Attari (Amritsar), February 20
Making it clear that the new surrender police being drafted by the Centre is for one and all, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the government would facilitate the return of Sikh militants settled abroad if they give up the demand for Khalistan and shun the path of violence.
He, however, said the Punjab government has to send a proposal in this regard to the Centre on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Punjab is not an exception to the Centre’s new surrender policy. We will facilitate the return of foreign-based Sikh hardliners figuring in the blacklist if they give up the demand for Khalistan,” said Chidambaram, who was here to lay the foundation stone of Rs 150-crore Integrated Check Post (ICP). He also predicted that there was no possibility of militancy returning to Punjab.
On Wednesday, Chidambaram had created a furore when he stated in Jammu that the new surrender policy would be limited to Kashmiri youths who had crossed over to Pakistan and not for Sikh militants, who had attained asylum in other countries. His statement had irked many senior leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, veteran Akali leader Manjit Singh Calcutta and MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who had slammed the Centre, describing its policy as “discriminatory”.
Dubbing Pakistan amongst the most important neighbours of India, the Home Minister hoped that rising trade and passenger traffic would usher a new era of bilateral relations between the two countries.
Of the 13 integrated checkposts coming up on the international border, the first one would be set up at
Attari.
The work on the project is expected to be completed within 14 months. Lauding the role of farmers of the border belt, Chidambaram said the Central government was fully aware of their hardships. “We’ll work out a special plan for making their life comfortable,” he said. Badal demanded a special package for the area under the Border Area Development Programme. He urged Chidambaram to restore the special remuneration of Rs 2,500 per acre which was earlier given to border farmers and was stopped by the Centre sometime back. The CM also sought a job quota for the unemployed youth in the BSF and other Central forces. He urged the Centre to accord a metro city status to Ludhiana.
Among others present were: MPs Navjot Singh Sidhu, Dr. Rattan Singh Ajnala, Rajmohinder Singh Majitha, former Governor and former Union Minister RL.Bhatia, Cabinet ministers Gulzar Singh Ranike, Prof Laxmi Kanta Chawla, and former MLA Bikram Singh Majithia.
Scrap blacklist of Sikhs: Makkar
The Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has urged the Centre to scrap the blasklist of Sikhs. “A number of Sikh youths headed for foreign countries in duress in 1984-85. Now, they want to return to their motherland. If their return is facilitated, it will be a tremendous healing touch on part of the Central government. It will act as balm on the bruised psyche of the Sikh community,” said the SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, while giving a memorandum to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.
