Sikhs’ Quest for State is Historically Rooted; Not Confined to the directives of Indian Courts: Dal Khalsa

Amritsar: Dal Khalsa today came down heavily on the BJP, Congress and AAP for ridiculing the aspirations of Sikhs for independence and portraying it as mere “law and order problem”. The statement by pro-freedom group has come in the backdrop of SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar stating that the demand for Khalistan isn’t wrong.

Party leaders Kanwar Pal Singh and Paramjeet Singh said the Sikhs want to be the masters of their own destiny. This aspiration should not be judged in isolation, rather from the historical perspective as the Sikhs, despite being the third ethnic group in this region, once ruled Punjab and the foundation of the first Sikh rule was laid by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur which was consolidated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh”.

They said the SGPC head has articulated what a large section of Sikhs espouse for. Moreover, the aspiration to re-establish self-rule that was lost in 1849 is deeply rooted in Sikh psyche and they have been longing for it since then.

They said the aspirations for independence in Sikhs have historical roots. The quest for our own state is not confined to the directives of Supreme Court and P&H High Court, said they.

Chiding the BJP leaders who have taunted the SGPC president to re-read the old apex court order, they said there’s not one but in many cases the apex court and high courts have ruled that seeking Khalistan peacefully isn’t sedition. They said the charges under sedition for raising Khalistan slogans on Dal Khalsa men and other groups never withstood scrutiny of courts.

Putting the Hindutva party in the dock, they said let BJP to explain why and under what justification they had converted India into a ‘Hindu state’.

Dismissing all apprehensions raised by these pro-New Delhi parties, they said we want to make it clear that Sovereign Punjab or Khalistan would not be a theocratic state. It will rightfully belong to all the residents of Punjab be it Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Dalits and Sikhs.

Reiterating their party position, they said, we stand for peaceful resolution to Punjab conflict and the only way forward is right to self determination. We believe bloodshed and violence isn’t the means to achieve political objectives, they said and added that the responsibility rests on the State “not to push the people” towards the wall.

Countering those who blamed Sikh insurgents for bloodshed, they said the Sikhs opted for armed struggle only after the political system of this country failed to provide justice to the Sikhs in many cases. ‘The Sikhs inherit the legacy of armed struggle as method of conflict resolution. He said the Sikh armed struggle triggered by Baisakhi 1978 episode was driven by religious ethos’.

Referring to England and Canada for granting the right to self determination to people of Scotland and Quebec, they said we want New Delhi to grant the same right to Punjab and other peoples who have nationalistic aspirations.

The News Sikhs’ Quest for State is Historically Rooted; Not Confined to the directives of Indian Courts: Dal Khalsa appeared first on Sikh Siyasat News.

from Sikh Siyasat News http://ift.tt/2mhIFXJ