W.S.N Fresno Bureau TTURLOCK: Mr. Kuldip Singh Wadala, Vice President of Akali Dal (B), in a strongly worded statement defended his Dal’s support for now fallen premier Atal Biharee Vajpayee of Hindu fundamentalist, Bhartiya Janata party. He said that his Akali Wing contested recent parliamentary elections on a slogan of “defeat Congress, a villain of country’s ethnic turmoil’s,” he said. How can we support Janata National Front parties when their strength is mainly derived from Congress?” He said that Congress party was still ruling the country by proxy as was evident from appointment of I.K, Gujral as India’s foreign minister, A recent statement that his government will continue to pursue Congress Party’s foreign policy: “It not only has pursue Congress party’s foreign policy but domestic one also in order to survive,” he said. He predicted that current minority Janata National Front government will also flop as has happened with previous Congress supported governments.
During his half hour speech at Turlock Gurdwara he said that Sikhs never wanted to fight with Hindus but with Indian constitution. He felt that Indian constitution can never remove poverty, unemployment, discrimination against India’s diverse ethnic minorities and dictatorial governments. He said “so far Indian constitution has never been tested and has been Consequently manipulated and amended 79 times since 1947.7 One prime example of constitutional manipulation is TADA, a draconian law used Lo torture and eliminate Sikh youths, while its wrath spared Hindu militants in the State of Andhra Pradesh. He expressed his surprise that while more than 600 militants arrested in Andhra Pradesh were freed when more than 6,000 Sikhs were languishing Indian jails. On Akali Unity, he said that his wing has tried to bring all Sikh institutions under one umbrella. “But everybody wants to be the president of either Akali Dal or SGPC,” he said. “We have only three high level political posts and 13 aspirants.” However, he volunteered to quit in favor of Sikh unity. Commenting on recent voter’s mandate to his Akali Wing, he said that in 1986 people gave clear mandate to Simranjit Singh Mann and also earlier to Barnala, but their popularity fizzled out soon because they failed to provide what they promised or what people expected from them. He said that winning parliamentary seals is not as important because, “in 526members Indian parliament how can we bring any favorable change with only 13 members from Punjab.” However, with clear majority in state legislature assembly “we can be more forceful in highlighting the Sikh problems to the rest of the world.”
He categorically denied Sikhs being seditious, “we only want our religious and political freedom, so Sikhs can grow in our home land Punjab.” He said Akali Dal stands for autonomy. He predicted that India as a conglomerate of various ethnic and linguistic groups will disintegrate as did Soviet Union in 1991. He felt that like erstwhile Soviet Union, India today is faced with financial crisis of enormous amount because of militant movements for freedom in Assam, Tamil Naidu Andhra Pradesh, Kashmir and Punjab. “If Khalistan becomes a reality it will be due Lo economic downfall of India,” he said.
He blamed Indian governments for not allowing SGPC election since 1979 because India can’t afford to see strong leadership emerge after election with Sikh mandate to run Sikh affairs.
Mr. Wadala was speaking at the end of Bhog ceremony of Akhand Path started by Mr. Zoravar Singh Sandhu. Later on both were honored with Siropas by Gurdwara management, Mr, Sandhu a Kabaddi player and Sikh activist started Akhand Path to thank Waheguru for his family’s get together with his brother-in-law who recently migrated to USA from India.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 26, 1996
