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Journalism of Courage
ANANDPUR SAHIB, MARCH 21: The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab is out to revive memories of the Army attack on the Golden Temple complex and the massacre of the Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of the country in 1984 to hit the Congress. In the competitive politics of the Akali factions, river water dispute and transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, are back on the agenda of the party.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal devoted a good part of his speech at a public meeting organised here on Monday on the second day of the Hola Mohalla celebrations to whip the Conggress for its anti-Punjab attitude.
From the adjoining stage of the All India Shiromani Akali Dal, President Gurcharan Singh Tohra launched a two-pronged attack on the Badal Government on the issue of corruption and misrule.
Five Leftist farmers’ organisations announced the decision to intensify the agitation to protect the peasantry from economic ruin.
The thrust on Operation Bluestar in Badal’s speech is considered significant, even though he has been lambasting the Congress on such issues. However, the attack in the recent times has not been so sharp and bitter. Even Finance Minister Capt. Kanwaljit Singh focussed on these points before Badal to convince the people about the anti-Punjab role of the Congress.
“Generations to come would not forget the Army attack on the Golden Temple complex by our own government”, Badal said adding the genocide of the Sikhs in November, 1984, was incited by the Congress, the party which was responsible for injustice to Punjab in every sphere.
On the river water dispute, he made it clear that his government was not against sharing waters with the neighbouring states but only after meeting its own needs. He said it was the Congress which diverted Punjab river waters against all norms and riparian principles. Punjab was even denied Chandigarh at the time of the reorganisation of the state in 1966.
He said Tohra and Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann were in league with the Congress which had all along betrayed Punjab. He went a step further alleging these leaders incited militancy. However, the people had now rejected them as evident from the very dismal performance of the AISAD candidate in the Nawanshahr Vidhan Sabha by-election who polled only 484 votes.
From another stage, Tohra said action programme would be announced against the Badal Government at the Baisakhi conference of the party next month. He attacked the Badal Government for resorting to authoritarian methods to curb democratic dissent.“It is Badal who is turning a militant”, he said and referred to the backtracking by Badal on the issue of Anandgarh, the new city planned near Chandigarh.
On the issues concerning the state like Chandigarh and river waters, Tohra said his party would extend total support to Badal provided he confronted the Centre for the acceptance of these long pending demands of Punjab.
Senior ruling Akali Dal leader Ravi Inder Singh, who has been suspended from the party, shared the AISAD stage. He alleged the new city of Anandgarh had been planned to make money from colonisers.
The five Leftist kisan organisations including the kisan wings of the two Communist parties, Kirti Kisan Union and the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta), at a well attended joint conference, demanded withdrawal of hike in fertilizer prices and immediate steps for development of the kandi area.
CPI state secretary Joginder Dayal made a scathing attack on the anti-farmer and pro-imperialits policies of the Vajpayee government. His counterpart in the CPI(M) Balwant Singh said corruption had multiplied under the Badal regime.
