----------THE-----------------GAZETTE-------Vol 2 No. 21
New Delhi
5
November-19
November 1987
Fortnightly,
Rupees Two
After the S.G.P.C. Elections
Dilemma for the Centre and the Akalis K.S.Khosla
oth the Government of India and the Akali leaders in their game of manipulative politics have landed themselves in a mess from which they find it difficult to extricate themselves. The government did well in not allowing the militants to hold a 'sarbat khalsa' at the Golden Temple on Diwali dayas no ¡government worth its name can allow secessionist activity at any place-but the losses are more than the gains. T.his is not to suggest that 'sarbat khalsa' should have been allowed as that would have led to more losses. What one is concerned here with is the end result, whether one likes it or not. The Panthic Committee, or for that matter the Khalistanis,
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have on the rebound given notice to the Akali leaders from Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala to Mr. Parkash Badal that they are irrelevant. They have also refused to recognise the
have gone a step further by excommunicating Mr. Parkash Badal and Mr. Gurcharan Singh T ohra from the panth and removing the acting jathedar of the Akal Takht, Prof. Darshan
Whether the Centre likes it or not, the ball is now in its court and it will have to handle the "baby." Obviously, it cannot declare both the meetings valid as there cannot be two presidents of a body. If it declares election of one group valid, the other group can challenge it and the Centre again will have to appoint an inquiry committee under Article 147 to investigate the conduct of elections. Shromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committe, the religious body of the Sikhs elected under the Sikh Gurdra Act of 1925 to manage Sikh shrines. They
Singh Ragi , from the post and appointing in his place Mr. Gurbachan Singh Manochahal , who carries a reward of Rs . one lakh for his arrest. In other
words, the militants have challenged all the three important institutions of the Sikhs, the Akal Takht , the SGPC and the Akali Dal (both factions) .
The Confusion ut before taking up the confusion prevailing among the Akali leaders, it is important to study the tricky situation in which the government has landed itself. There is no gainsaying that the Centre encouraged the Longowal group led by Mr. Barnala to contest the election of the executive committee of SGPC at Anandpur Sahib on October 16. What happened on Diwali day is partly a reaction to the events at Anandput Sahib. One fails to understand how
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could Mr. Barnala win the gurdwara elections out of power when he could not win them in power. There are several newspaper reports to the effect that he was encouraged by the powers"that be to challenge the United Akali Dal and capture the SGPC management, if possible. Mr. Barnala was even assured full police protection in attending the election meeting, though he later complained bitterly that he was badly let down by the police as his men were assaulted and prevented from attending the election meeting called by the acting president of SGPC. Mr. harinder Singh . The Barnala group held a parallel meeting and elected Mr. Harcharan Singh Hudiara as SGPC president. The UAD group elected Mr. Tohra as the president for the 15th consecutive time . The government's "manoeuvering" from behind the scenes has boomeranged. Two sets of office-bearers of the executive committee to manage
Plans to Shelve Delhi Polls (by special Correspondent)
he elections to Delhi Metropolitan Conncil and the Muncipul Corporation of Delhi are due in the Beginning of the next year. But in view of its recent performances elsewhere and in the situation in which it finds itself the Congress (I) apprehends that it might not do well in the elections. As it does not want to loose its control over the capital efforts are on to shelve them . As the five-year of the metropolitan term council cannot be extended and the four-year term of the municipal corporation has already been extended by the maximum period allowed-one year, a move is said to be on to move an amendment to the Delhi AdministFation Act 1966, in the forth coming Parliament session, Converting the present metropolitan Council into an
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In This Issue Page
o The Great Delhi Killing 3 o A Lot of Liars 5 o Nanakism 6 o Solidarity 6 o Story: Camaflouge 10 o Religion in Politics 13 o Politics and Pathology of Satl
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" interim-mayor in council " .
Mayor in Council he bill would also include provisions to relegate the powers of the chairman , metropolitan council , to the mayor and abolish the posts of chief executive councillor and executive councillor, observers say. The interim-mayor-in-council is expected to carryon till the general elections and the two civic bodies whose term will expire in February next year will be dissolved . What has given currency to the possibility of the capital geÂŤlng a new setup replace the council and the civic body Is the facl that there nas recently been a meeting of a high level committee comprising Central Ministers which was set up soon after the last parliamentary elections to go Into the question whether Deihl should be given a new Mtup. It was the committee's first meeting.
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There has also been much criticism of what is described as multiplicity of authorities in the capital affecting the pace of -jevelopment. Even different authorities which are functioning Simultaneously have been blaming one another for the failures. What is Continued on page 4
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Continued on page 4