The Hindu : Bid to revive Khalistan movement: Gill

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Monday, Jun 09, 2003

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Bid to revive Khalistan movement: Gill

CHANDIGARH JUNE 8. Attempts were being made to revive the Khalistani movement once again in Punjab and the ISI was behind this, former Punjab Police chief K P S Gill said here today, cautioning the government to view the development seriously.

``Attempts are being made to revive the Khalistani movement and the ISI is heading that attempt. After losing 25,000 lives to militancy, people in Punjab want peace and development, but there are elements who could brainwash young, impressionable minds,'' Mr. Gill, credited with firmly putting down militancy in Punjab, said.

``Even though revival of this movement in Punjab once again appears a remote possibility, but if we are not extra cautious at this stage then may be after 4-5 years it may again raise its head,'' Mr. Gill told PTI here.

Terming the Akal Takht's decision to grant ``martyr'' status to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as an attempt to revive the Khalistani movement, Mr. Gill said the ISI was desperately trying to get all foreign Sikh groups to come under the banner of Pak Sikh Gurudwara Committee.

``I do not understand how you can call him (Bhindranwale) a martyr when he talked about only spreading of violence and hatred,'' Mr. Gill said, recalling that once he had listened to a tape recorded speech of Bhindranwale while posted in Assam and in that he only talked about violence and hatred.

Without naming anybody he took a dig at one of the pro-Khalistan protagonist (Jagjit Singh Chohan who returned to India about two years ago after spending many years in London), saying, he (Chohan) had once said that he would never involve himself in any political activity, but was now openly doing so.

Chohan had stressed on separate homeland for Sikhs on June 6 last on the occasion of the anniversary of Operation Bluestar.

``Khalistan is the basic need of Sikhs without which Sikhs cannot think of heaving a sigh of relief and dignity....,'' Chohan had said. Pointing to the role of religious bodies in fanning militancy, Mr. Gill said ``as far as the SGPC and Akal Takht are concerned, this religious issue is stirred up by the Akalis every time they are out of power''.

``When Akalis are out of power they keep doing such activities which are harmful for Punjab and for Sikhs. They (Akalis) must learn from their experiences and stop playing dangerous games, he said. -- PTI

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