Surinder Kaur, Calcutta
Dr. N. Mansergh has reproduced extracts from top-secret file No. L/P&I/5/337; pp. 79-80 in his book, The Transfer of Power, Vol. VII, page. 138. ‘Whiting about the “Record of a meeting between Cabinet Delegation, Field Marshal Viscount Wavell and Representatives of the Sikh Community on Friday, 5 April 1946 at 10am,” Dr. Mansergh quotes: The Sikhs representatives were:-
Master Tara Singh.
Sardar Gyani Kartar Singh
Sardar Harnam Singh
“The secretary of State said that the Cabinet Mission had come to India to make arrangements under which power could be transferred from British authority to the people of the country, that would vary considerably alter the position of the ‘Sikh community. The mission had to consider whether power should be transferred to one, or to two bodies, or even to more than two. It also had to consider the future position of the Indian states. They would ‘want to know from the Sikh delegation-
(i) Whether, if the choice were given, the Sikh community would prefer the transfer of power to be to a single body, or to more than one body,
(ii) If power were transferred to two ‘bodies which would the Sikh community wish to be part of
(iii) If it were found to be practicable and could be arranged, as to which the Secretary of State had formed no opinion, would the Sikhs wish to have a separate autonomous State of their own?
“Master Tara Singh said that he stood for united India and for some sort of Coalition government of all communities otherwise he thought that there may be trouble, To divide India would be a very troublesome course and a risky game. If there were division, the Sikhs could not, in his opinion, remain either in Hindustan or in Pakistan. The Secretary of State said that they would be associated with one or the other and not under them, but Master Tara ‘Singh said that in view of the communal position prevailing in India the Sikhs would be bound to be under either the Muslims or the Hindus if there were two States. The Muslims and Hindus were not united and would remain antagonistic for some time. In that situation the Sikhs in a united India would have some bargaining power but if there were division of India they would be under the majority of one community or the other? In the case, therefore, he wanted a separate independent State with the right to federate either with Hindustan or Pakistan,
‘Tyrannized: “The Secretary of State asked what districts in the Punjab could reasonably be made into a Sikh state, The Sikhs were not in the majority in any district of the Punjab. Master Tara Singh said that though the Sikhs were not in the majority they had a right to exist. Provincial Autonomy under the 1935 Act had made the Sikhs very suspicious. They had been maltreated by the provincial authorities and trouble was beginning in the years before the war, When the war broke out the Sikhs were able to make arrangements with the majority party in the Punjab and peace had been preserved since then. Even if no arrangements were come to and there were no political differences, it would be very difficult for the Sikhs to continue in the existing situation, they were being tyrannized over in every way. The only safeguard in his view was some form of ‘autonomous Sikh state,
Unsafe with Hindus: “Sardar Hamam Singh said that the question of the areas to be given to the Sikh state must not be considered only on the basis of counting of heads. The Muslims had no objection to the separation of the Ambala and Jullundeur Divisions from the Punjab. In the Lahore District, total value of land revenue was fourteen lakhs out of which the Sikhs paid eight lakhs and the Muslims majority paid only four lakhs. About 60% of the land was in Sikh possession and though the Muslims were 60% of the population, they held only 30% of the land. A large part of the Muslim population did not belong there but came for labor purposes. The Sikhs recognized the rights of labor to political influence, but not the right of non-indigenous migratory labor. In the Amritsar district the total land revenue was fifteen and three quarter lakhs out of which the Sikhs paid nearly twelve and the Muslims only three. The Sikhs suggested that there should be transfer both of population and of property and their people in other districts of the Punjab ‘would be willing to migrate. If India was partitioned it would be against the will of the Sikhs and a divided India would be a prey to foreign invasion, Partition might come about either by agreement between the main communities or by imposition by the British Government, It were imposed, the Sikhs asked the British government to consider whether they could coerce the Sikhs under alien rule, There could be no safeguard except a Sikh state with the right to tederate, If Mr. Jinnah’s Muslims are not to be submitted to majority rule, why should the Sikhs be so submitted. Sardar Gyani Kartar Singh said that the Sikhs would feel unsafe in the case both of united India and of Pakistan. In either case they would want a province where the Sikhs were in a dominant or almost a dominant position. The Muslims were only $7% of the Punjab. In spite of number their case was weak on every other ground, In the Muslim areas there was a great scope for development of irrigation, and the Muslims would be urged to go there, and therefore the Muslims should have 57% of the Punjab territory, and the Sikhs should be given a dominant position in the remainder,
Gyani Kartar Singh gave the boundary of the proposed Sikh state, But Sardar Baldev Singh who was not a member of Sikh delegation; saw the Cabinet Delegation at 11 am the same day. It is he, who raised some objections to the offer of Khalistan,
Dr. N. Mansergh again quotes from the same top secret file, pp. 80-82, as follows, “Sir Stafford Cripps asked how Khalistan could be formulated, and Sardar Baldev Singh replied that it would be the Punjab excluding the Multan and Rawalpindi divisions, with an approximate boundary along the Chenab River. They would like Lahore to be in the Sikh state, but they strongly favored a united India, and considered the division of India unwise, as the small States on the frontier would be at the mercy of big powers and source of danger to India. Six districts only would not form an adequate State” (Ibid. pg. 142).
(Dalit Voice Feb 1-15)
Article extracted from this publication >> February 16, 1990
