Punjab Chief Minister Badal Urged To Stop Pussyfooting
Washington, D.C., Wednesday, July 22, 1998 - Instead of coming forward with a forceful statement, or a "white paper", on the basic issues that concerns the Sikh nation and parading the Akali party's ongoing problems with the fundamentalist BJP's fascist mindset, (see last weeks Khalistan Calling - week July 16 - July 22, 1998) Indian Occupied Punjab's Chief Minister, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal is showing lack of political will, nay moral courage, by circulating instead, mild stories about his problems with the BJP partners, under cover of so called "News Analysis" which are then planted in the print media most of which is controlled by the Brahmin mafia.One such apologetic "News analysis", with a Chandigarh dateline, obviously inspired by the Punjab Chief Minister who seems to be scared of his coalition partners, was recently published in the Tribune, by one P.P.S. Gill under a headline which read; "SAD-BJP ties no longer smooth". The writer claimed; "Of late, however the SAD has felt embarrassed due to statements and decisions taken by the Central Government. If at one time it was a steep hike in Urea price, it was the Union Home Minister's statement on the transfer of Chandigarh on anther occasion. If it was a waiver on repayment of special term loan granted to Punjab at one occasion it was scuttling of the Bhatinda Oil refinery project by the Planning Commission on another occasion.."
The Tribune New s Service "News Analysis" goes to claim that; "The political contours of the two allies, the SAD and the BJP, are no longer smooth. There is a growing impression that the two are being edgy, both in Chandigarh and New Delhi. While the Akalis maintain a steady silence on Punjab's own outstanding issues (involving interstate relations), they are showing extraordinary interest in Udham Singh Nagar district which is being included in a new hilly Uttaranchal State. There are, apparently, no takers of the SAD (Shiromani Akali Dal) "political line" within the BJP."
The "News Analysis" also mentions that work has not even started on the proposed upgrading and expansion of the Amritsar International airport, by The Airport Authority of India. This was scheduled to start in April, 1998 and was to be completed in 36 months. The Punjab government has taken up the issue with the Civil Aviation ministry, the Tribune report meekly reassures the Sikh public. Similarly, the "News Analysis" mentions two other projects, both at Jalandhar, sanctioned by I.K. Gujral when he was the Prime Minister. One is the Science city and the other is the National Institute of Renewable Energy (NIRE) with a capital cost of Rs 70 crores and Rs 48 crores respectively to be paid by the central government. The Tribune "News Analysis " in a all seriousness compliments the Secretary of the Non-Conventional Energy Source ministry, for the token payment of 75 lacs received so far by the governing council out of the 48 crore Rupees that the Central government (under I.K. Gujral) had sanctioned for the NIRE project. Some token payment!
The Tribune "News Analysis" concludes respectfully with a kind of a prayer which is reprinted here verbatim, for the benefit of our readers so that they can judge for themselves. The conclusion of the "News Analysis" reads as follows:- "The SAD leadership in the state is keen that the central BJP leadership changes its perception of Punjab, which is just back from the brink". Such pussyfooting does not behoove a Sikh Punjab Chief Minister who has to solve serious, long and short-term, problems confronting the 21 million Sikhs and their homeland captive, since August 15, 1947, in the Indian map.
For example the latest reports from the Southwestern Punjab are grave indeed and the Punjab Chief Minister has to act. These reports talk about the magnitude of the water logging problem caused by the infamous Indira Gandhi Canal which siphons Sutlej river water free of charge from Sikh Punjab to Hindu-majority non-riparian Rajasthan state. Near a million acres in the districts of Ferozepur, Muktsar and Mansa in Southwestern Sikh Punjab are effected by water logging and salinity were the Sikh farmers are having problems even getting safe drinking water. As a result, thousands of Sikh farmers, some of them boasting an ownership of 20 acres (yes 20 acres) of land, according to the The Tribune, Chandigarh. are; "now working as daily wage earners to eke out a living" to feed their families.
Over and above the long-term water logging problem the Punjab government in the short term has to arrange for compensation to thousands of cotton farmers whose crop has been destroyed. The Punjab government submitted a request to the Gujral government on February 20, 1998 seeking Rs. 172 crores from the Natural Calamity Relief Fund for payment of compensation due to cotton loss caused by pest attack which destroyed more than 70% of Sikh Punjabs cotton crop. "Despite reminders nothing tangible has come out, and in fact this is one of the issues pending with the center", says a report in The Tribune of July 8, 1998" .
We therefore, again suggest to Punjab Chief Minister Badal, as we have been doing from time to time, that he improve his hearing as well as his style, stop pussyfooting and making small "Quisling talk" to the morally repugnant BJP fascists in Delhi via "News Analysis" planted in the Brahmin controlled print media. Instead Badal should forthwith have the Punjab State government issue a white paper on Sikh Punjab enumerating the various issues, and disputes which effect the Sikhs and their Homeland.