Vienna Attack

[Azaad]

While Punjab will send chartered plane to Vienna to bring body of Sant Rama Nand who died following clashes in a place of worship in Vienna last week, overseas units of national and regional parties in Canada have appealed to Punjabis back home to maintain brotherhood, communal harmony and peace.

An all-party meeting for peace was hosted by Radio India where the supporters and the members of all main political parties unanimously condemned the murder of Sant Rama Nand. They demanded thorough probe into the incident besides urging the government to bring those responsible for the clashes to the book. They also demanded investigation to expose the motive behind the attack.

The gathering also deplored subsequent violence that shook parts of Punjab and Haryana and assailed the disruptive and anti-national forces disturbing peace in Punjab.

They also resolved to issue a joint declaration against systematic discrimination against the Dalits in India and elsewhere, which they felt was the root cause of present crisis. Treatment of the Dalits by the upper caste groups was one of the reasons which was alienating them from the Sikh mainstream and turned them into the followers of other sects.

Overseas Congress spokesman, Lucky Takhar said dialogue was solution and not the gun. BJP NRI cell’s leader, Vikram Bajwa said even the atheists had the right to live and practise their faith. “Nobody has right to take anyone’s life’’.

BSP leader Surinder Singh Sandhu demanded thorough probe into the murder of Sant Rama Nand. ``The real culprits should be exposed. I believe true Sikhs cannot do this’’. He pointed out the Khalistan Zindabad Force, a Sikh separatist group, had already denied its involvement in the attack while other separatist groups have also condemned it. Khushi Ram, another BSP supporter, urged Punjabi music that glorified upper castes, including Jats, and violence, should be stopped.

SAD leader, Harbans Singh Aujla wanted those who incited violence in Punjab following the Vienna incident should also be exposed.