signal to the people of Punjab.

There are others such as Dilbagh Singh Nawanshahr Agriculture and Forest Minister Shamsher Singh Dullo Excise and Taxation Minister and other MPs of the Lok Sabha who have started lobbying for Beant Singh.

It is pointed out by the movers of the proposal that the Punjab Government under the stewardship of Beant Singh has done extremely well in changing the situation in the state. They say that those who were saying barely a few months ago that Punjab would not remain a part of India now shower praise on the Chief Minister.

Beant Singh himself does not make bones about any improvement in the situation in the state. Nor does he claim any credit and asks the people to judge the situation for themselves His policy is to give full support to the police and its chief K.P.S Gill and keep his Ministers MLAs MPs and others in check. Besides industrialists who had started running away from the state are now returning and thinking of setting up new units.

The Prime Minister too is reported to be impressed by Beant Singh’s performance. It is because of the confidence and trust in him that the Prime Minister has inducted Beant Singh in the Congress Working Committee Disciplinary Action Committee and other bodies. He is going to be inducted into the Central Parliamentary Board as well.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 6, 1992