GOD
SAVE INDIA
By
V S Godbole
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the
memory of Veer Savarkar, the
great
Indian Freedom Fighter. In 1924,
he wrote in his book
Hindutva,"... Really
if any community in India is
Hindu
beyond cavil or criticism, it
is our
Sikh brotherhood in the
Punjab. (p.l23)...
so long as our Sikh brethren
are
true to Sikhism, they must of
necessity
continue to be
Hindus." (p. 129).
Unfortunately, to-day even
the staunch
Savarkarites have forgotten
these
words.
If only we had listened to
Savarkar
or at least had not ridiculed
and
opposed him, there would have
been
no partition of India, and
most of
our problems would have never
arisen;
what to talk of Punjab crisis;
PREFACE
6th June, 1984: Committee Room No.10 of the House of Commons of the
British Parliament was overflowing with people. We were paying homage to Veer
Savarkar during his birth Centenary Year. Finally, I proposed a vote of thanks
and announced that the Greater London Council was going to" put up a blue
commemorative plaque1 on 65 Cromwell Avenue, London N6, the house in
Highgate, where Savarkar lived during 1906-1910.
After we came home, we saw on T.V. the fighting inside the Golden
Temple, Amritsar. The Indian Army had moved in. What a coincidence ; What anguish
would Savarkar have felt?
Dismayed by the events, I started to write a book on the Punjab Crisis.
But as if there were not enough problems, Mrs Indira Gandhi was killed on 31st
October 1984. All that I had written became out of date. As a Maratha, I was
deeply distressed at the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's death. There are no words
which can express my revulsion, horror and repugnance at the savage and
unbelievable mob attacks on Sikh men, women and children and the Gurudwaras in
many parts of India, including regrettably in Maharashtra.
I left England for working in the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic
Ocean on 5th November1984. During my travel on board the ship M.V.ENGLAND I wrote a ten
page article entitled God Save India. After a long delay and with great
difficulty, my friend Bhupendra Patel of London typed the article and copies
were sent to many friends. Even though the article was by then nearly two years
old, it was very much appreciated. Encouraged by the response, I decided to
expand and bring the article up-to-date. This booklet is the result;'
Correct diagnosis is vital for quick and effective cure. If the
diagnosis is wrong, the remedies can be more harmful than the disease itself.
The information which I have used is not secret; it has been available to all.
I am grateful to my friend Arvind Pradhan of London for checking the manuscript
and making some valuable suggestions.
Finally, words fail to express my gratitude to my wife Mrs. Vinita and
my daughters – Vaidehi and Varsha. Unpopular and unrewarding work cannot be
carried out without the support of one's family. Strong and united India is the
only reward I seek. If Rajiv Gandhi was to achieve this, we would obviously
admire and cherish him.
54, Sudeley Walk, V.S.GODBOLE
Bedford
MK 41, 8 JJ
U.K.
1st Nov.1986.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The plaque was unveiled by Lord Fenner Brockway on 8th June, 1985.
GOD
SAVE INDIA
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
Like most Indians living overseas, I have been watching with great
anxiety and concern the events in the Punjab over the last four years. My
professional work and research into True Indian History keep me extremely busy. I was drawn into research in Punjab politics
willy-nilly, while discussing the issues with my friends. I was shocked by
their ignorance and prejudice. Our kith and kin are blissfully blind to reality
just as they were in the pre-partition days. Here are some examples of our
arguments -
How easily are we carried away by the mass-media ;
(1) Now Sikhs are demanding Khalistan.
How do you say that?
Well, there was this programme on television (Channel 4 in January,
1983).
So even after having lived in England for 20 years, you still believe in
what the British say? You still trust their word? They want you to believe that
Sikhs are demanding Khalistan; so they interview a stooge. They would not
interview a person like me.
(2). In 1966, the present Punjab was formed. On 29 January 1970,
Government of India announced that Chandigarh would be transferred to Punjab within
the next five years, and a new capital would be built for Haryana.( Times of
India Directory &. Year Book, 1974-75, p.216).Can you name the site chosen
for building the capital of Haryana? And when would the construction be ready?
Don't know.
If Haryana was a Hindi speaking province, why was it not amalgamated
with Uttar Pradesh, just as parts of Hyderabad State were amalgamated with
Maharashtra, Karnataka &
Andhra Pradesh ?
Good point ; We never thought of that
(3). Vasudev Balwant Phadke was a great freedom fighter and the first
revolutionary after 1857.
But nobody remembered him on his death anniversary in 1983.
Not quite, Sikhs did pay tributes to him ;
Really?
Yes. An article by Mr. V.S. Joshi of Dadar, Bombay, appeared in the 21
Feb. 1983 issue of the Spokesman of Delhi, a Sikh newspaper.
We did not know that.
(4). "Sikhs are not Hindus at all" said a Maratha friend from
Nagpur.
Who are they then?
Sikhs are Sikhs.
That is precisely what the British would like you to say. They have been
working at it for the last 100 years. They started the phrases like Hindus and
Sikhs, Hindus and Jains, Hindus and Buddhists, Hindus and Lingayats. And we have
foolishly stuck to them. Have you ever heard of Catholics and Christians,
Protestants and Germans, English and Methodists, Arabs and Muslims or even
Shias and Muslims?
Point taken.
(5). I told my friends that the division between Sikhs and the Sanatani
Hindus in Punjab is superficial. Almost every Sikh has some Hindu relations. In
some families only the grandfather is Sikh, in others some brothers are Sikhs,
some are Hindus. It is purely a matter of choice. Even the words 'Sikhs and Hindus' are
recent. People used to say Keshadhari and Sahejdhari. And the whole families
would go to a Gurudwara or a temple depending on the occasion.
We don't believe it - They said.
"Here is 1 Jan. 1985 issue of Manoos
weekly of Pune. It contains a special report by Bandu Thanekar who visited the
Punjab. He confirms what I told you."
"Oh! He must have been fooled by the Sikhs to say something good
about them. "
"What about RSS Chief Golwalkar Guruji ?" In his book Bunch of Thoughts he tells us,
"Even as recently as a couple of decades ago, one son from every Hindu
family (in the Punjab) used to be named a Sikh. Our blood relations continue
even to this day." (pp. 159-40)
"We did not know that."
(6). The Sikhs started to drift away from the Hindus ever since Master
Tara Singh started the Punjabi Suba agitation in 1956. Didn't they?
"First", you should remember that Veer Savarkar never
condemned the demand for Punjabi Suba as a danger to India or as a secessionist
movement. Secondly, Master Tara Singh himself was one of the founder-members of
the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (1964)2. At the founding ceremony he said
- "Sikhs and Hindus are not separate.
Sikhs will survive only if Hinduism
survives. In Punjab it is
considered that Sikhs and Hindus are a problem as if they are two nations. Sikhs
are part and parcel of the great Hindu society. Guru Govind Singh brought in
Gurumukhi the wisdom and philosophy from our scriptures and the Puranas. Are we
to give up this heritage? In the evening of my life I desire to see one or two problems solved. I wish that this
movement of Hindu revival gains momentum. My last wish is to see the mission of
Vishwa Hindu Parishad succeed. (Quoted in Hindu
Vishwa of London, July, 1983.)Masterji always used to participate as a
Hindu in the annual sessions of the Hindu Maha Sabha. (Biography of Veer Savarkar by Balarao Savarkar, Pt. 4, 1986, p.66)
"We did not know that. Please tell us more."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2. Gyani Bhupendra Singh, President of Shiromani Akali Dal was also one
of the founder members of VHP.
3. Master Tara Singh passed away in 1967.
4... Savarkar did not die of any disease or old age. At the age of 82
he, like many great saints, decided to cast away his mortal body and leave this
world. He refused to take food for 22 days and breathed his last breath on 26th February, 1966.
CHAPTER II. FORGOTTEN
INHERITANCE
Any nation if it has to survive and prosper needs a continuing tradition
of sacrifice. We have witnessed this from ancient times when the bones of sage
Dadhichi were used by Indra to kill the demon Vrutrasura to self-immolation of
Veer Savarkar in 1966. Sikhs have maintained this tradition, faced almost
extinction but never lost faith, showed remarkable resilience and emerged triumphant
like Phoenix in the 19th century and saved our nation and protected and
defended our Dharma. Three hundred years ago. Guru Govind Singh took to sword
to defend ourselves and our Dharma from the tyranny of the Muqhals. He appealed
to the Hindus: "Give me at least one of your sons for our fight." In
Punjab, among many Sanatani Hindus, there arose a tradition that one son from a
family would be brought up as a Sikh5. And as he usually happened to
be the eldest son, we came to look up to Sikhs as our elder brothers and they
did stand for our protection in the times of trouble. This tradition was in
vogue in our living memory. Even in the
1920s, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya appealed to all Hindus to follow this
tradition so that we would fight for our freedom from the British. And it is
this tradition, this spirit that we stand to lose today.
By persistently maligning, insulting and humiliating Sikhs, we have not
just alienated 2 per cent of our population but we are committing national suicide.
It is high time to listen to and understand the grievances of Sikhs. Let us
briefly see how they have been systematically maligned, at least, over the past
50 years.
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5. Childless couples (Sindhis
and Punjabis) would pray ‘Oh God, give us children. Even if we have only one son, we would bring him up
as a Sikh.'
CHAPTER III. BRIEF HISTORY
Even before the East India Company had any foothold in India except in
Bengal, astute and farsighted Britishers were aware that their rule in India
would end one day. In his Preface to
Sir Charles Wilkins’s translation of Gita, Warren Hastings wrote in 1785,
"The Gita will survive when the British dominion in India shall have long
ceased to exist and when the sources which it once yielded of wealth and power
are lost to remembrance."
Just over a hundred years later i.e., in 1883, an anonymous English
author wrote a book entitled India 1983.
It was published by Thacker Spink & Co. and depicts disintegration of India
into a number of petty states, at each other's throats. It was not just a dream
of a sinister imperialist. The divide and rule policy of the British is too well
known to be repeated here.
When the British were forced to leave India in 1947, they offered Sikhs
a separate state - Sikhistan6, but Sikhs flatly refused to accept it.
And had it not been for their patriotism and stiff resistance, the whole of
East Punjab also would have gone to Pakistan. But only Veer Savarkar acknowledged
this debt openly. Nehru not only forgot this but shamelessly remarked in
February 1953 that Sikh communalism was responsible for the break up of Punjab.
That was the pervert mentality of the man who remained India's Prime Minister
for 17 years. We must never forget that it was the same Nehru, who assured
during the earlier election of 1945-46 that there would be NO PARTITION. Patel
said, "Sword will be met with sword." Gandhi said, "Partition? Over my dead body". And once
the elections were won, the trio shamelessly agreed to partition without
seeking a fresh mandate from the people, without the slightest thought being
given to the fate of millions of Hindus and Sikhs of Punjab let alone to the exchange of population7.
Did not Nehru say, "Should the Indian National Army of Subhash
Chandra Bose cross border into India, I would fight them with a sword”? But when
the Indian National Army trials started (November 1945), did he not put on the
barrister's gown to defend them? Why the sudden change? Purely for winning the
1946 elections!! It is well known how Bose was hounded out of Congress Party by
Gandhi. After it was announced that Bose died in a plane accident, Gandhi
visited Bose's house. No remorse. Pure electioneering. Playing havoc with other
people's lives (i.e., the lives of our kith and kin); ruining their lives meant
nothing; Indira Gandhi proved to be no different. She was after all Nehru's
daughter.
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6. The British would have loved to disintegrate India
even further under the pretext of protecting the rights of minorities, if only
they had the time.
7. The
treachery of the trio was without parallel in the history of India. Rajaji
proposed acceptance of Pakistan in April 1942.
Rajaji formula of July 1944 clearly meant partition. And yet on the
recommendations of the trio, Rajaji became Governor of West Bengal in August
1947 and Governor-General in 1948.
8. Nehru went to Singapore in January 1946 but on the
advice of Mountbatten, he did not pay homage to INA soldiers. (Foreword to "The Scope of Happiness",
autobiography of Nehru's sister Vijayalaxmi Pandit.) On May 2, 1946, Lord
Wavell also told Nehru not to make heroes of INA soldiers. (Viceroy's Journal). So even after
independence we look upon the British to tell us who our freedom fighters are!!
CHAPTER IV -- SIKHS AND THE
ARYA SAMA3
The concept of Aryans living in Central Asia, their migration and
conquest of India, were all inventions of politically motivated British
scholars. It all started at the meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society of London
on 9th April, 1866. The Chairman was Viscount Strongfield. Mr. Thomas proposed that
Aryans came from Ariana of Oxus. The British were, of course, promoting their
divide and rule game - Aryans Vs Dravidians, Brahmins Vs. Non- Brahmins ad
infinitum. The British started to count Sikhs as separate from Hindus since the
census of 1871. Ironically enough, Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya
Samaj in 1875 (though rejecting the British theories but still believing that
the Aryans came to India from Tibet). Arya Samajists have ever since got into
their heads that Sikhs (i.e., Khalsa) are not Hindus and must be converted to
pure Hinduism, although they themselves despise the word Hindu, even to-day'. (Ref. Arya Gazette, Satdharma
Pracharaka of those days.)
Sikhs do not believe in idol worship but they have no hatred for it
either. And as they are essentially derived from the Hindus, idols of Rama, Krishna
and others were seen in Gurudwaras in the 1870s. Orthodox Sikhs thought that it
was wrong and when they heard that Arya Samaj was also against idol worship, they
invited Swami Dayanand to Lahore. In his discourses in the Punjab, Swami
Dayanand Saraswati always praised the work of the Sikh Gurus. This attracted a number
of Sikhs to the Arya Samaj. One of them - Bhai Jawahir Singh later became the
Secretary of Lahore Arya Samaj.
In 1883, Sardar Bhagat Singh, a Sub-Engineer of Ajmer Division
complained about the objectionable remarks against the Sikhs made in the Satyartha Prakash of Swami Dayanand.
Swami replied that his opinion had undergone a change during his visit to the
Punjab and the remarks would be deleted from the next edition. He, however, passed
away on 10th October, 1883. And the situation grew worse and worse over the
years. The insulting remarks have remained. Even in the 1975 English
translation, we find (pp. 442-46) -
"The aim of Nanak was, no doubt, good but
he did not possess any learning…. He was quite ignorant of the Vedas and the Sastras and of Sanskrit.....
He wanted to show that he had some pretensions to the knowledge of
Sanskrit.... He could never have done it unless he was anxious to gain public
applause, fame and glory. He must have sought after fame or he would have
preached in the language he knew and told the people that he had not read
Sanskrit. Since he was a little vain..... Nanak in his life time had not many
followers, nor did the sect flourish much.
But it is a habit with the ignorant that they make a saint of their Guru after his death, then invest him with
a halo (of glory) and believe him to be an incarnation of God. Nanak was
neither a rich man, nor was he one of the aristocracy (so what?) and yet his
followers have written in Nanak Chandrodaya and Janamsakhi that he was a great Saint who possessed miraculous
powers. It is his followers who dare to blame for this and not
Nanak....."
There is no mention of eight successors of Nanak, not even the fearless
Guru Tegbahadur. Swami Dayanand continues, “Govind Singh was indeed a very
brave man.... He enjoined five 'Kakaras' i.e. five articles all beginning with
the letter 'K' as the signs of his faith just like five 'Makaras' of the Vama Margis, and five samskaras of the
Chakrankitas. They are as follows : Kesha,
Kara, Kachha, Karda, and Kangha."
Govind Singh through his wisdom, started the practice of wearing these
five articles. They were very useful
for the time in which he lived, but they are of no use at the present time. (It
is strange that) those things which were required to be used because of their
being of great service in fighting (with the enemy) have now come to be
regarded as part and parcel of the religion of Sikhs. It is true that they do
not practise idolatry but they worship the Grantha
(i.e., the Guru Grantha) even more
holier than the idols. Now is not this idolatry? ..... If they were to read the
Vedas or hear them being read, those
among them, who are free from prejudice and bigotry, would no doubt embrace the
Vedic religion. It is greatly to the credit of these people that they have done
away with various troublesome and useless restrictions in the matter of eating
and drinking. It will be a very good
thing indeed if they would also be free from sensualism, vanity and false pride
and advance the cause of the Vedic religion9. Swami Dayanand
Saraswati seems to emphasize that a Saint must
(a) have knowledge of Sanskrit;
(b) be able to preach in Sanskrit.
This is absurd and preposterous. Let us look at the Maratha saints. They
came from various backgrounds. Namdev was a tailor, Janabai a maid of Namdev,
Narahari a goldsmith; Chokha a Mahar (low caste); Tukaram a merchant; Savanta a
florist; Gora a potter. None of them had learned Sanskrit. And yet the verses
of all these saints are equally revered by all the Marathas just as the same
verses of Brahmin saint Dnyaneshwar, Ramdas and Eknath.
Manu himself has said :-
Antyajat api param dharma
Stree ratnam dushkulat api
(Principles of religion should be learned even from a person of the
lowest order (who of course would be ignorant of Sanskrit).
As for Nanak preaching in Punjabi (a derivative of Sanskrit), Saint Eknath
had retorted in the 15th century :
Sanskrit vani deve keli
Tari Prakrut kaya chorapasuni
zali
(God made Sanskrit language but did Prakrit (Marathi) come from the thieves?)
-------------------------------------------
9. This is the root of Punjab Crisis. In 29 June, 1983 issue of Sobat weekly of Pune, we find a letter
from A.J.Anavkar of Thane. He says, -In the 1972 edition of Satyarth Prakash. Guru Nanak is called
an impostor. While propagating their views, Arya Samaj created a rift between
Hindus and Sikhs. This eventually led to Punjabi Hindus declaring that their
mother tongue was Hindi. But such remarks are extremely rare."
Tukaram, a mere grocer, a Shudra would have shocked Swami Dayanand.
Tukaram says – Vedancha to artha ahmasachi
thava. Yerani vahava bhar matha
Only we know the true meaning of the Vedas. Others simply carry the
weight on their heads.
He goes even further and says ;
Tuka mhane maja | bolavito
deva
Artha guhya bhava | Tochi
jane
Mazia ukticha | navhe ha prakar
Maja Vishvambhar | Bolavito
Apulia bale | nahi mee bolat
Sakha Krupavant| Vacha tyachi
Tuka mhane mazi | Koni
vadavili vani
Prasadavachuna | Tumachiya
Vitthala
Thus he proclaimed that God spoke through his mouth. No one has been
stupid enough to say that Tukaram was vain. It is true that Brahmins (who of
course had learnt the Vedas) ordered Tukaram to destroy his verses (abhahg) but
they failed and the verses are intact even today. Rameswar Bhatt Vagholikar, a
Brahmin, repented and became a disciple of Tukaram.
Now as for the Sikhs not having respect for the Vedas , RSS Chief
Golwalkar Guruji tells us: "Shri Guru Govind Singh had declared - 'A true Sikh is one who has faith in the
Vedas and Bhaqavad Gita and who worships Rama and Krishna'.... ". Bunch of Thoughts, p. 139.)
Mr. N.V. Gadgil, former Governor of Punjab, writes : "The tenets of
the Sikh Gurus appeal more to the masses although the basic ideas and basic philosophy
were not different from the great Vedic religion." (Introduction to English translation of Guru Granth by Dr. Gopal Singh, 1964.)
Dr. Arvind Godbole of Bombay (no relation of mine) tells us, "....
Guru Nanak was not against learning of the Vedas. He only disliked the mere recitation
like a parrot. He stated, 'just as a lamp when lighted removes darkness,
reading of the Vedas removes sin from
one's mind Guru Granth p.1240). He
also says - Vedas preach us to recite
the name of one God. (Guru. Granth,
p. 1188).
Nanak is extremely distressed at the atrocities committed by Babur, the
16th century Mughal invader. He laments, "No one accepts the authority of
the Vedas and the Shastras. Kazis have become judges, Kshatriyas have forgotten
their duly, foreign language is imposed. Hindus, as they should have been, have
become very rare! "
Khatriya hi dharma chhodiya |
Mlechha bhagya gahi
Srushti saba ika varna hui |
Dharam ki gati rahi
Asta saj saje puran sodhahi |
Kare beda abhyasa
Bina hari ke mukta naahi |
Kahe Nanak daas
(Guru Grantha p 663)
Sastra Veda mane koye | Apo
ape pooja hoye
Kazi hoye kai bahe nyaye | Je
ko puchhe ta padha sunaye
Turak mantar kana hrudaya
samahe | Loka Muhave chahi khahe
Chauka dekai sachcha huei |
Aisa Hindu vekhaho koye
(Guru
Granth, p. 951)
See also pp. 360, 417, 905 & 1191 of Guru Granth.
(Reference: From Guru Nanak to
Guru Govind Singh [in Marathi] 1986.)
As for Guru Govind Singh, many of his verses are in Sanskrit. He had
sent five disciples to Benares for learning the Vedas. They in turn started the
sect Nirmal Panth. Guru Govind Singh raised the sword to defend our honour. He
says -
Dharma chalavana santa
ubharana | Dushta daitya ke mool upatana
Yahi kaj dhara mai janam |
Samaz lehu sadhunam mananam
This is precisely what Lord Krishna has said
Paritranaya sadhunam | Vinashaya
cha dushkrutam
Dharma sansthapanarthaya |
Sambhavami yuge yuge.
(Gita , Chapter.IV/8 )
(From age to age I would be reborn to protect the saints and destroy the
demons.)
We have referred to the 1975 edition of Satyarth Prakasa. The Sikhs say that the first edition of 1882
contained much more severe attacks on Sikh Gurus and Sikh faith.
It is deplorable that Swami Dayanand made his remarks without studying
the Guru Granth and a study of the
lives of the Sikh Gurus. It was diabolical to compare the five kakaras with the five makaras of the Vamamargis. There were few men like Lala Amolak Ram Munsif, who had
realised this, felt sorry and apologised. But they remained in minority. At the
eleventh annual session at Lahore on 24th and 25th November 1888, Pandit Guru
Dutt and Pandit Lakh Ram continued their attacks on the Sikhs. The discussions
of Lala Murlidhar and Swami Swatmananda added fuel to fire. A large number of
Hindus felt disgusted and held a protest meeting on 2nd December 1888 in Baoli Sahib,
Lahore. Lala Nand Gopal was in the chair, the speakers being Lala Ladli Prasad,
Bhai Jawahir Singh, Bhai Dit Singh, and Dr. Narayan Singh. From then on, Arya
Samaj continued its vendetta against the Sikhs. Arya Samachar paper of
Lahore once wrote -
Nanak shah fakeer ne naya
chalaye panth
Idhar udhar se jor kar likh
mana ik Granth
Pehley cheley kar liye
pichhey baala bhes
Sar par saafa bandh kar rakhi
leeney satkes |
In 1934, Prof. Gulshan Rai wrote - "For the last 50 years Arya
Samaj ridiculed and abused Sikh Gurus.
I must admit that we ourselves are to a great extent responsible for
driving the Sikhs out of the Hindu fold. They were our saviours in the
Mughal period and we have shown our gratitude by ridiculing those Gurus whose
teachings enabled them to rescue us from foreign tyranny of Pathans..."
Many people were attracted to Arya Samaj because it sponsored and
encouraged marriages of widows and preached removal of untouchability. Arya
Samaj also started the much needed Shuddhi (re-conversion) movement. But
instead of concentrating on Christians and Muslims, they decided to concentrate
on converting Sikhs back to Hinduism. (What a height of absurdity!:) They cut
the hair (kesha) and the beards of Sikhs in the open and in public places. And
this naturally led to ugly confrontations. Many Sikhs still remember how their
young boys used to come back home from schools with their hair cut. What is
being called Hindu-Sikh conflict is, in fact, Arya Samaj-Sikh conflict.
Arya Samaj was a necessity of the time. It prevented the spread of rot
set in by the British system of education and resisted the onslaught of Muslims
and Christians, but by harbouring foolish notions about Sikhs, it has done
enormous damage to Hindu society at large. It
is high time for them to concentrate on re-conversion of Muslims and Christians
to Hindu fold by their Shuddhi movement.
This is the need of the time. In 1947, Muslims were 5% of India's
population. To-day, they are 11.35 %. Need we spell out the danger? One partition
of India was enough. (See Hindu
Nationalism : A View Point by S. R. Date, Kal Prakashana of Pune, 1983.
Also see Gujarat Politics by Dr. D.V.
Nene published in Caravan magazine of June 1986.)
CHAPTER V -- ARYA SAMAJ AND
THE CONGRESS PARTY
No follower of Swami Dayanand could be a follower of Gandhi (or Nehru).
But the lure of power induced them to play the dubious double role of being
Arya Samajis and Congressites at the same time. In 1924, Gandhi made an
unprovoked attack on Arya Samaj to please Muslims. He publicly denounced the
Arya Samaj for its supposed sins of omissions and commissions. It was an utterly
unwarranted, reckless and discreditable attack. He denounced Swami Dayanand as
a narrow-
minded person.
Swami Shraddhanand, an Arya Samaj leader, had done a marvellous job of Shuddhi
- re-conversion of Muslims, especially
Malkana Rajputs to Hinduism. This angered Muslims because, according to their preaching,
conversion of Hindus to Islam by even the most hideous means was perfectly
justifiable, but re-conversion of Muslims to Hinduism by persuasion highly
objectionable. One fanatic called Abdul Rashid killed Swami Shraddhananda. And
immediately Gandhi appealed that Bhai Abdul Rashid should not be hanged. (Young India, 6 January, 1927).
In 1929, some Muslims of Lahore wrote a booklet entitled Kishan Ten Gita Jalani Padegi, a gross insult
to Hindus. Rajpal, an Arya Sarnaji, became furious and he retorted with his
booklet Rangeela Rasool based on the
sex life of Prophet Mohammad. Muslims were not used to such tit for tat. They
had all along considered it their prerogative to insult Hindus with impunity.
Ilamdeen and two other Muslim goondas killed Rajpal for which they were hanged.
Hindus took out a huge procession and cremated Dharmaveer Rajpal. Now Gandhi
stepped in. In Young India he wrote -
"Rajpal was just an ordinary bookseller. He wrote a booklet which made
Muslims angry and as a result he was killed. What heroic deed had he done to call
him a Dharmaveer? He had sold all his books and did not suffer any loss; so
what sacrifice did he make?" But the Arya Samajis continued to revere
Gandhi.
In 1937, Bhai Paramanand raised the question of Hindu women and girls
being kidnapped by Muslims in the North West Frontier Province. Instead of condemning
such acts, Dr. Khansaheb said in the Central Legislative Assembly, "Oh; this
is just an ordinary question of boys chasing girls." Congress members, who
were present in the Assembly, shamelessly laughed and nodded. Savarkar
condemned those Congressites as hizras - transvestites (men who dress and
disguise as women). But Arya Samajis never left the fold of such Congressites;
they kept quiet. Savarkar condemned their cowardice and double dealing during a
public speech at Ayodhya on 4th April 1938.
In June 1944, Satyarth Prakasha.
- the holy book of the Arya Samaj was banned by Muslim League Government of
Sind. But Arya Samajis kept mum so as not to upset Gandhi, whose appeasement of
Jinnah and the Muslim League was at a very advanced stage.
We cannot go into the details of the Indian politics of 1938-47 here but
we must remember that the partition of India took place based on the census of
1941, the very census Gandhi Nehru & Co, advised Hindus not to take part in
(just as they had advised in 1921 and 1931); So, whereas in the 1881 census
Hindus were 55% in the Punjab, in the 1941 census their percentage went down to
47% thus facilitating much larger area going over to Pakistan10.
And what did the Arya Samaj do? They accepted the advice of Congress and
boycotted the census and those who took part in the census refused to call
themselves as Hindus and got registered as Aryas11. They were really
blind even to their own survival. Needless to say that they suffered terribly
during partition. But even then they did not become any wiser, and after
independence and exodus of Muslims from East Punjab, Arya Samaj renewed its
campaign of animosity and ridicule against the Sikhs. In other provinces, Arya
Samaj simply signifies those believing in the importance of the Vedas, quite a
harmless pursuit. But in Punjab it is quite different.
Congress party was committed to linguistic Re-organisation of provinces
after independence. Arya Samaj once again played mischief. In the 1951 census they
induced Punjabi Hindus to register that their mother tongue was Hindi and not
Punjabi. This is almost incredible and unbelievable, but is a fact. People
everywhere are trying to preserve their mother tongue, not disown it. Can you
imagine any Gujarati saying that his mother tongue is not Gujarati but Hindi?
But the insanity of Arya Samajis knew no bounds. Their leader Lala Jagat
Narayan was the secretary of Punjab Congress Party. Arya Samajis prevented the
formation of Punjabi speaking Punjab. (And at this stage what were mere
provinces even under the British became States under Nehru, boundaries became borders
promoting further disintegration of India12.
Sikhs had no reason to disown their mother tongue Punjabi. Why should
they? They are just as proud of Punjabi as I am of my mother tongue Marathi.
When in 1956 there was Tamil speaking Madras (Tamil Nadu), Kannada speaking
Karnataka, why should not there be a Punjabi speaking Punjab? They legitimately
asked. But because Punjabi Hindus disowned Punjabi, the agitation for Punjabi Suba
became the sole responsibility of Sikhs. And Indians everywhere got the
impression that Sikhs were demanding a separate state - Sikhistan. Thus, without
spending a single penny, Arya Samaj sowed the seeds of mistrust in the minds of
unsuspecting Indians against Sikhs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Statement
issued by H.M. Government, London, dated 3 June 1947. Para 5 states, "1941 Census figures will be taken as
authoritative". The assets of British India were also divided on the
basis of 1941 Census.
11. Arya Samaj leaders appealed to their followers to
register as Aryas and NOT as Hindus. Mr. O.P. Seth of Punjab Punjab State Janata
Party Executive Committee remembers such posters displayed in Amritsar. He also
says Mahasha Krishan, father of K.
Virender (editor of Pratap), Mahasha Kushal
Chand, father of Yash (editor of Milap)
were such leaders.
Ref: Deccan Herald 8 April 1984. Had it not
been for this folly, Lahore the capital
of Maharaja Ranjit Singh would still have been the capital of
Punjab to-day and the holy Nanakana Sahib Gurudwara (where Guru Nanak was born)
would have also remained in India
12. Savarkar was strongly against linguistic
reorganisation.
(Ref. Echoes from
Andaman. Savarkar’s letter of 9 March 1915). He had argued on many
occasions that language alone should not be the sole criteria for creating a
province Population, area, geography, resources and other factors must be considered.
But the word Savarkar- was an anathema to Nehru all his life. Savarkar strongly
advocated and emphasized the unitary nature of India, but Nehru fell for the
foolish federal constitution as advocated by Britishers like Lord Wavell.
(Viceroy’s Journal)
CHAPTER VI -- PUNJAB POLITICS
Sikhs had to struggle for ten long years (1956-1966) to get the Punjabi
Suba. They quite rightly feel that what is granted to other Indians as a right,
Sikhs have to fight for it. When their magnificent contribution in the 1965
Indo-Pak War could not be ignored, Punjabi Suba was at last formed in 1966. But
even that was not done in a straight forward manner. Chandigarh, the capital,
became a Union Territory. The head-works and hydroelectric power stations were
taken over by the Central Government and some Punjabi speaking districts were
excluded from Punjabi Suba. Once again Sikhs had to start the struggle. Behind to-day's tragedy lies the bitter
story of the last thirty years. The mentality of New Delhi is thanda karake khana (Cool it and eat
it). Let the problems drag on. Vasantrao Naik, former Chief Minister of
Maharashtra once said openly, "How do I solve the problems? I just do
nothing. The problem is bound to go away" i.e., people are bound to get
fed up with agitation or get used to putting up with difficulties.
What is worse in the case of Punjab is
that now every Sikh is perceived as a gun-totting extremist and a
traitor, a secessionist, who can no longer be trusted ; (Imprint, June 1984). On three separate occasions when agreement
with the Akalis was in sight, Mrs. Gandhi withdrew at the last moment. When the
Akalis saw that prolonged peaceful struggle yielded no results, talks with
Indira Gandhi lead to nowhere, government assurances were never fulfilled, a sense
of frustration, helplessness and bitterness must have set in. The extremists were
bound to take over and the moderates had to shift to extremism in order to
maintain their position and remain as leaders. Many well known persons like V M
Tarkunde former Judge of Bombay High Court, have remarked - If Bhindranwale is
arrested Longowal, Badal and Tohra can influence the moderate opinion and
negotiations can be peacefully concluded. But this would strengthen the Akali
Dal and that is precisely what Indira Gandhi would not allow. No matter what
the consequences for India.
The politics of the Congress (I) was aimed at weakening the Akalis. Zail
Singh was the Chief Minister of Punjab during 1972-77. Unlike the previous
chief ministers, he came from Ramgaria (artisan) caste and not the majority Jat
caste. In order to widen his power base and weaken the Akalis, he encouraged
the activities of Bhindranwale and his ultra-orthodox intolerant followers.
Akali-Janata coalition was in power during 1978-1980. In order to create a rift
in the Akali Dal, a new faction called Dal Khalsa led by Bhindranwale was
started with blessings of Zail Singh, Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi on April
13, 1978. In the year following, some policemen in Punjab went on strike and were
dismissed. During the elections of 1980, Zail Singh promised to take them back if
Congres (I) returned to power that promise was fulfilled. We can imagine what
kind of police force Punjab had.
With his masters Zail Singh (then Union Home Minister) and Indira Gandhi
firmly back in power, Bhindranwale openly attacked his opponents – the Nirankaris.
Their leader Baba Gurubachan Singh and his aide were shot dead in Delhi on 25th
April 1980. The killer, carpenter Ranjit Singh, escaped. All the 20 persons
against whom warrants were issued, either belonged to the Jatha of Bhindranwale
or were his relatives or associates and were hiding under his protection. Organised political murders were now
appearing on the scene.
One year after this event, a well known journalist wrote - "Though
the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has solved the murder case, it is
almost certain that the killers will never be arrested because they are alleged
to be in the protection of Bhindranwale. Besides, the State police is not
prepared to involve itself in the case by arresting the culprits. Repeated
pleas by the Governor of Delhi to the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Darbara Singh
and the letters written by the directors of CBI to the Punjab Government for
help have been of no avail. The director of CBI wrote to State Government about
ten days ago urging it to help the CBI by arresting the culprits and taking
away their arms. But the State Government has not even acknowledged the letter.
The present Lt Governor of Delhi, Mr.S.L. Khurana has again written to the
Punjab Chief Minister pleading for the arrest of the suspects.
The CBI has almost completed the investigation and persons who are
suspected in this case have been declared as proclaimed offenders. It was on
the orders of Indira Gandhi that the murderers were not arrested or disarmed.
" And exactly 3 years later, she
had the audacity
to say that she had no alternative to army action!!
Sometime in 1980, Government of India issued an order that recruitment
into the armed forces would from now on be on the basis of the population of
individual state. And thus as Sikhs are less than 2% of India's population,
their percentage in the Armed Forces
would drop sharply -
from 15% to less than 2%. This is the height of absurdity. Gujaratis are
5% of India's population. Are we going to see Indian Army with 50,000 Gujarati soldiers?
Different people have different attributes and these must be utilised for the
country's good. Sikhs do not claim to be the only martial race but as long as they
make excellent soldiers, they should be employed as such. It is only after this Government order that we hear about Khalistan.
In March/April 1981, on the day of Baishakhi, extremists of Dal Khalsa
openly demanded Khalistan. G.S. Dhillon and J.S. Chauhan were present. Imam of
Delhi Jama Masjid gave his blessings. (Why was he never arrested?). Indira
Gandhi had sought the blessings of the same Imam for her 1980 election campaign
and yet she had the audacity to say that there was really no alternative to
army action in Amritsar!!!
Three months after the demand for Khalistan was made by a few fanatics,
Bhindranwale comfortably took shelter in the Golden Temple though Indira Gandhi
and Zail Singh took no action against him or his men after the murder of Baba
Gurubachan Singh in April, 1980. Arya Samaj had proved to be impotent. On 9th
September, 1981, Lala Jagat Narayan was shot dead near Ludhiana. Nachhar Singh
was caught. He confessed that one of his associates was Dalbir Singh,
proclaimed offender in Baba Gurubachan Singh murder. The other associate was
Swaran Singh, a relative of Bhindranwale. We must remember that Lala Jagat
Narayan was an Arya Samaji and still Secretary of Congress Party in Punjab and
was one of those leaders, who in 1951, induced Punjabi Hindus to falsely
declare that their mother- tongue was Hindi and not Punjabi, and created the
problem of the last 30 years.
Lala Jagat Narayan had earlier opposed the naming of a road in Anandapur
after Guru Govind Singh. He opposed the naming of Delhi-Amritsar Express as the
Golden Temple Express and opposed the idea of granting holy city status to
Amritsar.
It was the duty of Punjab Government to arrest Bhindranwale. But the
Chief Minister Darbara Singh showed great reluctance and allowed Bhindranwale
to dictate terms and when he gave himself up on 19th September 1981, 17 Akalis
were killed in mob violence. Within days he was released on Indira Gandhi's
orders, without any bail or bond.
Bhindranwale had now become a
hero. By Indira Gandhi's blessings he was above law. He could literally get
away with murder. He visited other provinces to collect funds for his
cause and in Delhi even met Zail Singh and Buta Singh. On 29th Sept. 1981, Dal
Khalsa members hijacked an Indian Airlines Boeing 757 to Lahore. But as long as
they weakened the Akalis, Dal Khalsa had the blessings of Indira Gandhi and
Zail Singh. And yet Indira Gandhi had the audacity to say that she had no
option but to send in the Army in the Golden Temple!!!
In December 1981, the new chief of Nirankaris, Baba Hardev wanted to
make a deal with the Akalis. Nirankaris would delete the offending passages in their
holy books in exchange for peace. But Chief Minister Darbara Singh stepped in
and wrecked the deal. Congress (I) were not interested in tranquillity and
sanity in Punjab.
CHAPTER VII -- PUNJAB
POLITICS - THE MISCHIEF-MAKERS
On 26th April, 1982, severed heads of some cows were thrown in front of
two Hindu temples in Amritsar, an act
which was denounced by all Sikh organisations. Dal Khalsa claimed the
responsibility and were completely isolated. At that time Punjab Government
could have acted firmly against Dal Khalsa. But how could they allow any easing
of pressure on the Akalis? It was later discovered that the cows were already
dead and not slaughtered. And that act was carried out by some agents in the
dark. But in retaliation Hindus threw biddis13 and brickbats at the
Golden Temple in broad daylight. Why did the police not prevent this incidence?
Six months later, Congress (I) started raising a force of Punjabi speaking
non-Sikhs to malign the Akalis. The men would undergo a crash programme of learning
Gurubani and Gurumukhi, growing beard and long hair so as to make them
indistinguishable from the Sikhs. After training, these men were sent to Punjab
to infiltrate into Gurudwaras, Akali ranks and the Sikh organisations and
encourage extremism. They were to incite hatred and create communal tensions,
write threatening letters, carry out
acts of bank robberies,
sabotage, desecrating religious places, invoke strong police retaliation during
demonstrations, arson and looting - all dressed up as Sikhs. Congress (I) being in power, they had immunity from
prosecution and Sikhs would get the blame. (Times
of India, 26 February, 1984; P.T. I
- press release from Amritsar of 23 Dec.1983; U.N. I- press release of 26 Feb 1984
throw some light on this subject.)
During the Asiad Games of December 1982, a scare was created by such
agent-provocateurs and it was exploited by Congress (I) Government of Haryana.
Every Sikh living in Delhi or proceeding to Delhi was humiliated for which
there was no need. Most Sikhs would have understood the need for security and
agreed to searches and restrictions. But the attitude of Haryana Police was
extremely high-handed. Even women and children, old and sick were not spared.
Every Sikh was treated, like a suspected terrorist. Some Sikhs had come from
America and Canada to show their grandchildren the land of their forefathers.
They were sent straight from Delhi Airport to jail. This caused much resentment
and bitterness, helped the extremists and hot-heads and made it impossible for
the moderates to argue. In fact, every action of Indira Gandhi and her party
was calculated to encourage the extremists. What Jagjit Singh Chauhan, Ganga
Singh Dhillon and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale failed to do was achieved by the Haryana
Police.
-------------------------------------
13. Sikhs may drink but never smoke. Throwing of bidis (hand-made
cigarettes) at the Golden Temple was thus highly insulting to Sikhs.
CHAPTER VIII -- MURDERS,
BOMBS AND TERRORISM
On 25th April 1983, Avtar Singh Atwal, Deputy. Inspector General of
Punjab Police was shot dead as he emerged from the Golden Temple at 11.00 a.m.
The murder shocked the nation. It was condemned by everybody. The general
feeling was running high against the extremists and it was the best time to
flush them out. But Indira Gandhi & Co did nothing. As early as January 1983,
one Bandu Thanekar writing for Manoos
weekly of Pune noted - "In Amritsar there are policemen everywhere : State
Police, State Reserve Police, Border Security Force Police and Central Reserve Police.”
How could a D.I.G. of State Police get killed in front of the Golden Temple in
broad day-light? Atwal had been summoned for a secret meeting in Amritsar by
two senior officials - Brigadier Tejinder Singh Grewal and J.S.Chalal, an IPS officer,
who knew Bhindranwale well. After a number of secret discussions, Atwal, a devout
Sikh left for Golden Temple. To hush up the matter, Punjab Government awarded
Rs. 3 lakhs to Mrs. Atwal. It is true that on 29th April 1983, Mr. P.C.Sethi,
Union Home Minister, gave an ultimatum of one week to the Golden Temple
management committee to surrender the men wanted for various offences, who were
then hiding in the Golden Temple. But nothing came of his threat. Why?
On 25th June 1983, a bomb damaged the office of Congress (I) in
Chandigarh. This may have been the work of their own agents. By October, Indira
Gandhi changed her tactics. The State Government was dismissed and President's
rule was imposed on Punjab. But it brought no change in the situation as the
change over was a mere white-wash. Just three weeks later, Sealdah Express from
Calcutta was derailed near Ambala killing 17 people and injuring 133. Sikhs
were blamed. In October 1983, and February 1984, some innocent Hindus were gunned
down. These senseless killings brought equally senseless reaction by Hindus of
Haryana. Between 14th and 21st February 1984, on the Grand Trunk Road from
Delhi to Ambala, Sikhs were removed from buses and beaten up. Their Keshas were
clipped and their turbans burnt. Even women and children were not spared. In
Haryana, Sikhs were beaten to death, dragged out of Gurudwaras and lynched. Only
on the last day, Haryana Government gave 'shoot at sight' order. It is
surprising that on 14th February curfew had already been declared in six major
cities of Punjab and 'shoot at sight' order issued to police. Why did the Haryana Government watch the
carnage for seven days?
In March 1984, Longowal and Akalis claimed that men masquerading as
Sikhs, were carrying out terrorist acts and Sikhs were getting the blame.
During March and April 1984, five students of the famous Dnyan- Prabodhini
Institute of Pune visited Punjab.
Writing in Manoos weekly they
say, ". Central Reserve Police
Force men surrounded the Golden Temple. Police with helmets and masks are
covering every inch of Amritsar, but no
Sikh police. And where police were not seen, we saw Nihangs. Houses around the
Golden Temple have police with mounted machine guns." But still there was
no end to murders. On March 28, Harbans Singh Machanda was shot dead. He was
president of the Delhi Gurudwara management committee, and had called for the
expulsion of Bhindranwale from the Golden Temple. The next day Dr. V.N. Tiwari
was shot dead. He was a learned man and was tipped to be the next Vice Chancellor
of the Punjab University. He was among the few top ranking Hindus in Punjab who
openly declared Punjabi as their mother tongue and asked other Hindus to do the
same. He made a survey of the residents of Chandigarh and came to the conclusion
that 95% of them spoke Punjabi in their homes and bazars but when it came to
census, said that their mother tongue was Hindi. For his academic merit, he was
given saropa in the Golden Temple. So
why should Sikhs be interested in killing him? On the contrary, it is alleged
that Punjab University has been dominated by the Arya Samajis for a century and
they did not want Dr. Tiwari to be the Vice Chancellor of that University as he
would not be their stooge. Moreover, he exposed their mischievous inducement to
Punjabi Hindus to deny that Punjabi was their mother tongue.
On 2nd April 1984, some 40 minor railway stations in Punjab were blown
up. On 9th May, Giani Pratap Singh, aged 85, former head priest of Akal Takt
was shot dead in Amritsar. He was outspoken about the anti-social elements who
had taken refuge in the Golden Temple. Three days later, Rameshchandra, son of
Lala Jagat Narain, was killed in Jullunder. Thus, despite several acts and
remedies, lawlessness was rampant in Punjab. We have Preventive Detention Act,
Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), Anti-Insurgency Act, National
Security Act. In fact, we have more
security acts than in many dictatorships. So why was the situation allowed to
drag on for so long? The answer is simple. It suited Mrs. Gandhi's election
chances. It created an impression that 'there is a serious crisis;
situation is very grave; country is facing another partition; we need a
strong-minded person. To whom we can turn to? Only Mrs Gandhi. So rally around
her.' Even her staunch opponents forgot that the situation was created by
herself and said, "Though we do not like her, do not approve of her
policies, we are solidly behind her when it comes to Punjab problem. We would
support her wholeheartedly, if she were to declare a state of emergency or even
martial law." Mrs. Gandhi was very clever indeed in manipulating the
situation to her own advantage.
CHAPTER IX. -- Mrs. GANDHI'S FATAL ACTION
Between 30th May and 2nd June 1984, there was a massive build up of army
in Punjab and what followed took place
even without declaring a state of emergency in Punjab, let alone declaring the
Martial Law. On 2nd June, Punjab was completely cut off from the rest of
India. It was declared ‘a restricted area’
under the Foreigners' (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963, for two months arid was
later extended to 2nd October 1984, and foreign news reporters were expelled.
3rd June was Guru Arjundev's martyrdom day and 4th June was Panchami. Hundreds
of Sikhs gather for these few days in the Golden Temple and other Gurudwaras in
Amritsar. On 3rd June, press restrictions were imposed under Section 2 of
Punjab Special Powers (Press) Act of 1956, and extended up to end of September 1984.
In the early hours of 5th June, Indian Army moved in, thus trapping thousands
of innocent men, women and children. What
followed is too gruesome to describe. One can get some idea of the horror
from certain pertinent points :
(1).There were no newspaper reporters accompanying the Army. All the
news was controlled by Government of India. We know too well how under such
conditions fake evidences can be planted and how unpleasant evidences can be
wiped out.
(2). Even the Government controlled TV did not show any Red Cross men
attending the wounded. Were they present at all?
(3). We also did not see army personnel leading the pilgrims to safety.
(4).Indian Army did send in the tanks. But the terrorists had no tanks
and we understand that they had some Light Machine Guns (LMGs), 0.303 rifles,
one rusty bazooka and some grenades.
(5).Government white paper says 493 civilians/ terrorists were
killed. But how many were women and
children? And, if the number was so small, why were they not identified? (Even
now we do not know exactly who died.) Why were the bodies disposed off by
pouring kerosene on them and setting ablaze instead of handing over to local
people for proper cremation?
(6). On 14th June, 84 foreign reporters were allowed in Punjab. But they
were forbidden to take photographs or ask questions to the briefing officers.
What happened between 7th and 14th June 1984?
CHAPTER X -- THE DANGERS AHEAD
The fighting in the Golden Temple was over in a few days’ time and that
should have been the end of the trouble. But oh no! Just four weeks later, by a
Presidential decree, Punjab was declared a 'terrorist
affected area' for six months and on 25th July 1984, special courts were
set up. Punjab was divided into 3 zones, each with a special court. Onus of proof was placed on the accused,
trials would be held in camera, identity of witnesses would be withheld.
And thus by their own admission, Indira Gandhi, Zail Singh & Co. have
created a 'Northern Ireland' at our
doorstep and that too on a vulnerable border with our arch enemy Pakistan.
The timing of the attack on the Golden Temple seems to have been
calculated to have two effects viz,
(a) To cause maximum damage, casualties and suffering.
(b) To create extreme unease among the Sikh soldiers and incite them.
And once they rebel or desert, declare that the Sikh soldiers are not reliable
and should no longer be recruited in the Indian Army.
Indira Gandhi succeeded on both the counts. Eight thousand Sikh soldiers
are now said to be languishing in Indian Army jails. Other Sikh soldiers are
disillusioned and dispirited. Sikh officers too are shattered by the events of
1984. "What is the point in
winning a medal for bravery if you are liable to mob attacks at any time, at
any place and when even your women and children would not be spared simply
because you are a Sikh?" Major Joginder Singh, the first officer to die in
NEFA during the 1962 war with the Chinese, Sardar Gurubaksha Singh, who smashed
the Sargodha radar centre with his plane and died in that mission in the 1965
war with Pakistan and many other gallant men would no longer find any
successors.
After more than a decade, about 250 officers captured by Pakistan during
the 1971 Bangladesh war are still in Pakistani jails. Could it be that majority
of them are Sikhs and hence Indira Gandhi could not care less? (India
Today, 29th Feb.1984, p36).
Indian Army was once admired as one of the finest in the world. After
its deployment in Punjab, it has been reduced to the level of tyrannical armies
of the petty dictators of South America.
In case of another war with Pakistan, how can the Indian Army expect any
co-operation from Sikh civilians? And Sikh saboteurs would be seeking
revenge. According to Government of India’s
own admission, six army divisions were required for the Blue Star Operation
just to crush 200 and odd followers of Bhindranwale. The danger to India's
security is grave indeed.
CHAPTER XI -- TIME FOR ACTION
Having foreseen the dangers to India's integration and border security, it is time for action. Not long ago, RSS bashing was the order of the day. After Sanjay Gandhi got killed in an aeroplane accident, one Member of Parliament, who was anxious to join Congress (I), accused RSS of being responsible for the accident. Indira Gandhi did not stop making such absurd accusations (just like her father). Commenting on the incident, one journalist wrote in Sobat weekly of Pune, "It is true that as yet no one has accused RSS of being responsible for the Iran-Iraq war but we cannot be sure that such an accusation would never be made in India." The same pathetically low mentality exists about Sikhs to-day. Such has been the ferocity of persistent anti-Sikh propaganda carried out by the mass media. Disastrous consequences of this s