Hoshiarpur: The pro-freedom organisation of the Sikhs Dal Khalsa yesterday condemned the immature and irresponsible act of Indian leadership for not letting Pakistan diplomat Sartaz Aziz to pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib. Terming it as an act of dishonesty, the organization feels that it was not only an insult to the visiting neighbor but also a deliberate attempt by New Delhi to create a wedge between Sikhs and Pakistan.
In a hard hitting statement, party head Harpal Singh Cheema said Darbar Sahib was a sacred and central place of Sikhism. He said by refusing or not permitting the visiting dignitary to visit there for darshan-didaree under the pretext of security reasons tantamount to not only insulting them but also denigrating the Sikh traditions. “We have no love for Aziz but the way Indian leadership has restricted him to visit Darbar Sahib has hurt us”, said Cheema.
Bhai Harpal Singh Cheema
Further adding to his statement he said despite wishes and efforts of New Delhi, the Sikhs of Punjab has restored the warm relationship and cultural bonds with the people of Pakistan over the years and unfortunately this is what Delhi people were unable to digest.
He said that Indian leadership has hit many targets with one stone. He said by using the soil of Amritsar and shoulder of Afghanistan, the Indians have played the dirty politics of hatred against its neighbor.
Criticizing CM Parkash Singh Badal and his courtiers for bowing before the Hindutva people. Dal Khalsa leader said the souring relations between India and Pakistan has taken the toll of Sikhs not only because of cleverness of Delhi but incompetent leadership of Badals too.
Quoting the lines of the Anandpur Sahib resolution drafted by Sirdar Kapur Singh and adopted by Akali Dal in early 1970’s, he said Sikhs as a sovereign people has made their position and perception clear when they said “it’s not necessary for Sikhs to treat India’s friend (read Russia) as their friend and India’s enemy (read Pakistan) as theirs enemy”.