ARCHIVED FORUM: Gurdwara Tapoban Sahib
Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : Kulbir Singh
Date: 7/13/2004 6:54 pm
I am amazed at such an audacious step by Amrinder Singh who yesterday pulled out of all water related agreements with Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. No Punjabi leader has done what Amrinder Singh has done. We had "Panthik" sarkaar under Badal for 5 years but still they did nothing to save the flow of water to these states. What Captain Sahib has done is unprecedented. If Congress had taken this step 30 years ago, Punjab may have been saved of all the bloodshed it endured.
What i found most remarkable is that Amrinder Singh even stood up the the Congress high command in Delhi and has so far refused to step back. Let us see what happens. I hope he does not lose his post for this. May Guru Sahib help him to safeguard the interests of the Sikh farmers in Punjab.
Also, I am really embarrassed that this very beneficial step for Punjab has come from a Congress Chief Minister. I wish it had come from an Akali Chief Minister. Alas!
Daas,
Kulbir Singh
Amarinder meets Prime Minister; says no going back
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 13
While the Centre is yet to take a final view on the Bill passed by the Punjab Assembly terminating its water accords with neighbouring states, a preliminary perusal suggests the move may be legally untenable. It is likely that it could be struck down by the Supreme Court, highly placed government sources said today.
While the legal ramifications of this move are being scrutinised, a damage-control exercise was initiated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who held separate meetings with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Haryana Chief Minister O.P. Chautala tonight to find an amicable solution to this inter-state water dispute. He will meet the chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan tomorrow.
Government officials denied Capt Amarinder Singh had consulted the Centre before taking this measure. On the other hand, the Prime Minister's aides maintained that Capt Amarinder Singh had pitched the Centre into a "grave constitutional crisis". In order to deal with it, Dr Manmohan Singh held a series of consultations throughout the day. He had a lengthy talk with Opposition leaders L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh, who assured him full cooperation in resolving this issue. Congress President Sonia Gandhi also called on the Prime Minister to discuss the political ramifications of this move.
After his meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Chautala said he had warned him of "anarchy in the country" if the Centre failed to take appropriate steps. The Punjab Chief Minister maintained he was legally and constitutionally within his rights to protect the interests of his state. There was no official word on these meetings.
Emerging from the meeting, Capt Amarinder Singh told presspersons that he had been advised by legal experts that there was no bar on the state legislature from enacting this law, adding that if some people were not happy with this decision, they were free to go to court.
"We have every right to protect our interests," he stated, adding this move was not tantamount to contempt of court as was being suggested. "If it is unconstitutional, it will be struck down by the Supreme Court," he maintained. He also kept the door open for legal intervention when he said the "final decision is a judicial review."
Stating that there was no going back on this move, Capt Amarinder Singh explained that the legislation only applied to the future and that it had protected the current usage of water by the neighbouring states.
Mr Chautala, on the other hand, said he told the Prime Minister that the Centre should ensure that the Supreme Court verdict on the SYL canal was implemented and that justice was done to all states. He said he also mentioned that if not rectified, this move could result in anarchy in the country as each state would then be free to take similar unilateral decisions. Dr Manmohan Singh, he said, had assured him that full justice would done to Haryana. If there was a problem in resolving this issue, the Haryana Government would approach the courts, he added.
The Congress-led UPA government is clearly in a bind on this issue. It cannot let down its own Chief Minister in Punjab who could be faced with a volatile situation if the state's interests are overlooked. At the same time, it cannot ignore Haryana, which is headed for an assembly election early next year. The Congress is on a comeback trail in this state and it cannot allow Mr Chautala to draw political mileage from this highly emotive issue.
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : Kulbir Singh
Date: 7/13/2004 6:59 pm
Taking lead from Captain Amrinder Singh, it seems like Sardar Badal too is being forced to take a stand against the federal BJP leaders in order to protect the rights of Punjab.
I have just remembered famous lines of poet Shah Mohammad:
JANG HIND PUNJAB DA HON LAGGA, ....... FAUJAAN BHAARIYAAN NEY||
(The battle between Punjab and Hindustan has started. Armies on both side are heavily armed and are strong)
Badal warns NDA partners on river waters issue
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 13
Obviously upset over the stand taken by certain top leaders of the BJP and the NDA at the national level against the legislation passed yesterday by the Punjab Assembly to annul various river water-related agreements, the SAD leader, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today said, “ for SAD nothing comes above the interests of the state. We have always made supreme personal and political sacrifices for the rights and interests of the people of Punjab. Nothing can alter that situation, now or in future.”
In a way, Mr Badal has given clear warning that if any NDA partner tried to harm the interest of Punjab on the issue of river waters, SAD would be prepared to say goodbye to such a partner.
It may be mentioned here that former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, and certain other senior leaders of the BJP today stated in Delhi that Punjab should be asked to restore pre-legislation position with regard to the river waters. In fact a BJP spokesman in Delhi criticised the abrogating of the agreements by Punjab.
Interestingly, the BJP in the Punjab Assembly yesterday fully supported the annulling of agreements.
Referring to reports of commotion on the Act in Parliament today, Mr Badal expressed surprise that Parliament had chosen to take up an issue which did not fall under its purview since only the state Assembly could legislate on state subjects. Mr Badal said that Termination of Agreements Act was in fact only a re-iteration of the stand taken by Punjab in the Supreme Court in the case filed by him as Chief Minister in the late 70s. The case was later withdrawn by Mr Darbara Singh, who succeeded Mr Badal as CM.
Mr Badal today strongly defended the constitutional legitimacy of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to legislate on the issue of inter-state river water agreements. In other words, Mr Badal has backed to the hilt stand taken by Capt Amarinder Singh on river waters issue.
“Punjab had a total moral, legal and constitutional authority to pass the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004. River waters are a state subject and Punjab Assembly had an absolute, indivisible and inviolable right to legislate on this subject”, said Mr Badal in a statement.
Continuing, he said “ for legislation onstage subjects, the ultimate sovereignty rests with the state legislature. The fact of the matter is that this Act, passed after due deliberation, sets the constitutional position on the issue in perspective, since all the agreements, decisions and awards on Punjab’s river waters in the past had been imposed on an unwilling people of the state by the then Congress governments at the Centre and in Punjab in defiance of the basic provisions of the Statute”.
“The constitutional position was that no such agreements could be held as valid in the eyes of law as they infringed on the constitutional rights of the riparian states,” said Mr Badal.
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : Singh
Date: 7/13/2004 7:18 pm
Bhai Kulbir Singh, I am born and raised in Canada and only have a vague understanding of Punjab-India politics. It seems you have a good understanding due to the fact that you were born in India. I was wondering if you could please give me and the cyber sangat a synopsis, or history of Punjab's problems with India. Please go as far back as you feel is needed for our understanding. I know the history up to Maharaja Ranjit Singh's raj but am unsure of what happened after because it brings me much sadness to learn about our history after the British took over and therefore have not made any real efforts to learn.
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : Kulbir Singh
Date: 7/14/2004 11:44 am
Captain Amrinder Singh has earned my respect by pulling the plug on all water related agreements with Haryana, Himachal and Rajasthan.
Daas,
Kulbir Singh
Left high and dry by Captain, PM tries to plug the breach
SYL: PM pulls up Amarinder and calls CMs; BJP promises to back Centre
NEERJA CHOWDHURY & KOTA NEELIMA
Posted online: Wednesday, July 14, 2004 at 0215 hours IST
NEW DELHI, JULY 13: With the Congress government in Punjab enacting a law yesterday to get around the Supreme Court order on the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal case, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is grappling with what appears to be his first major crisis in office.
Congress sources said that both party president Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh were ‘‘furious’’ with Punjab CM Amarinder Singh. It’s learnt that the PM phoned Amarinder and pulled him up in Sonia’s presence for keeping them ‘‘in the dark’’ on the state’s move.
Summoned to Delhi, Amarinder met the PM in the evening. Earlier, Manmohan Singh, in a bid to placate other affected states, invited their chief ministers for talks. While the CMs of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are expected here tomorrow, Haryana’s Om Prakash Chautala met the PM this evening and later told reporters: ‘‘I told the PM (to) follow the Supreme Court verdict on the matter.’’
‘‘I also told him that if the situation being created in Punjab is not checked in time, it can lead to anarchy in the country. The PM assured that he will do justice to everyone... if there are problems in implementation of the verdict, we will move the SC,’’ Chautala said.
But Amarinder put up a brave face: ‘‘Why should I be reprimanded? The Congress president does not interfere in inter-state issues. We sort them out at our level. She is not only our leader but also of the party in Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.’’
‘‘The Punjab government has notified the law and our stand is very clear. We have the right to protect our interests. Water usage of the other states is protected. We have nothing against the people of other states. In fact, when Rajasthan was in trouble, I sent them water.
‘‘We have the highest regard for the judiciary... we have been legally advised that we can (scrap previous pacts). This is not contempt of court. We have taken the step after considering every legal and constitutional provision,’’ he said.
There were also reports over the weekend that the Punjab CM had consulted former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee about the legal viability of the Bill. Sorabjee told The Indian Express: ‘‘He (the CM) held one conference with me three days ago. I gave him my advice. It was upto him to accept it or reject it.’’
Earlier this morning, Sonia, Manmohan, Law Minister HR Bhardwaj and Water Resources Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi met to undertake a damage control exercise and finalise what the PM should say in Parliament to quieten an agitated Opposition which forced adjournment of the House.
The situation was particularly difficult for the PM. It showed that either he did not know about what was going on in Punjab, a Congress-ruled state — and this indicated the failure of his party in Punjab, of the AICC general secretary in charge of the state, Water Resources Ministry which should have monitored what was going on— or it gave the impression that he was going along with what the Punjab CM did. It provoked BJP’s Sushma Swaraj to ask whether the PM was ‘‘sleeping.’’ Promising Parlliament that he would try and find an amicable solution to the tangle, the PM said he had called the CMs of the states concerned to find a way out.
The Akali Dal and the Chautala’s INLD may want to make use of the issue to put the Congress in the dock, though BJP leader Jaswant Singh made a conciliatory gesture in the Rajya Sabha today, saying that his party would cooperate with the government since it was a ‘‘sensitive’’ issue of ‘‘core national importance’’.
Leader of the Opposition LK Advani and Jaswant Singh called on the PM in the morning, lending their support to him in the effort to find a way out.
But they know that once an Act has been passed by a sovereign House and the law notified, restoring status quo ante is not easy. And for the moment, the Centre cannot act on the Supreme Court’s directive to it to construct the SYL Canal.
Congress MP Ashwini Kumar admitted that ‘‘while the Congress remains committed to maintaining the sanctity of the Constitution, and the party is duty bound to help the farmers of Punjab, there could be a serious challenge to the constitutionality of the measure.’’
Even as Amarinder Singh was going through the motions of getting the bill passed in the state assembly yesterday, he had reportedly sent letters to the Punjab MPs seeking their support for his move.
Even at that stage, several leaders are believed to have cautioned him about the constitutional viability and the political advisability of the step he was taking.
The Punjab move could open a Pandora’s box with other states declaring that they too would follow the Punjab example.
It could undo various accords and raise the question of the powers of judicial review being usurped by the legislature.
But the Captain too may have pre-empted any move there may have been to send him packing following the rout of the party in Punjab in the Lok Sabha and the SGPC elections. If the party high command sacks him now, he would be seen as someone who was punished for an act which is ‘‘pro-Punjab.’’
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : well
Date: 7/14/2004 12:08 pm
Author: Singh
Date: 07-13-04 19:18
Bhai Kulbir Singh, I am born and raised in Canada and only have a vague understanding of Punjab-India politics. It seems you have a good understanding due to the fact that you were born in India. I was wondering if you could please give me and the cyber sangat a synopsis, or history of Punjab's problems with India. Please go as far back as you feel is needed for our understanding. I know the history up to Maharaja Ranjit Singh's raj but am unsure of what happened after because it brings me much sadness to learn about our history after the British took over and therefore have not made any real efforts to learn.
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : Deep Singh
Date: 7/14/2004 12:25 pm
Singh Ji,
The issue is about Punjab not given it's river waters to other states, as it needs the water itself. Some weeks ago the Supreme Court in India ordered Punjab Govr. to make way for this and allow the water flow. But a mojority in Punjab Assembly (Punjab Vidhan Sabha), mainly Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress, have agreed upon this matter and said that they will not send any water to other states. They have nullified a treaty signed by Indira Gandhi in 1981 (and the Rajiv-Longowal accord later on) that said that Punjab was bound to send it's waters to four other states.
More indepth story, perhaps Bhai Sahib Kulbir Singh Ji should share with the Sangatan.
Bhai Kulbir Singh Ji,
My thoughts are that Captain is perhaps doing so, because he knows that SAD is in a up-mood in Punjab right now (they won Lok Sabha and SGPC elections) and if Captain Sarkar goes against the Will of Punjabi farmers in this situation; they might lose everything. Secondly, SAD will NEVER stop blaiming Captain, he had done that....so even more problems for Congress in Punjab. So, therefore i feel, the reason why Captain has agreed with SAD now is only to save Congress in Punjab, and get a good stamp among the Punjabi farmers.
Bhul Chuk Maaf.
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : Kulbir Singh
Date: 7/14/2004 3:56 pm
A worth reading news.
Veer Deep Singh jeeo, I realise that Amrinder Singh had other motives to do what he did. Nevertheless, this step is still a very positive step for Punjab.
I really hope the Punjabi farmers stop growing rice (jhona). This crop is draining Punjab of water. The problem is that this 3 month crop is more profitable than other crops like wheat etc. On the downside, it requires too much water.
Daas,
Kulbir Singh
“What do you think...,” PM pulls up Capt
Amarinder seeks appointment with Sonia
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 14
A day after he was reprimanded by an angry Prime Minister, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today spent the whole day in the Capital explaining his compulsions for passing the Bill terminating the water sharing accords with neighbouring states.
Besides Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi is also learnt to be furious with Mr Amarinder Singh for having taken this unilateral step and unnecessarily creating a problem for the Central Government.
Their anger stems from the fact that the Chief Minister did not bother to consult the Centre or the party president before taking such a far-reaching decision. Mrs Gandhi, it is learnt, is particularly upset as the water sharing agreement was part of the historic Rajiv-Longowal accord and Mr Amarinder Singh’s move nullifies that very agreement.
Describing it as “complete defiance” on the part of the Chief Minister, Congress insiders disclosed that Mr Amarinder Singh did not even respond to their telephone calls when they wanted clarifications after they learnt of the special Assembly session.
Capt Amarinder Singh has sought a meeting with Mrs Gandhi to explain his position but he is yet to be given an appointment. Meanwhile, AICC General Secretary Ambika Soni, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhbans Bhinder and Lok Sabha member Preneet Kaur did meet Mrs Gandhi yesterday to brief her on this issue.
Although he does not loose his temper easily, Dr. Singh is learnt to have pulled up the Punjab Chief Minister in no uncertain terms at yesterday’s meeting.
“What do you think... whatever your logic for taking this step, I am not going to endorse it,” a fuming Prime Minister is reported to have told Capt Amarinder Singh. He also upbraided him for the fact that he kept him and the Congress President in the dark on this issue. “Are we running a country or what ... We will not allow the mockery of the Constitution,” he reportedly added.
On his part, the Punjab Chief Minister admitted he had not consulted the Congress President or the Prime Minister before going ahead with the proposed legislation as he did not wish to embarrass them. “Why involve them in an inter-state dispute,” he added.
He said he had told the PM that he took this decision to protect the interests of the state and after consulting legal experts, including former Attorney-General Soli Sorabjee.” I explained my position to the PM...I told him that I had done what I had to do from the state perspective. The PM will have to decide keeping in view the national perspective,” Capt Amarinder Singh added. He said they will continue to fight for their interests even if it is struck down by the Supreme Court.
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : punjabi farmer
Date: 7/14/2004 3:57 pm
Deep singh ji what makes you think that capt had to agree to SAD.
It was not SAD's idea
And about SAD its not Shiromani Akali Dal....its just sad Badal dal. badals sychophants his sons nephews and his son-in-law.......its just sad and to top it surinder kaur his wife.
Badal was CM for 5 years with full majority.......if he wanted he could have done something .....no he wouldndt...
becos the badal the weakest pussy cat punjab has ever seen was hiding behind haryana police body guards in the years after 84. these body guards were provided by his freind who is the harayana CM......i dont know why they call themselves panthic
why do they make their farms in haryana becuase if government changes in punjabi they will have a sanctuary to run to and it will be difficult investigatin in other state.
why does this family have business in industrial towns of haryana why not invest theri monies in punjab so that punjab can benefit.......
badal = abdali and they sound similar too
during the five years they have plundered punjab
tell me one good they have done for punjab
they have even not spared their own party workers.......they have taken land forcibly by arm twisting....and this is personal expereince of people known to me who worked theri lifes (40years) for chardikala of akali dal and the sad thing just gobblled them up and their livelyhood
badal (so called panthic leader) goes to hindu jagratas
ashutosh raises head in so-called panthic rule and singhs have to have bullets in panthic rule
rss has free run of punjab in panthic rule
thsi badal or any member of that family cannot talk on sikhi topic on the accasions they speak for more than 15 minutes and i have heard and seen them talk crap at the jor melas at various historic events
if badal is panthic then it is okay to live in sgpc accomodation and have chicken and scotch. thats what he did when in last SGPC elections he was giving giving out tickets for SGPC members in fatehgarh sahib.
One doesnt feel like crying and one doesnt feel like killing this evil because one just feels numb by what this clan has done.
Atleast Amrinder Singh is a lot better though many people pull his legs even in his own party just for their own kursi....
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : taggey
Date: 7/14/2004 4:19 pm
Its funny how 20 years ago during the dharam yudh morcha this was one of the issues sant bhindrawale was fighting for. The farmers of punjab have access to its own waters and electricty and not to send it to other states.
So many singhs sacrificed there lives for the morcha and we all know what happened in 1984. 20 years ago we had a congress govt and we have one now. Dont be fooled by manmohan singh as a sikh will help us. He is just the monkey the organ grinder is someone else who is pulling his strings, remember in 1984 Giani Zail singh was the president and buta was home minister. The state of punjab is such that the youth are turning there back on there religion and faith. Nirankari Saka in 1978 and The holocaust in 1984 brought people back into there faith. People of Punjab will need to wake up because they will have another morcha on there hands
Maybe this is what is needed to put the spirit of the khalsa back into punjab
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : Deep Singh
Date: 7/15/2004 5:39 am
Punjabi farmer Ji,
Sorry if i was not clear enough. Punjabi farmers getting their rights and water, has always been an issue atleast in the post-1947 Punjab. The reason why i said that Captain had to agree with SAD on this one is: because SAD also (atleast in their party's plans) says that Punjabi water should be within Punjab. Congress has through out the past 50 years had other thoughts. So my understanding is that Congress has now agreed with SAD.
BUT offcourse it was the Dharam Yudh Morcha (Sant Bhindranwale etc), alongwith the Akali Dal (in 80s) who first made solid demands for this, as found in the Anandpur Sahib resolution from 1981. There are lots of Panthic orgs in Punjab, but no one bothers to listen what they have to say (their polling results shows that)
Atleast it should be remembered that the Rajiv-Longowal accord is nullified WITH SAD and Congress. And the water-demand of Anandpur Sahib resol. is perhaps finally here.
No doubt Badal is no better than Abdali, but in politics, strange things are said to happen. As i said in my previous post, it is the will of Punjabi farmers that has forced both groups. The continious agitations and Dharnas held...etc. by Kisan unions. they make up a grand total in the punjab elections, and no group has any benifit in not listening to their demands.
Congress used to be a 'city-vote' party, now after loosing the LS and SGPC elections, they have realized their fault. atleast in punjab. but captain is going to be butchered in the center now. let us wait and see.
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : Jarnail Singh Arshi Gyani
Date: 7/15/2004 6:01 am
Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki fateh.
Its NOT FUNNY at all..... thats why the Indira Gandhi GOI panicked and attacked the Harimandir.
The next step in the Dharam Yudh morcha was an EFFECTIVE BLOCKADE from PUNJAB blocking all exports of water, grain electricity etc.....
and this was NOT FUNNY at all but really serious stuff for indira.... she decided to follow nehrus teachings and teach the sikhs a lesson they would never forget >>> and thats what we SHOULD DO...... NEVER FORGET.
dass Jarnail Singh.
Re: Bold step by Capt Amrinder Singh
Posted by : Jarnail Singh Arshi Gyani
Date: 7/15/2004 6:54 pm
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki fateh.
In 1968 when the Indiara Congress bought over Lachman Singh Gill to overthrow the Akal Govt of Justice Gurnam Singh...and Lachman singh knew the Congress "support" was only temporary, he passed the PunjabI language Bill to implement overnight PUNJABI as the Official Language of PUNJAB ( leave aside for a moment that this was why Sikhs fought so hard for Punjabi Suba in the first place...)...As expected the Congress pulled the plug on Gill soon after..... HIS PUNJABI BILL is lying as dead as a dodo in the Punjab Legislative Assembly Archives....
I smell the same rat in Captain's manouvere on Punjab Waters....He knows Sonia Gandhi is going to get rid of him sooner than later.... so why not put in a PANGGA and get some glory like Gill did in 1968.... I seriously DOUBT anything positive is going to come out of this....there is NO POLITICAL WILL on the Indian Landscape for JUSTICE for Punjab....whether it is BJP/Congress/Supreme Court.....whatever..... DELHI is at Permanent LOGGERHEADS with PUNJAB. Things will only improve if there is a MASSIVE SHIFT in Delhi.....and that may be a pipe dream...
dass jarnail Singh
