Implement Anandpur Sahib Resolution: Sukhbir Badal

[Nirvair S Khalsa]

Congress posers to Badal on Anandpur Sahib Resolution

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 31

The Congress has asked some probing questions to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal with regard to the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, which is back in the political limelight in the state. Badal, who is SAD's chief patron, had stated recently that he would ask the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to make the resolution a part of its common minimum programme (CMP) during the Lok Sabha elections.

However, the BJP, a senior political ally of the SAD, has strongly opposed Badal on the issue.

Drawing his attention towards some of the clauses of the resolution, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has asked whether Badal and his family will surrender hundreds of acres of excess land owned by them.

Khaira said one of the clause of the resolution says that "in order to remove the growing gap between the rich and the poor, the existing legislation on land ceiling would have to be revised and ceiling of 30 standard acres per family would have to be enforced with property rights to the actual tiller. The excess land would be distributed among landless tenants and poor farmers".

Khaira said charity should begin at home and Badal should first donate excess land running into hundreds of acres held by him to poor and landless people. "Would you do it as a part of implementing one of the clauses of the resolution?"

One of the political goals mentioned in the resolution is to ban the sale of liquor and other intoxicants and to press for prohibition on the consumption of intoxicants and smoking in public places. "Have you ever tried to implement this clause of the resolution despite being the Chief Minister four times?" Khaira has asked Badal.

Referring to the clause related to the nationalisation of industry in the resolution, Khaira has asked Badal whether he was prepared to hand over his family-owned Hotel Orbit Resorts worth Rs 1,000 crore at Gurgaon to the government and also the fleet of 100 buses being operated by the family in the state. The Anandpur Sahib Resolution, for the implementation of which the SAD had launched an agitation in 1980, urged the Union government to bring each unit beyond Rs 1 crore under the public sector and also advocated the progressive nationalisation of the transport. "In case you fail to implement these few clauses of the resolution, you will have no moral right to speak on such vital issues," Khaira has told Badal, seeking a clarification from him in this regard. Khaira said Badal should answer as to what had stopped him in getting the Anandpur Sahib Resolution implemented in 1997-2002 when he was the Chief Minister of Punjab and the BJP government, supported by him, was in power at the Centre.

[guptveer1469]

yeah i'm not going to hold my breath. growing up in britain taught me one thing at least - never trust a politician.

Esp if its a Badal

[Puraatan]

IMAGINE if the Anandpur Sahib Resolution did get implemented, IMAGINE how beneficial this would be for Punjab!

[Nirvair S Khalsa]

Anandpur Sahib pact row needless, says Badal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 1

Referring to the controversy over the Anandpur Sahib Resolution as needless, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has always stood for the unity and integrity of the country and will continue to remain in the forefront to defend it.

"The SAD has always taken pride in being a party of great patriots and has made unparalleled sacrifices both for the independence of the country and for its defence since 1947. Any attempt to create misunderstandings about our true position on a strong and united India is the result of lack of understanding or of vested political motives," the Chief Minister said in a statement issued here yesterday.

Referring to what he described as "needless controversy" about the resolution in some newspaper reports, Badal said the SAD had only demanded more fiscal powers for the states to make them financially strong.

He said the SAD's demand for more financial and administrative powers for the states had been fully endorsed by all national and regional parties. It had also been vindicated by various commissions set up by the government of India for the decentralisation of fiscal powers and for recasting a formula for the devolution of funds. The Chief Minister categorically stated, "Let no one try to create any confusion on the subject. The SAD always was, is and will remain the sword arm of the country and the party has stood for a strong India capable of assuming its role as a leader in the international comity of nations. Efforts by some vested interests to create confusion about the demand for more fiscal powers would not be allowed to succeed," he said.

Sukhbir prefers to keep mum

Amarjit Thind

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 1

Unlike his diplomatic and serene father, who makes it a point to seem to reply to even unsavoury queries, Badal Jr is a bit "lordly" when faced with unpleasant questions from mediapersons.

This was evident here yesterday when the SAD chief in the new role of Deputy Chief Minister paid his maiden visit to the city. So much so that he had to be cajoled by a section of the media to sit through the press conference with the promise that questions on the Anandpur Sahib resolution would not be posed again. This was done after he immediately got up on hearing the very first question on the

resolution.

"I have come to your city first time after becoming Deputy Chief Minister and you are asking me such questions," he objected before getting up to leave the venue.

Only after when mediapersons assured him that they would not ask any further question on the resolution, Sukhbir agreed to sit back to reply on other issues.

In fact, journalists were taken aback at his refusal to entertain queries on this crucial subject that is being touted as one of the main poll planks of the Akalis. They were expecting that the SAD chief would spell out the nuances of the matter and clear the issue once and for all.

This at a time after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal stated last week that he would make the NDA understand the importance of the resolution for Punjab.

"You see, as per the demand of the resolution, states should be given more financial powers, which is even advocated by the other states also. What is the harm in it, as every state has a right to get its due from the Centre", he added. Asked about his comments on other issues in the resolution, which was vehemently objected to by the BJP and even its prime ministerial candidate LK Advani in his book "My Country My Life" as a separatist activity, Sukhbir preferred to remain quiet.

CM trying to shift focus from Sukhbir: Cong

Rajay Deep

Tribune News Service

Sangat (Bathinda), February 1

Though Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has now been terming the row over the Anandpur Sahib Resolution a needless controversy, the Congress is in no mood to let the controversy die down.

Taking cue from the issue, Raninder Singh, general secretary of the PPCC and son of former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, said: "It is just the opportunism policy of the SAD, as whenever the Badal family takes any contentious step, Badal try to divert the attention of people raising some Panthic agenda. Now, the demand for the implementation of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution is also a trick to suppress the controversy over the elevation of his son as Deputy Chief Minister".

Raninder, who claims himself to be in the race for Congress ticket from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, was here today to address a public meeting as part of his poll campaign.

"After losing a number of leaders, including a Chief Minister, the people of Punjab now want to live in peace but the Badals are again trying to create havoc in the state," he added. At last Raninder accused the SAD leaders, particularly Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir, of having no agenda but groping in the dark to find issues against the Congress. Later, addressing a public gathering, Makhan Singh and Ajaib Singh Bhatti, MLAs, claimed Raninder to be the best of choice to give defeat the SAD in the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat.

Badal, son fuelling communal divide: CPM

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 1

The CPM, Punjab unit, today alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal were fuelling communal divide in the state to hide failures of the government.

CPM acting state secretary Charan Singh Virdi said here his party viewed the Anandpur Sahib resolution gave communal colour to secular demand for more powers to the states and provided fertile ground for secessionism.

Virdi said real issue should not be to get the resolution included in the common minimum programme of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but demand more powers to the states through people's struggle. The CPM leader said the party felt the Chief Minister owed an explanation to people of Punjab why an issue put on the back burner for many years, now had been brought out into public again. He said the state CPM felt the Centre should transfer Chandigarh to Punjab, settle the territorial claims and ensure just distribution of river waters as per the Rajiv-Longowal accord.

[Azaad]

Anandpur Sahib Resolution

Senior Badal yet to get favourable response

from BJP

KS Chawla

Ludhiana, February 1

The SAD had at a meeting organised in Anandpur Sahib adopted Anandpur Sahib resolution in 1973. At that time, the Akali Dal thought that it (SAD) could gain power in Punjab after looking a fresh at its policies, programmes and demands. Since the resolution mentions in its preamble that it will strive to create conditions and circumstances for facilitating the domination of the Khalsa, parties lie the BJP and the Congress, not only condemned it but termed it as a secessionist document also.

In fact, they described it as a document, which contained a veiled demand for the “khalisatan.” In order to negate this accusation, the Akali Dal at its all-India conference in Ludhiana in 1978 modified this resolution and demanded federal structure of the Constitution.

However, this did not satisfy the national parties, including the Janta Party with which the Akali Dal had entered into an alliance in the Central government. The matters came to a head regarding the Anandpur Sahib resolution when the Akalis launched “dharam yudh” morcha in 1982.

The Congress, which was in power in the Centre, used this resolution as a stick to beat the Akalis. This led to the rise of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale and militancy in Punjab leading to the demand for “khalistan.”

The situation became so serious that it led to the “Operation Blue Star”. However, with the signing of the Rajiv-Longowal Accord in 1985, it was agreed that the Anandpur Sahib resolution be refereed to Justice R.S.Sarkaria Commission which was working on the Centre-state relations.

The Sarkaria commission rejected this resolution and since then it was considered as a defunct matter. The present outcry of Parkash Singh Badal and his son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, regarding the resolution is out of fear that their closeness with the BJP is likely to wean away large number of Sikhs from the SAD. So they are using it as an emotional and sentimental slogan to win Sikhs’ support for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Seasoned leader like Parkash Singh Badal has not appreciated the sea change that has taken place in the political situation in Punjab between 1973 and 2009. No committee of the Akali Dal has ever considered revising this document or coming out with a fresh one. It is doubtful that the core committee of the Akali Dal ever considered it.

Parkash Singh Badal’s assertion that he will try to get the Anandpur Sahib resolution included in the common minimum programme of the NDA is yet to get a favourable response for BJP’s central leaders. Otherwise we know that LK Advani had condemned this document in his autobiography ‘My Country My Life’ wherein he has described it as a ‘secessionist’.

As for the demands contained in the Anandpur Sahib resolution, the Akali Dal chose to remain silent when the NDA was in power at the Centre and Badal was holding reins of the state government.

Not a single demand was effectively taken up with the Central government.

Meanwhile the BJP leadership of Punjab, which feels badly bitten by the Akali Dal, is preparing to oppose the Anandpur sahib resolution and would not allow the Central leadership to agree on this issue.

[Nirvair S Khalsa]

No queries on Anandpur pact please: Badal

Varinder Walia

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 2

A virtually embarrassed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged mediapersons not to ask him any question on the Anandpur Sahib resolution even as Balbir Punj, national general secretary of the BJP and in charge Punjab affairs, said his party stand on the pact remained unchanged.

While the BJP has already taken a firm stand that the resolution can't be on the alliance programme for the polls, the Congress has dubbed it "anti-national".

Immediately after being sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Badal had announced that the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, passed by the SAD in 1973, would be part of the alliance manifesto.

The Chief Minister seemed upset when a mediaperson sought his comments on the resolution at Jandiala Guru where he had gone to address an election rally. "Don't ask me such questions. The media should play a positive role instead," Badal said. Both Punj and Badal had come here in connection with the inauguration of Rs 82-crore Solid Waste Management Project, the brainchild of BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu.

[khalistan_zindabaad]

lol, they cant do anything, just pubilicity due to 84, and elections.

[Guest PunjabSingh]

Actually both badal dal and congress(punjab congress) are same .

Ask Sukhbir Badal what Anandpur Sahib Resolution is or which version would he liked implemented .He is mum.He may be doing purposely or may be he's not aware of all the sections of the resolution.In either case it shows his non seriousness for the resolution.

The other person whom many Sikhs particularly those living in foreign coutries outside Punjab consider falsely as a "Khalistani" ie Captain Amrinder Singh has in his first public speech made it clear he is not for the implementation of the Anandpur Sahib Resoution.

So both Badal and Amarinder are same.In other words attitude of both Badal dal and Congress are same so far as Sikh demands are concerned.Congress has never been a Sikh party whereas badal dal publicably declared itself as a "Punjabi" party in the Moga convention in 1996.

Still those Sikhs who are feeling that badal will get the Anandpur Sahib resolution implemented are living in a fools paradise.Prakash Badal's only aim is to get a seat at the center in a NDA govt(if it is formed) and to make his son Punjab's CM for which he can stoop to any length.

Not only this I have even read on the internet (I may be wrong...) that Master Tara Singh was in fact Nanak Chand Malhotra who was a member of some fundamenalist hindu organisation before he became Master Tara Singh of Akali Dal .

So I have concluded that Sikhs have never had any able leader who genuinely took up the Sikh demands except for Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale .Sant Bhindranwale was for implementation of the Anandpur Sahib resolution in toto .Apart from him various so called Sikh leaders have always been in the grip of sanghis,bajrangis directly or indirectly.

Nowadays also it is no secret that badal is under the influence of the sangh parivaar and can not do anything to displease them.

There is nothing wrong in the Anandpur Sahib Resolution.It is for giving more powers to Punjab state and to make India a truely federal state.Actually almost all states more less have similar demands.May be the BJP will also be in favour of more autonomy to the BJP ruled states but is still opposing the Anandpur Sahib Resolution since it involves Sikhs.

Here is the Anandpur Sahib Resolution :

http://www.sikhcoalition.org/Sikhism21.asp

Which part is wrong ?