Ironic that photos of both Sant Longowal who committed to complete SYL canal and Jattana who stopped it are now in same Golden Temple museum

 

Ironically, photos of both Sant Longowal and Jattana in same Golden Temple museum

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

The Sikh religio-political domain at times throws up sharp contradictions.

Here is the latest one.

This paradox has come up with the installation of portrait of Babbar Khalsa activist Balwinder Singh Jattana in the Central Sikh Museum in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex at Amritsar.

The contradiction is that the same very Central Sikh Museum exhibits also include the portrait of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal.

Jattana has joined the gallery of heroes whose pictures have been displayed in this museum for his action of stopping the construction of the Satluj Yamuna Link Canal, the channel that was designed to what is called Haryana’s share in Punjab river waters from the surplus Ravi and Beas rivers.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Haryana area is the major region that is irrigated by the Bhakra Canal system that takes off from Nangal hydel dam in Punjab. The upstream Bhakra dam is in Himachal Pradesh.

Jattana and his associates had gunned down SYL project chief engineer M. L. Sikri and superintending engineer Avtar Singh Aulakh in the office on Madhya Marg in Chandigarh. Aulakh happened to be in the room of the chief engineer at the time of attack.

Not a brick has been added to this canal since this action on July 23, 1990. The construction was almost 90 per cent complete around that time.

The role of Sant Longowal was in this project was diametrically opposite as he had made the commitment for its very completion exactly five years ago.

The completion of this canal was part of the settlement signed between Sant Longowal and prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on July 24, 1985 that is known as the Punjab Accord and was subsequently consigned to the dustbin of history.

Article 9(3) of the Punjab Accord states: “The construction of the SYL Canal shall continue. The canal shall be completed by August 13, 1986-87.”

Sant Longowal was gunned down within days on August 20, 1985 after signing the Accord on July 24, 1985. He was accompanids by Akali leaders Surjit Singh Barnala and Balwant Singh. Both Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gurcharan Singh Tohra and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal did not go to Delhi with him, though for different reasons. Tohra was against entering into any unconditional settlement with the Centre  as the minimum condition that he pressed for was release of Jodhpur detainees who had been arrested from the Golden Temple complex during Operation Bluestar.

Badal did not attend death anniversary function of Longowal for about nine years that is organised at Longowal village.

The project had been initiated after prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1976 announced her award allocating share to Punjab and Haryana from surplus Ravi and Beas waters under Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966.

 Section 78(1) of this Act states: “78. Rights and liabilities in regard to Bhakra-Nangal and Beas Projects.

(1)   Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act but subject to the provisions of sections 79 and 80, all rights and liabilities of the existing State of Punjab in relation to Bhakra- Nangal Project and Beas Project shall, on the appointed day, be the rights and liabilities of the successor States in such proportion as may be fixed, and subject to such adjustments as may be made, by agreement entered into by the said States after consultation with the Central Government or, if no such agreement is entered into within two years of the appointed day, as the Central Government may by order determine having regard to the purposes of the Projects: Provided that the order so made by the Central Government may be varied by any subsequent agreement entered into by the successor States after consultation with the Central Government.”

This contradiction is specific in the context of the SYL Canal project as Jattana has been honoured for stopping the construction of this canal. Here is another contradiction. The first notification for the acquisition of the land for this canal was issued by Punjab government in February 1978 when the chief minister was Parkash Singh Badal.

And yet here is another contradiction.

The family of Balwainder Singh Jattana in Ropar district was wiped out within hours of attack on then Chandigarh senior superintendent of police Sumedh Singh Saini in 1991. He was a Punjab cadre officer on deputation with Chandigarh administration at that time. The attack on the family was carried out the group of Nihangs headed by Ajit Singh Poohla who was patronised Saini. Saini was targeted by Khalistan Liberation Force and not the Babbar Khalsa to which Jattana belonged.

Saini was elevated to the post of director general of police and headed the Punjab Police under the Badal government during the 2012-17 term. He was the DGP at the time of the Bargari sacrilege and Behbal firing on Sikh protesters.

It is pertinent to mention here that the decision to install photos in the Central Sikh Museum is taken by the SGPC. The SGPC is presently, as usual over the years, is under the control of the Shiromani Akali Dal presently headed by Sukhbir Singh Badal who had succeeded his father Parkash Singh Badal.