Canada S. Pritpal Singh Bindra has given a comprehensive overview of the origin, contributions and goals of the Federation (WSN, August 4,1995). Undoubtedly, the work done by the Federation is praiseworthy. I have personally known some of the members and I admire them for their dedication. However-I need clarification with regard to Mr. Bindra’s statement, in which he referred to a speaker at the conference who had said as follows: “He expounded that Mr. Jinah was ready to announce and sign a directive for the creation of a state for the Sikhs but, regretfully, it was the Sikh leadership of the time which defaulted and lost the opportunity.” In my opinion, this is a pretty heavy statement, if true, this presented a defining moment for the Sikh nation. And as such, the Sikh leadership apparently made a colossal mistake. In order to learn a lesson from the alleged mistake, it is necessary to ex- amine the contents and the context of Mr. Jinah’s statement.. For example, did Mr. Jinah make this statement before or after the establishment of Pakistan? Did he say if the state for the Sikhs would be an autonomous state or it would be a part of Pakistan ? Obviously, before the establishment of Pakistan, Mr. Jinah had no power to create a state. He himself was asking for one, and after Pakistan was declared, he could not do so. The power to create a state for the Sikhs vested only in the English and they, as far as I know, did not offer us any. Maybe they wished to do so, but the small size and the wide-spread dispersion of our population seems to have left them no choice.
Several anecdotes regarding the alleged mistakes made by the Sikh leadership at, and around the time of partition of the country have become current, consequently it is important to find out the truth.. therefore, request Mr. Bindra or the respected speaker, who knew about the statement to kindly provide the relevant reference. While my writing is not intended to defend the Sikh leader- ship, the truth needs to be ascertained for learning a lesson from this episode. As I am looking forward for the response to my request to Mr. Bindra or to the speaker, I would like to share with the audience of this esteemed Sikh newspaper an event that I have had the opportunity to witness personally.
One day, early evening in the summer of 1947, we were playing volley- ball in the grounds of the Sikh Shaheed Missionary College, Amritsar, when we were called for an impromptu meeting. Master Tara Singh and Giani Kartar Singh sat on chairs while the others sat on the grassy ground. To the best of my recollection, the audience comprised of some twenty per- sons. Giani Kartar Singh addressed the gathering. He told us that the partition of the country had become imminent and that we, the Sikhs, were given an option, by the then English rulers of either going with Pakistan or with India.
Giani Kartar Singh added, in a gloomy voice, that they (the Sikh leadership) had thought long and hard and had come to a sad decision to siding with India and that they felt less safer in the hands of the Muslim league than with the future rulers of India. After a few questions from the informed persons in the audience, the meeting was adjourned. It is pointed out that I have paraphrased the above statement and have tried to be as precise as possible. Evidently, the statement that I have reproduced above and the one ascribed to Mr. Jinah stand in stark contrast. Let me make it clear that I am open to accept the statement about the offer made by Mr Jinah if it is backed by the evidence strong enough to match the significance that this alleged statement warrants.
Dr. Balkar Singh Husson Duarte, CA (By M. Khan, Michigan).
Article extracted from this publication >> September 1, 1995
