CHANDIGARH: Punjab today urged the National Integration Council (NIC) to address the failure of the system to punish those guilty of the 1984 massacre of innocent Sikhs, asserting the greatest confidence building measure is to ensure justice in the aftermath of communal violence.
Representing Punjab in 16th NIC meeting held here under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Punjab Information & Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia today pointed out that the failure to punish those guilty of the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in the national capital and rewarding killers with high offices was not the best way to promote peace, harmony and national integration. He said that the failure of the system to deliver justice even after 30 long years has caused deep resentment and led to a dangerous alienation. He said that such issues needed to be addressed with utmost seriousness by the National Integration Council which by its very definition was the perfect forum to bring about the emotional integration of our people by assuaging their hurt sentiments.
Underlining the need to create an atmosphere in which people have faith in the sincerity, sensitivity and impartiality of the political leaders, Majithia emphasised the need of sagacious leadership and an effective police force. Besides this, the political leadership also has to rise above narrow vote bank politics and to be representative of all communities and guard against alignment with sectarian forces, he added.
Majithia also highlighted the aspect that Punjab has the proud to be one of the few states, where no communal or caste riots have taken place after the post partition trauma of 1947. He said that in the last two years hundreds of people have been killed in communal clashes and thousands injured in almost 20 States, no incident of communal violence had been recorded in Punjab.
Stressing that this atmosphere of peace and communal harmony had not come the state’s way by sheer chance, the senior Minister who was representing Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the occasion, said that only 10 days back the Punjab Police had unearthed a cross border plot to target prominent Hindu leaders of the state. “This speaks for the constant vigil being kept by us to ensure communal harmony is maintained at all costs.”
The Minister said that sincerity, sensitivity and impartiality of political leaders went a long way in building public morale and confidence. He said Punjab was a blessed State in having in Chief Minister Sardar Parkash Singh Badal, who was committed that if Punjab was to go forward all sections of society has to be taken along. “Badal Sahab’s Sangat Darshan programmes themselves are his way of staying connected with the hearts and minds of Punjabis”.
Source : Calgary Indians Correspondent.