The Cabinet expansion tomorrow is expected to be a limited one. About 10 new Ministers are likely to be inducted, with not more than two from the Janata Dal. At cast four Cabinet level Ministers are likely to be from the Communist Party of India and the Asom Gana Parishad.
There is a general feeling among the UF constituents that the JD is “overrepresented” in the Union Council of Ministers. As many as 10 of the 21 ministers belong to the JD even though it has only 43 MPs.
Despite this, R Jalappa, who was revenue minister in the Karnataka government under Gowda, is likely to get a Cabinet berth. Another senior JD leader from Orissa, Srikant Jena, is also expected to be accommodated as supporters of Jena, a popular MP, have reportedly succeeded in persuading Orissa strongman Biju Patnaik to withdraw his objections.
As President Shankar Dayal Sharma is coming back to Delhi only this morning, the swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place in the evening. The Cabinet expansion exercise is said to have stretched Gowda’s diplomatic abilities to the fullest, having to tackle demands from his own party (the JD), overcome the Congress’s reported objections to CPI general secretary Indrajit Gupta being given the Home portfolio and accommodate ministers from smaller constituents like Congress (Tewari) and the Madhya Pradesh Vikas Congress.
The CPI is said to have reacted strongly to suggestions that its senior most leader not be given Home as the portfolio was “too sensitive”. However, indications yesterday were that Gupta would ultimately be Union Home Minister.
Senior CPI MP Chaturanan Mishra is expected to get Agriculture. The CPI also expects to be offered at least one Minister of state level berth and has nominated V Raghavan.
From the AGP, Birendra Baishya is likely to be accommodated in the Cabinet. Other likely incumbents are Shish Ram Ola (Congress I), Xavier Arakkal (an Independent supported by the CPIM) and Mahendra Karma (MPVC).
There is pressure on Gowda to induct some more women Ministers. The UF has committed itself to reserving 33 per cent seats in Parliament and State Legislatures in order to empower women but has only one woman Minister, Kanti Singh (JD), who is only a Minister of State.
The Sikhs: Their Way of Life and Their Position in India by; Dr. Awatar Singh Sekhon, Dr. Gurcharan Singh Dhillon, Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer and Dr. Harbakhash Singh Sandhar
CONTINUED.
On June 25, 1948, one Ram Kumar Luthera wrote an article in The Tribune summing up the Sikh situation of the day. It said, “Sikhs say what we have gained by the independence? Death and destruction; all fruit have gone to Pundits (priestly Hindu class) and Laalaas (trading Hindu class). We refuse to be submerged by the Hindu majority; and we want special province of our own.
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE SIKHS: It is remarkable to know that discrimination against the Sikhs was an ordinary phenomenon, The Hindus took it as a matter of national honour to discriminate, hurt and harm the Sikhs and the Sikh nation. This is apparent from the speeches of even those Sikhs who has become yes-men of the Hindu Congress. In the Punjab Assembly, Gurbachan Singh Bajwa, Jagjit Singh Maan and Udham Singh Nagoke, made several speeches referring to discrimination against the Sikh nation. Ina statement, Udham Singh Nagoke revealed that 71 to 96% of Gazetted Officers in the Punjab government were Hindus and most of these were inimical and hostile to the Sikh nation. An All Party Sikh Convention, held at Amritsar under the Chairmanship of Principal Teja Singh, demanded the appointment of “an impartial commission to go into the question of appointments, promotions and the discrimination against the Sikh nation in the civil and the military services.” Minority Subcommittee (the Fanatic Hindus).
A Minority subcommittee was formed by the Constituent Assembly. It comprised of Nehru, Patel, Rajendra Parsad, K.M. Munshi, and Dr. Ambedkar. NO SIKH WAS REPRESENTED ON THIS COMMITTEE, Almost all these members (except Dr, Ambedkar) was fanatic Hindus. The Akali Dal knew that these fanatic Hindus will give no safeguard to the non-Hindus, still they submitted a memorandum to this Committee, It said:
- The Sikhs should have the right to elect their representatives to the Legislatures through communal electorate,
- In Punjab 50% seats, and in Central Legislature 5% seats should be allotted to the Sikh nation.
- Seats should be reserved in Delhi and U.P. Assemblies for the Sikhs. 4. The Sikh Scheduled Castes should be given the same rights and privileges as were granted to the Hinduism the same situation.
- There should be statutory reservation of certain proportion for the Sikhs in the army.
Charter of the Sikh Demands On November 15, 1948, 32 of the 33 Sikh members (Partap S, Kairon was the exception) of the Punjab Assembly signed a Charter of 13 Sikh demands to the Constituent Assembly of Hindu India. It included the following:
To Be Continued…….
Article extracted from this publication >> July 3, 1996
