Fundamentalism and the Sikh Religious Tradition by T.N. Madan
Fundamentalism and the Sikh Religious Tradition by T.N. Madan
Fundamentalism and the Sikh Religious Tradition by T.N. Madan
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State, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong> majority area of Pepsu, was merged in East Punjab to make <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong>s a<br />
minority in a State which was declared bilingual, i.e., both Punjab-speaking <strong>and</strong> Hindi<br />
speaking. The agitation for <strong>the</strong> Punjabi speaking state continued <strong>and</strong> hundreds suffered<br />
death <strong>and</strong> more than half a lakh went to prison.<br />
(c) A Sub-State created in Punjab: At <strong>the</strong> time of <strong>the</strong> 1965 War, on an assuring<br />
gesture from <strong>the</strong> Prime Minister, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong>s suspended <strong>the</strong>ir agitation. The <strong>Sikh</strong> soldiers<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong> population of Punjab showed exemplary patriotism <strong>and</strong> made commendable<br />
sacrifices. After <strong>the</strong> War, <strong>the</strong> Congress decided that a Punjabi speaking State should be<br />
carved out of <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>n East Punjab. A Parliamentary Committee to report on its formation<br />
was constituted. Its recommendation was that a Punjabi speaking state on <strong>the</strong> basis of <strong>the</strong><br />
areas demarcated under <strong>the</strong> Regional Formula of Parliament, should be created. But,<br />
unfortunately, both <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>n Home Minister, <strong>and</strong> Shrimati Indira G<strong>and</strong>hi, <strong>the</strong> Minister for<br />
Information <strong>and</strong> Broadcasting, were quite perturbed about it, <strong>and</strong> wanted that no Punjabi<br />
speaking state should be constituted. This is clear from <strong>the</strong> following account given <strong>by</strong> S.<br />
Hukam Singh, <strong>the</strong>n Speaker of <strong>the</strong> Lok Sabha:<br />
"The Prime Minister was reported to have observed on November 26, 1982,<br />
when releasing some books published <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> Delhi Gurdwara Committee (HT. Nov. 27),<br />
that 'When <strong>the</strong> Punjabi speaking State was formed <strong>the</strong> suggestion made <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> committee<br />
headed <strong>by</strong> S. Hukam Singh had been accepted.' This was not so. According to her<br />
statements in My Truth (p. 117) "Unfortunately, Mr. Shastri had made S. Hukam Singh,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Speaker of <strong>the</strong> Lower House, Chairman of <strong>the</strong> Parliamentary Committee on Punjabi<br />
Suba although he was very biased in favour of Punjabi Suba........<br />
"I went to Mr. Chavan <strong>and</strong> said, I had heard that S. Hukam Singh was going to<br />
give a<br />
report in favour of Punjabi Suba, <strong>and</strong> that he should be stopped......<br />
"Once <strong>the</strong> Prime Minister's appointee had declared himself in favour of Punjabi<br />
Suba, how could we get out of it."<br />
"Mrs. G<strong>and</strong>hi along with Mr.Chavan, could see Mr. Shastri with much difficulty,<br />
<strong>and</strong> when <strong>the</strong>y did, Mr. Shastri just said, he was fully in touch with <strong>the</strong> situation <strong>and</strong> we<br />
need not bo<strong>the</strong>r, (p. 118). "But I was very bo<strong>the</strong>red, <strong>and</strong> I went around seeing everbody.<br />
Of course, once <strong>the</strong> report came, it was too late to change it."<br />
"Lal Bahadur Shastri continued <strong>the</strong> policy of Jawahar Lal Nehru <strong>and</strong> was as dead<br />
against <strong>the</strong> dem<strong>and</strong> of Punjabi Suba, as was Nehru. So, when he was urged upon <strong>by</strong> Mrs.<br />
G<strong>and</strong>hi to stop Hukam Singh, he did not waste any time. Mr. Shastri called Mr. Gulzari<br />
Lal N<strong>and</strong>a, <strong>the</strong>n Home Minister, to his residence, <strong>and</strong> conveyed to him <strong>the</strong> concern about<br />
<strong>the</strong> feared report. I was contacted on <strong>the</strong> telephone. Mr. Shastri disclosed that Mr. N<strong>and</strong>a<br />
was with him, <strong>and</strong> had complained that he had suggested my name (Hukam Singh) for<br />
<strong>the</strong> Chairmanship of <strong>the</strong> parliamentary committee under <strong>the</strong> mistaken impression, which<br />
he had formed during a casual talk with me, that I believed that Punjabi Suba would not<br />
be of any advantage to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong>s ultimately, but that now I appeared determined to make<br />
a report in its favour."<br />
Govemment's intention :<br />
"I answered that <strong>the</strong> facts were only partly true. I had told Mr. N<strong>and</strong>a that<br />
Punjabi Suba would not ultimately be of much advantage to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong>s. But I had also<br />
added that <strong>the</strong> issue had <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong>n become one of sentiment <strong>and</strong> had roused emotions.<br />
Therefore it was not possible to argue with, much less to convince, any <strong>Sikh</strong> about <strong>the</strong>