Dal Khalsa Equates AAP with Congress and BJP

(From left) Bhai Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib, president HS Dhami and Kanwarpal Singh
(From left) Bhai Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib, president HS Dhami and Kanwarpal Singh

AMRITSAR SAHIB—Equating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with the other Indian main stream parties Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Panthik organization Dal Khalsa has made the decision to stay away from Indian Parliament elections.

In a policy statement issued, the Sikh faction stated, “We have no expectations from the upcoming Parliamentary elections as all mainstream parties Congress, BJP, AAP are chips off the same block. All political parties have an identical agenda when it comes to honoring Sikh aspirations.”

The statement was released following the meeting of Dal Khalsa’s working committee member. In the meeting, the Sikh organization resolved to stay away from Parliament elections under Indian dispensation, and to renew their struggle for Sikh independence.

Organization head H S Dhami said, “Reforms and development cannot be a substitute for the goal of independence. To the real Sikh polity, the challenge is not development, but self-determination, the dream is not to make Punjab a California, but an independent Sovereign state.”

Making a fervent appeal to the people of Punjab especially freedom-seekers, and victims of state-terrorism, “not to participate in the elections,” he said that the election drama doesn’t hold any importance, or credibility for struggling people. Claiming that the Indian electoral exercise is an illusion, he said “We appeal to the people to realize that the elections only lure, but don’t deliver. Our members, supporters, and well-wishers will not participate in this electoral façade of democracy in India,” he declared. “This is the decision of our party, and we will take this decision to the Sikh people. Political awareness, and political education, is crucial, and we will work to keep the people actively engaged in politics, outside of election arena.”

He termed the Indian electoral system as unfair, incomplete, and wrought with pitfalls for struggling nations. He said Sikh aspirations are too dear to be sacrificed at the altar of this game of elections where money, liquor, drugs, and all arms of the state, work in tandem to upset the apple-carts of individuals. 

“The precious lives of martyrs at the hands of the Indian government cannot be weighed against better facilities, malls, tarred roads, and an uninterrupted free supply of electricity,” he said. “This time around, euphoria has been built around a fascist leader, and the entry of a new political party. For Sikh people, it hardly matters who will occupy the power in Delhi,” he asserted. “The issue of Sikhs is not of good, or bad, governance which can be solved by replacing the rulers, or faces, but it is actually the matter of the future of their people who have been promised the glow of freedom by Indian leadership.”

Addressing the meet Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said, “Sikhs are not against democracy.”  He said, “Sikhs have participated in elections with gusto and enthusiasm since 1950 onwards. But has the Sikh community gained anything through participation in elections?” he asked. “The solution to Sikh problem lies in referendum, and not elections,” he stated.

Justifying their standpoint to stay away from elections, he said, “Despite Sikhs participation in elections, Punjab does not have its own capital city, the waters of Punjab unabatedly flow without royalty to the non-riparian states. Article 25 of the Constitution of India categorizes Sikhs as Hindus. A plethora of laws for Hindus govern Sikhs, state patronization to so-called Gurudom continues, justice eludes Sikhs for every violent act done by Indian state unto them as a community, and is wrongly confining hundreds of Sikh prisoners under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), and now Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Indian polity still refuses to accept our separate identity, and status, and Constitutional discrimination continues,” he added.

He declared, “For the past six decades, ambiguity has been the hallmark of Sikh politics.” He admitted that their group erred in participating in the 2007 assembly elections, but after careful, and serious consideration, realized that because of systemic weaknesses, “Elections can neither solve the Sikh problem, nor change the Sikh position.”

 

 

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