CHANDIGARH: Extending their solidarity with Kashmiri people and their cause, radical sikh organization Dal Khalsa besides SAD (Amritsar), United Akali Dal and Sikh Youth of Punjab have decided to observe August 15 as Black Day.
Kanwar Pal Singh of Dal Khalsa said that they will stage protests on Independence Day against the atrocities, political subjugation and denial of rights to Sikhs in the last seven decades. Their activists will hold a two-hour demonstration at 15 district headquarters. He clarified that their boycott of August 15 shouldn’t be construed as against the people but as against the policies and discriminative attitude of Government.
He fired a salvo against Shiromani Akali Dal for supporting NDA Government to strip J&K of its special status. "Akalis have shot on their own foot by conveniently joining the BJP bandwagon to trample and snatch the rights of another minority. How can they dare to ask for autonomy to Punjab in future, which has been the core agenda of SAD since 1970’s and on whose plank they launched the morcha," he said.
He said due to increased hostilities between Indo-Pakistan in the wake of government's abrogating article 370, the Kartarpur corridor is likely to become causality.
He also questioned studied silence of likes of MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira who is a known votary of devolution of power. He said Sukhbir and Sukhpal should not be in any illusion. "Union Government is not going to devolve power as sought by Akali Dal since 1980’s. The direction, in which the current government is transforming, is towards more centralisation," he said.
Referring to PM Modi’s address in which he said article 370 and 35-A paved way to secessionism in Kashmir, Singh reminded that Modi’s one-time mentor and BJP stalwart L K Advani has dubbed the Anandpur Sahib resolution as secessionist document in his book “My country, My life”.
He slammed BJP leaders including Haryana chief minister for using derogatory words against Kashmiri women.