Hamdard may be asked to stay on
By Gobind Thukral
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 24 — The Anandpur Sahib Foundation is likely to reject the resignation of Mr Barjinder Singh Hamdard from the presidentship of its executive committee. Informed sources here said every effort would be made to retain Mr Hamdard.

In fact, the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who had two-hour long meeting with Mr Hamdard at Jalandhar last night, tried to sort out problems. Later, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister who made the foundation stone laying ceremony a grand success at Anandpur Sahib on November 22, dashed to Jalandhar last night and had what he called a heart-to-heart meeting. "Mr Hamdard has been with us through thick and thin and during the long night of violence in Punjab. We very much wish he remains with the foundation", Capt Kanwaljit Singh told TNS today. He said Mr Hamdard was very happy at the successful laying of the foundation stone and his help should be available to the foundation in future also.

During the two hour meeting with Mr Badal, Mr Hamdard gave a copy of the letter which he had sent to him during the day and explained to him the circumstances leading to his resignation. He showed him the thick file of statements which the two, — SGPC president, Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Akal Takht head priest, Bhai Ranjit Singh — had made against him. He also emphasised that neither Mr Badal nor any of his senior colleagues came to his defence. He said certain forces were now working in tandem to disturb the hard-won peace and amity in Punjab and Mr Badal has to defend it. By remaining quiet and evasive, no help could be rendered to the cause of peace and amity, he repeated.

Mr Hamdard, when contacted in Jalandhar, said the meeting did take place, but refused to give details. "I have great personal regard for Mr Badal and his ideals, but then facts are facts and these have to be stated in clear words. This is what I have done in my letter of resignation sent to Mr Badal."

Clearly, Mr Hamdard is not ready to withdraw his resignation, but is prepared to help the foundation and the Chief Minister, but much more important is what he has stated in the letter. He repeated to Mr Badal three points, sources here said. One that Mr Tohra and Bhai Ranjit Singh have been trying to bulldoze their way and would not like anyone else to take positions against their wishes. Secondly, certain forces were helping the extremist cause once again. The killing of Mr Tara Singh Hayer, editor of Indo- Canadian Times near Vancouver (Canada), showed it. Mr Hayer was opposed to the extremists. Mr Hamdard is believed to have told Mr Badal that extremism was lying dormant and was not dead.

Meanwhile, reaction in the camp lead by Mr Tohra was mixed. One, it is good that Mr Hamdard could not stand to criticism and resigned. Second, there are fissures in Mr Badal's camp. "The Chief Minister rarely defends his colleagues", one leader in their camp said. But then Mr Tohra would not take Mr Hamdard's criticism lying down.

In fact, Mr Tohra was working on a clear strategy. The government and the foundation where he himself is there, could carry on the work of construction of the Khalsa Heritage Complex. The foundation stone has been laid and there need not be any more public functions. From now on during the Hola Mohalla celebrations in March and later during the Baisakhi day, the SGPC would take charge of all celebrations. The tercentenary of the Khalsa that falls on Baisakhi day next year would be a SGPC show, Mr Tohra has told both his supporters and Mr Badal clearly.

It is to be seen whether Mr Hamdard finally remains with the Foundation or not, but one thing is clear that the charges he has laid at the doors of Mr Badal, Mr Tohra and Bhai Ranjit Singh would ring for quite some time.

Meanwhile, the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation president, Mr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, here said that immediately after grand success of the Khalsa Heritage Complex Foundation stone ceremony, the resignation of Mr Hamdard was unfortunate. "Mr Hamdard should reconsider his decision for the sake of continuity and sustained dedicated efforts which have given high momentum, thrust and orientation to the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations, thanks to his vision and commitment," he said.

"The circumstances in which Mr Hamdard had to put in his papers have larger and deeper implications. It is not simply a tug-of-war between Mr Badal and Mr Tohra in the politics of one-upmanship to become the focus of Khalsa tercentenary celebrations more than that. Of late, there has been a resurgence of Sikh orthodoxy dovetailing into Sikh fundamentalism.

While there are efforts on the part of liberal Sikh intelligentsia to orient the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations towards second Sikh reformation for projecting the values of liberalism, there is, on the other hand, an apposite trend which is struggling hard to give a fundamentalist content, tone and direction to the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa." Seen in this context, Mr Hamdard's resignation has brought to the fore this polarisation.

Decision after discussion: CM
From Our Correspondent and PTI

JALANDHAR, Nov 24 — Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said any decision on Punjabi daily Ajit's Editor Barjinder Singh Hamdard's resignation from the presidentship of the Anandpur Sahib Foundation would be taken only after extensive discussions with colleagues.

"Hamdard ranks among the top five to seven personalities of Punjab who have made great and significant contribution to not only the state but also the entire country", Mr Badal told PTI here.

The Chief Minister, who is also chairman of the foundation appreciated the contribution by Hamdard in the plans for multicrore Khalsa Heritage Memorial complex at Anandpur Sahib.

The Rajya Sabha MP was absent from the foundation stone laying ceremony of the complex last Sunday, bringing into open the internal bickerings for the control of the influential body which finally culminated in his resignation. Mr Badal, when asked about Hamdard's fears expressed in the resignation about threat to state's peace, said Punjabis were peaceful people "at heart" and it was only the Congress and its supporters who were indulging in talk of the revival of terrorism.

Mr Badal yesterday met Hamdard for over two hours following the latter's resignation from the top office of the foundation.

Asked about the activities of the three-member panel set up by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to resolve the row over Udham Singh Nagar's inclusion in proposed Uttaranchal state which is being resisted by the ruling Akali Dal, Mr Badal admitted that the panel had not held any meeting so far.

The Chief Minister, when asked about the victory of moderates over the Akal Takht Hukamnama on partaking of community meals in a major gurdwara in Canada, said "everywhere in the world people are opposing the hardliners and rejecting their approach as they want peace and harmony".

The moderates' victory in Canada yesterday in elections to the gurdwara management committee comes close on the heels of killing of Mr Tara Singh Hayer a known critic of Akal Takht Jathedar Ranjit Singh.

PHAGWARA: Mr Badal today was evasive on the resignation of Mr Barjinder Singh Hamdard, from the chairmanship of the executive committee of the Anandpur Sahib Foundation.

To questions of reporters who buttonholed Mr Badal at the JCT Mill helipad here, Mr Badal kept saying, "which resignation? To whom had it been given? I have not received it?"

Mr Hamdard resigned yesterday accusing both SGPC chief GS Tohra and Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh for allegedly torpedoing the project. He had even criticised Mr Badal for his political compulsion or weakness of nature to take it all lying down. Hamdard’s resignation came as a political bomb shell. Bhai Ranjit Singh had found faults with its functioning while Jathedar Tohra had endorsed Akal Takht head’s stand.

When his attention was drawn to alleged irregularities committed in appointments in the Education Department at the instance of a state Minister, Mr Badal again pleaded ignorance but hastened to add that appropriate action would be taken whenever the matter came to his notice.

He claimed Rs 16000 crore Bathinda refinery would be completed in two years and provide employment to 25000 persons. He dismissed as opposition claim that only 900 persons would get employment. Mr Badal also held a meeting with senior officials including Suresh Arora, DIG, Jalandhar range and discussed law and order situation.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh said today Hamdard’s resignation from the Anandpur Sahib Foundation vindicates his party’s stand that affairs of Sikh Panth were not proprietary matter of Akali leaders whose activities might lead to revival of terrorism in the state.

"Hamdard has resigned on a issue of principle and his reasoning for quitting the foundation is very logical and a slap in the face for arrogant Akali leaders," Mr Amarinder told PTI here.

He said Hamdard’s warning about activities of some colleagues of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, working in tandem with certain top religious leaders at exalted posts, posing a threat to state’s peace and amity was only too timely.

"It vindicates our stand that efforts were on to revive the dark days of terrorism and a fundamentalist religious agenda is being pushed forward from so-called panthic platforms by narrow interest groups," Mr Amarinder said.

Amarinder also castigated Mr Badal for what he called "hypocritical attitude on Udham Singh Nagar" and claimed that a deal had already been struck between the BJP and the state Chief Minister.

"The three-member panel headed by Defence Minister George Fernandes was created only to fool the people till Assembly elections in four states," he said adding, "now an Akali leader would be inducted into the Union Cabinet and Mr Badal would make only shallow noises on Udham Singh Nagar.

"I am very happy that Hamdard has recognised that Mr Badal is a man weak in nature and does not have the courage to stand up to the religious bigots in his party led by the likes of SGPC chief GS Tohra," the Congress state president said.

"Both Badal and Tohra are indulging in nefarious actions pushing out the moderates and boosting the fundamentalist elements at a time when efforts were already on to revive militancy", Mr Amarinder told reporters here.

Asked whether Mr Badal represented a moderate streak within the ruling Akali Dal vis-a-vis Mr Tohra, Mr Amarinder said such a distinction was only media’s creation. "If God forbid militancy starts tomorrow, Mr Badal would be the first to start raising separatist slogans," he said.

Referring to Mr Badal’s speech at a rally in Adampur yesterday wherein he equated the Bathinda refinery, Khalsa tercentenary celebrations and the milling crowds at Adampur as "historic and unprecedented" Mr Amarinder said the Chief Minister was not only confused but also lacked all sense of proportion.

"It is an insult to the 300-year sublime history of Sikhs to compare tercentenary celebrations to something as mundane as a byelection" the Congress leader said.

Resignation stab in SAD's back: Tohra

JALANDHAR, Nov 24 (PTI) — SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra today strongly criticised Hamdard's action of resigning from the presidentship of Anandpur Sahib Foundation and said it amounted to stabbing the Akali Dal in the back.

"Hamdard's friendship with Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh is only too well known and his resignation on the eve of crucial Adampur Assembly byelection was a stab in the back of the Akali Dal" Mr Tohra told reporters at a village near Sunam in Sangrur district.

He said Hamdard became a member of the Rajya Sabha with the vote and support of the Akali Dal BJP alliance though he later posed as an independent candidate.

Mr Hamdard, had attacked Mr Tohra for being among his main detractors who wanted to torpedo the project.