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Dal Khalsa resolves to stay away from Parliament elections under Indian dispensation
April 17, 2014 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
Amritsar, Punjab (April 17, 2014): In a breakthrough decision, the Dal Khalsa has resolved to stay away from Parliament elections under Indian dispensation and renew their struggle for Sikh independence.
Few days back another Sikh nationalist party Akali Dal Panch Pardhani had also cleared it’s stance on Indian election system, in general and Lok Sabha elections 2014 in particular.
While addressing the press conference after presiding over the meet of working committee members, party 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.
Dal Khalsa leaders discussing the issue in a party meeting
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 and 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 lures but don’t delivers”.
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 was crucial, and we would 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 were 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 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 uninterrupted free supply of electricity, he said.
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 would occupy the power in Delhi, he asserted.
The issue of Sikhs was not of good or bad governance which can be solved by replacing the rulers or faces but it was actually the matter of future of their people who have been promised the glow of freedom by Indian leadership.
He said “we have no expectations from the upcoming Parliamentary elections as all mainstream parties Congress, BJP, AAP were chips of the same block. All political parties have an identical agenda when it comes to honouring Sikh aspirations.
Addressing the meet Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said Sikhs were not against the democracy. He said Sikhs have participated in elections with gusto and enthusiasm since 1950 onwards. Has the Sikh community gained anything through participation in elections, he asked. The solution to Sikh problem lies in referendum and not elections, said he.
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, 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 wrongly confining hundreds of Sikh prisoners under TADA and now UAPA. Indian polity still refuses to accept our separate identity and status and Constitutional discrimination continues, he added.
He said since the last six decades, ‘Ambiguity has been the hallmark of the Sikh politics. He admitted that their group erred in participating in the 2007 assembly elections but after careful and serious consideration had realized that there were systemic weaknesses because of which, elections cannot solve the Sikh problem nor change the Sikh position”.
Earlier a meeting of party representatives was held at the head-office where the dilemma of Sikhs- to be part of elections or not to be –was hotly debated and discussed.
The prominent amongst those who were present includes Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib, Sarbjit Singh Ghuman, Ranbir Singh, Baldev Singh Ajnala, Kulwant Singh Pheruman, Avtar Singh Jalalabad, Gurpreet Singh Mann, Harjinder Singh, Gurdeep Singh Kalkat, Gurwinder Singh, Dr Arpal Singh, Harmohinder Singh, Noblejit Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Manjit Singh, Paramjit Singh.
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Related Topics: Dal Khalsa, Lok Sabha Elections 2014
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