M A I N   N E W S

Badal takes up Sikh agenda with PM
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 1
Propriety rights for land allotted to Sikh refugees in Uttar Pradesh after the 1947 partition, rehabilitation of Sikh Army deserters of 1984 , appointment of a Sikh as Chairman of the UP Minorities Commission and better management of Sikh shrines and their property in Pakistan were the major issues on the agenda when Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, called on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in New Delhi this afternoon.

The meeting, which was originally scheduled for 20 minutes, continued for almost 40 minutes and was held in a cordial atmosphere, sources close to the Punjab Chief Minister said.

While Mr Badal’s basic Sikh agenda has assumed tremendous significance in view of the ensuing Assembly elections , he also used the opportunity to brief the PM about the Sikh demands pertaining to shrines in Pakistan to be taken up by him during his proposed summit with the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, in July this year.

Though the Punjab Chief Minister had been mostly taking up various issues and demands of the state as a whole during his previous meetings with the Prime Minister yet this time he chose only those long standing demands of the Sikhs which have remained unresolved for a long time now.

Mr Badal reportedly reiterated for a better deal for Punjabi youth in Army recruitment. Though he had taken up the issue earlier also yet the Central Government has not made any concrete commitment for reverting to the recruitment-on-merit policy.

Today, Mr Badal wanted to extract a positive commitment on amendment to Army recruitment rules which at present limit the intake to the ratio of the total population of a state to its strength of able-bodied recruitable persons. Mr Badal reportedly pressed for the restoration of the old recruitment policy to which the Prime Minister promised a sympathetic consideration.

Another important issue raised by the Chief Minister was rehabilitation of Sikh Army deserters who left their barracks in protest against Operation Bluestar because their religious sentiments were hurt. Mr Vajpayee wanted the Punjab Chief Minister to spell out a scheme as to how these “dharam faujis” could be rehabilitated.

Mr Badal also pleaded the case of Sikh settlers in Uttar Pradesh who were allotted barren lands on lease basis at the time of the 1947 partition. The Sikh farmers with their hard work have developed these lands and made them fertile. The Chief Minister wanted these farmers to be conferred propriety rights of the land allotted to them.

The Prime Minister reportedly told Mr Badal that Uttar Pradesh was going to set up a State Minority Commission on the lines of the National Minority Commission. Mr Badal wanted that in view of the immense contribution of the Sikhs to the development of Uttar Pradesh, a prominent Sikh should be appointed Chairman of the proposed UP Minorities Commission.

The Punjab Chief Minister also wanted the Prime Minister’s intervention in finishing the black list of Sikhs outside India. Earlier, he had discussed the issue with the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, also maintaining that normalcy had come to stay in Punjab and some people who felt hurt because of Operation Bluestar were not involved in any criminal activity and need not be refused permission to visit their motherland. The Prime Minister reportedly assured him that the list would be reviewed with an intention to discontinue the practice of blacklisting people.

The Punjab Chief Minister had a long agenda for Mr Vajpayee to take up with General Musharraf. The prime and most important being access to more Sikh shrines and historic places. At present, the access is limited to a few historic gurdwaras , including Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda and a few others. But the Punjab Chief Minister wanted the Prime Minister to talk to General Musharraf that other historic shrines should also be opened to Sikh pilgrims.

For the “kar seva” of Sikh shrines and other historic buildings, which are in a dilapidated condition, the Punjab Chief Minister proposed that the Pakistan Government be requested to allow Baba Harbans Singh (Delhi) of Karsewa wale to visit Pakistan with a team of experts and undertake “kar seva” there. The funds needed for repair , upkeep and maintenance of Sikh shrines, he said, would come as contribution from Sikhs all over the world.

Another issue raised was permission for more SGPC workers to remain in historic shrines for conducting regular ceremonies and chores. The Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee want that some sewadars and priests of the SGPC be allowed to be sent there on regular basis for routine religious ceremonies in the historic gurdwaras as per the Sikh maryada.

Since a large property was attached to most of the Sikh shrines in Pakistan, the Punjab Chief Minister wanted Mr Vajpayee to discuss with General Musharraf that such property should be properly maintained and income accrued from thereof should be spent on maintenance and upkeep of shrines. There were reports that property was being usurped by the Waqf Board.

The issue of inadequate accommodation in Sikh gurdwaras in Pakistan was also taken up by Mr Badal with Mr Vajpayee. At the time of both birth anniversary of Guru Nanak and Baisakhi, the Sikh jatha comprises 10,000 pilgrims each. None of the gurdwaras can accommodate so many pilgrims. The Punjab Chief Minister wanted that the Pakistan Government be requested to provide additional accommodation for the comfortable stay of Sikh pilgrims during their visit to Pakistan.