LUDHIANA: The UAD (Mann) President, Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann, assured the Punjabi Hindus that the party would protect the honor of Hindus and they should live in Punjab together with the Sikhs.
Addressing a meeting of traders on the last leg of his six day protest march in Kesar Ganj Mandi in the heart of the town, Mr. Mann said the Hindus should set up industries in Punjab and the UAD (M) would welcome them to set up thermal plants and tractor manufacturing units which would be of great benefit to farmers.
He said the Dal had no ill feeling for the Hindus in Punjab with whom they had a common culture and appealed to the Hindus to adopt the “Punjabi culture.”
Mr. Mann said there was no clash of interests between the Sikhs and Hindus as the Hindus interests were in the urban areas and the Sikhs interests in the rural areas.
He said the fight of the Dal was against the Delhi rulers who had backed out of all promises made to the Sikhs in 1929. He asked the Punjab Hindus not to trust the Hindus of the Hindi belt as they had nothing in common with them. Condemning the extortions and lootings, Mr. Mann said his party was strongly opposed to such acts and said this was being done by government trained men. Mr. Mann said that the extortions should be shot dead.
He urged the Hindus not to oppose the political rights of the Sikhs as they were only seeking the right to self-determination. Instead, they should help them in their struggle.
The UAD (M) chief also criticized the Punjab Governor, Mr. Virendra Verma for backing out of his promise to apologise for Operation Blue star.
Mr. Dhian Singh Mand, MP also condemned the extortions and said that there were no differences between the Hindus and the Sikhs in Punjab.
Mr. Surjan Singh Thekedar, Mr. Sucha Singh Chhotepur, General Secretary and Mr. Talib Singh Sandhu also spoke on this occasion.
Earlier, Mr Narain Das Thapar, a leading trader of Ludhiana, presented a siropa to Mr Mann on behalf of the traders of Mandi Kesar Ganj.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 24, 1990
