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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HT Archives: Key accord inked to bring peace and stability to Punjab
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Akali Dal president Sant Harchand Singh Longowal on Thursday finalised a comprehensive accord on a slew of issues concerning Punjab, marking a welcome end to the prolonged crisis in the border state that has bedevilled the nation. Then PM Rajiv Gandhi with Sant Harchand Singh Longowal in 1985. (HT Archives) The 11-point Memorandum of Settlement signed at 5.30pm in Parliament House provides for the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, two high-power commissions to decide on territorial disputes between Punjab and Haryana, a tribunal on the Ravi-Beas water systems, reference of the controversial Anandpur Sahib resolution to the Sarkaria Commission, widening of the scope of the inquiry into the November 1984 riots, rehabilitation of those discharged from the Army, and compensation to the families of all the innocent people killed in agitation and riots since August 1982. The memorandum was tabled in the Lok Sabha within 20 minutes of its signing by a beaming Prime Minister, who expressed the hope that this 'will bring to an end a very difficult period through which the nation has passed.' The five-page memorandum, signed by the two leaders, itself ends thus: 'This settlement brings to an end a period of confrontation and ushers in an era of amity, goodwill and co-operation, which will promote and strengthen the unity and integrity of India.' Members of Parliament on both sides of the aisle welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement by thumping their desks. Two senior Opposition leaders in the Lok Sabha, Prof Madhu Dandavate (Janata) and C Madhava Reddy (Telugu Desam) welcomed it immediately. The transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, as also of Hindi-speaking areas now in Punjab to Haryana is to take place simultaneously on the next Republic Day, 1986. The commission will submit its findings by December 31, 1985, which will be binding on both sides. LK Advani, leader of the BJP parliamentary party, called the pact 'a great relief', even as he underscored reservations about specific provisions of the memorandum. He also said that had the Akalis and the government shown this kind of sagacity during the tripartite conference in January 1983 'the country and Punjab might have been spared a lot of agony and bloodshed.' Talks held at the time, which included opposition parties, collapsed on January 26, with Sikh leaders resigning from the state legislatures and Parliament. It was noteworthy, he said, that at the time of the tripartite conference all Opposition parties had opposed any formal reference by the government to the Anandpur Sahib resolution, a list of demands the Akali Dal made in 1983. 'It is strange', said Mr Advani, 'that the ruling party whose principal election plank was that the Opposition parties were favouring the Anandpur Sahib resolution and it alone was resisting it, has now in an official communique signed by the Prime Minister himself formally recognised it'. The agreement provides for the rehabilitation of all those discharged from the army, through gainful employment. The jurisdiction of the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission inquiring into the November 1984 riots that followed the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi will be extended to cover the disturbances in Bokaro (Bihar) and Kanpur. The government agreed to consider the formulation of an All-India Gurdwara Bill. 'The legislation will be brought forward for this purpose in consultation with the Akali Dal and others concerned and after fulfilling all relevant constitutional requirements.' Under the accord, the government agreed to withdraw the notification applying the Armed Forces Special Powers Act to Punjab. The existing special courts will now try only cases relating to the offences of 'waging war' and hijacking.' All other cases will be transferred to ordinary courts and enabling legislation, if needed, will be brought forward in the current session of Parliament. The river water dispute is to be adjudicated by a tribunal headed by a Supreme Court judge. The accord provides that the report of the tribunal will be submitted within six months and will be binding on both Punjab and Haryana. Gandhi said that on the Anandpur Sahib resolution, Sant Longowal made it very clear that it was meant to be an exercise for greater autonomy within the Indian Union. Those aspects of the resolution passed by the Akali Dal first in 1973 and again in 1978, which pertain to Centre-State relations now stand transferred to the Commission on Centre-State relations headed by Mr Justice R. S. Sarkaria. The accord specifically provides for the promotion of Punjabi language. The Prime Minister will write to the chief ministers on the question of according adequate representation to the minorities in employment and other avenues. On Chandigarh, the accord provides for the city going to Punjab. The present Union Territory has some adjoining areas included both from Punjab and Haryana. The Hindi speaking areas will now be transferred to Haryana and the Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab.
Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Saini visits deras in Jalandhar, takes part in Guru Purnima celebrations
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday visited the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan in Nur Mahal of Jalandhar district in Punjab, and took part in the Guru Purnima celebrations. Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini being felicitated during Guru Purnima Mahotsav at Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan in Jalandhar on Thursday. Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Singh Bittu is also seen in the photo. (HT Photo) Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu accompanied the chief minister Saini, who said that this sacred day gives all an opportunity to express gratitude to the great Gurus who, by bestowing the light of knowledge, taught us the right way to live. The chief minister also visited the 'kamdhenu gaushala' located in the premises of the sansthan. Saini also visited Baba Mohan Dass Ashram in Jalandhar. 'It is a matter of great happiness that today we are all gathered here to celebrate Guru Purnima. I have been associated with guru ji (Mohan Dass) for a long time and have been taking his blessings every year,' he said, urging people to take a pledge to plant a tree under 'Ek Ped Maa ke Naam' campaign. 'The environment around us is getting polluted, and we are increasingly getting dependent on air conditioners. This will also help us to deal with climate change. On this occasion, we also have to take a pledge that we all follow the path shown by our Gurus and Saints,' Saini said. Later, the chief minister also visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar and paid obeisance there.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Rahul Gandhi ridiculed globally too, says BJP on student quizzing him on 1984 riot
Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (Pic credit: ANI) NEW DELHI: BJP on Sunday lauded the Sikh student who questioned Rahul Gandhi over the massacre of Sikhs in 1984 and said it was telling that the Congress leader was being "ridiculed not just in India, but around the world". The student asked Rahul what attempts he was making to reconcile with the Sikh community and referred to the 1984 riots in his lengthy poser when the Congress MP was having an interaction session with students at Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US on April 21. The video of the interaction was uploaded on Saturday on the Watson Institute's YouTube channel. BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared a snippet of the video and said the student had directly reminded Rahul of the "unfounded fear-mongering" he had done about Sikh identity under BJP rule. Questioning Rahul's previous remarks on religious freedom under BJP rule, the Sikh student said, "You create fear among Sikhs about what BJP would look like. We want freedom of expression, which has not been allowed under the Congress in the past." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Best website creation site | Build your store in minutes Shopify Shop Now Undo The student also referred to the Anandpur Sahib resolution , which he claimed the Congress mis-characterized as a separatist manifesto. He criticized the party's failure to reconcile with the Sikh community and pointed to convicted former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar as evidence of lingering impunity, and said, "Many more Sajjan Kumars are sitting in Congress party." In response, Rahul admitted that Congress had committed many "mistakes" when he was not there, but added that he was more than happy to take responsibility for everything the party had ever done wrong. He pointed out that he had publicly stated that what happened in the 1980s was "wrong". BJP also attacked Rahul for calling Lord Ram "a mythological figure" at the same interaction.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
After US student says many Sajjan Kumars still in Congress fold, Rahul Gandhi says I take responsibility for everything party did wrong
Jalandhar: Seven months after he sought to put BJP in the dock while speaking in the US on the issue of religious freedom in India and cited the example of Sikhs while doing so, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi faced a question from a student in the US about what Sikhs faced during Congress rule in India. The student mentioned that Rahul's party still had "many more Sajjan Kumars" in its fold. Gandhi, on his part, termed the happenings of the 1980s "wrong" and said he was more than happy to take responsibility for whatever mistakes Congress made in the past. Gandhi held a question-and-answer session during at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs of Brown University, US, on April 21. A Sikh student was the first to pose a question, referring to Rahul's earlier remark made at an event in Virginia on Sept 9 last year. Rahul's conversation was uploaded on YouTube on Saturday, and it attracted a strong reaction from the BJP. Mentioning Rahul's earlier remark that under BJP rule, the fight was about whether a Sikh would be allowed to wear his turban or a 'karra' (metal bangle), the Sikh student said, "You create a fear amongst the Sikhs about what the BJP would look like. But we just don't want to wear karras, we just don't want to wear turbans. We want freedom of expression, which under the Congress party in the past, has not been allowed," he said. He added, "For example, the Anandpur Sahib resolution , which you are probably familiar with, which talks about dalit rights, rights of water; it talks about better working conditions, anti-monopoly. It mentions nothing about separatism, but it is labelled as a separatist document." "This is something your party has done, and your party seems to lack the maturity to accept the mistakes it has made, such as Sajjan Kumar just now being tried. There are many more Sajjan Kumars sitting in the Congress party. KPS Gill is hailed as a hero," he said. Then came his real question: "You tell us to fear what India will look like under the BJP, but you've never tried to reconcile with the Sikhs. What attempts are you making? Because if you continue like this, BJP is also going to make its way to Punjab." Rahul replied, "First of all, I don't think that really anything scares the Sikhs. That is the first point. The statement I made was that: look, do we want an India where people are uncomfortable to express their religion? As far as the mistakes of the Congress party are concerned, a lot of those mistakes happened when I was not there. But I am more than happy to take responsibility for everything that the Congress party has ever done wrong in its history." When the Sikh student again asked what he had done to reconcile with the Sikhs, the Congress leader added: "I have publicly stated that what happened in the '80s was wrong. I have been to the Golden Temple multiple times, I have an extremely good relationship with the Sikh community in India and a loving relationship with them."
