BJP Government In Delhi Okays Legislation For New Uttaranchal State. Udham Singh Nagar District To Join Uttaranchal State
Washington, D.C., Wednesday, August 05, 1998 - The Indian Federal minister for parliamentary affairs, Lala Madan Lal Khurana, announced earlier this week in New Delhi, that the central cabinet (which met on Monday, August 03, 1998) had postponed the Delhi Statehood bill but has decided to go ahead with the legislation for the creation of a new Uttaranchal state, carved out of hilly areas of Uttar Pradesh, which incidentally will include the plains are District of Udham Singh Nagar whose fertile farmlands were developed, over the past 45 years, from a thick virgin jungle, by Sikh sweat, Sikh blood, Sikh tears and true Sikh grit.As a reaction to the ominous development in the New Delhi, the Indian Occupied Punjab's Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, is reported in the Indian press, of having called on August 6 meeting of the Akali Dal Political Affairs Committee to chalk out "strategy on the issue." Captain Kanwaljit Singh, the Punjab Finance Minister, has in a statement suggested that the Akali Dal members in the Lok Sabha should vote against, or abstain, on the issue when it comes up for a vote in the central legislature. Isn't that a "brilliant" suggestion?
Talkative, but gutless, Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, however, doesn't say a thing about the suggestion that has been going around in the Punjab political circles, that the Badal Akali Dal should quit the coalition with the BJP in the Punjab, as well as the centre-the two central cabinet posts of Barnala and Badal junior be damned-and vote against the Uttaranchal legislation in the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, in statements released today, even the discredited, and hated Punjab Congress leaders, Avtar Singh Brar and Tejparkash Singh, unlike the meek Akali Dal leadership response, forcefully condemned the BJP government's decision of trampling underfoot the aspirations of the people of Udham Singh Nagar. According to the Tribune's correspondent, A. S. Prashar, whose report from Udham Singh Nagar was printed recently, "Those who lead the Uttarkhand movement which has culminated into the exercise for the creation of Uttaranchal are insistent that Udham Singh Nagar district must form a part of the new Hill state, men from the plains, including Punjabi settlers, Bengali farmers, Hindu traders, Muslim businessmen and even the Buksa and Tharu adivasis who have inhabited the Terai region for centuries, are unanimous in their demand that it should remain a part of Uttar Pradesh because trade, commerce and industry here is inextricably linked with that in Uttar Pradesh.
Tribune's correspondent, A. S. Prashar, in one of his reports (July 14, 1998) wrote that "An attempt is being made by the protagonists of Uttaranchal to project the demand of retention of Udham Singh Nagar district in U. P. as that ranging and comprehensive interaction by this correspondent, with people from different walks of life, during the past three days, shows that they are unanimous in their opposition to the transfer of the district to the proposed state."
Yet so-called "Punjabi Puttar" (son of Punjab) Madan Lal Khurana, the central Parliamentary Affairs minister, had to cheek to publicly declare to the press on Monday, that the new Uttaranchal bill contains a clause that will ensure that Sikh-owned land in District Udham Singh Nagar will not fall under the Land Ceiling Act. He did not specify as to how the central government will ensure that its writ will be acceptable on a subject which, according to the Indian constitution, comes under the jurisdiction of the states who have the power to amend any State law.
The new entity, Uttaranchal will have the sole power to enforce, or change, any ceiling on land holdings and, therefore, Clause 84 of the Uttaranchal Statehood Bill trumpeted, so maliciously, on Monday, by the crafty Mr. Khurana, does not mean a thing. It is obviously a typical arrogant ploy of a fascist BJP "apparatchik" who thinks that Sikhs and other minorities are gullible and dumb folk who can be fooled.
Mr. Badal, this is the moment of truth and Sikhs every where demand that you take off the cloak of a quisling and standup for the rights of the Sikh settlers of Udham Singh Nagar. Quit the coalition.