Modi’s visit to North America : Modi as an achiever draws sharp contrast with Rahul on Sikh issues
Surrey (Canada) - Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress party and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, recently visited United States . Rahul Gandhi's foreign visits have often been the subject of controversy, as he is in a habit of making statements that are unbecoming of a responsible leader. During his recent US visit, Rahul Gandhi made a statement regarding religious freedom in India. He stated that Sikhs face discrimination in India for wearing turbans and kadas ( Iron Bracelet) . Rahul's reference was about the rights of minorities in India and he wanted to say that the interests of minorities are not protected during the tenure of the current government. A leader of opposition has to criticize the actions of the government and to present a different and a better political program to the country, but it is also the responsibility of the opposition and the leader of the opposition to maintain unity and integrity. In order to make political gains, the opposition should not make such rhetoric that is against the interests of the country, because the opposition can only oppose the government and not of the country. The leader of the opposition should understand the difference between the country and the government.
It is perfectly valid to talk about the rights of minorities because the Constitution of India gives special rights to religious minorities. We cannot say that Sikh minorities do not face any problems in India, but the fact can not be denied that the Sikh community has become one of the most prosperous and well represented community in independent India. India has a Sikh Prime Minister , President, Army General, Home Minister and many other important positions have been held by Sikhs. Sikh community has played an important role in shaping the destiny of post independence India. The Sikh community has also faced harsh times in India. The haunting memories of Delhi Sikh Massacre and the inhumane attack by the Indian Army on Sri Darbar Sahib complex have troubled every Sikh. The way the Sikh youth was murdered in the 1980s and 90s is not hidden from anyone.
Despite all these scars, the Sikh community continues to contribute to the national life of India because the Sikh community knows that there is no widespread discrimination against the Sikhs in India and in the Indian society, but what happened in the past was the result of the divisive politics of a political class. The same political class that is today led by Rahul Gandhi . Today, it is very surprising to see how the so-called separatists sitting abroad, have come in support of this statement of Rahul Gandhi.
Congress party leaders Charanjit Singh Channi and Pratap Singh Bajwa are calling the military attack on Sri Darbar Sahib wrong by holding press conferences in defense of Rahul Gandhi but they are not answering the question why there has been no apology from the Congress Part till date? Even Rahul Gandhi himself has admitted that the members of the Congress party were involved in the Sikh massacre of 1984 but still they see no point in apologizing to the Sikh world.
To exonerate Rahul Gandhi from all this, it is being argued that what was done was done by his grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi. It is a well-known fact that Rajiv Gandhi sheltered the perpetrators of the Delhi Sikh Genocide. Senior police officer Julio F. Ribeiro has revealed this fact in his book 'A Bullet for Bullet' where he writes that when he spoke to Rajiv Gandhi about the justice of the Delhi Sikh Massacre, Rajiv himself snapped at him and he was silenced.
Will the so-called repositories of the Sikh panth answer that why Kamal Nath, who played an important role in the Delhi massacre, was made Chief Minister under Rahul Gandhi's patronage? Was Rahul Gandhi reminded of the Sikh turban and Kada while promoting Kamal Nath to the post of a Chief Minister?
Are Sikh sentiments being used only to create an atmosphere against the government of the day? The Khalistani elements sitting abroad should answer to the community , why Rahul Gandi was not opposed in the manner they are planning to oppose Modi’s visist?
After coming to power, the BJP government of Prime Minister Modi has resolved many important pending issues of the Sikh community, including opening the Kartarpur Corridor, ending the blacklist of Sikhs, giving the right to vote only to the ordained Sikhs in the Shiromani Committee, removing GST from langar. He has tried to pacify Sikh hearts by building Sikh memorials, celebrating the Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji at the Red Fort and celebrating the Martyrdom Day of the Sahibzaade of Kalgidhar Patshah on a national level.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the Prakash Utsav of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was celebrated in more than 180 countries of the world wherever there are Indian embassies. Prime Minister Modi has never turned his back on the Sikh Sangat and all the demands made by the Sikh Sangat were carefully considered and implemented. For 35 years, there has been a pain in the hearts of the Sikh community that the perpetrators of the genocide of Sikhs in Delhi and other cities of India, have not been brought to justice.
The murderers were made members of parliament by giving promotions and tickets and were rewarded with ministries. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, those accused have been brought to justice. Among the accused like Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler, who were enjoying freedom after killing thousands of Sikhs, Sajjan Kumar has been sent behind bars. And charges against Jagdish Tytler have been filed in the courts. Wasn't this demand being made by the Sikh Sangat for the last 40 years?
Even after resolving the issues of the Sikhs on a large scale and respecting the sentiments of the Sikh community, Narendra Modi is being presented as anti-Sikh and Rahul Gandhi, who made Kamalnath, the killer of the Sikhs, the Chief Minister, is being called pro-Sikh.
Whenever senior Congress leaders (Members of Parliament) came to Canada, no self declared repository of religion opposed them, Khalistanis have been holding secret meetings with them. The forces creating such illusions and double standard approach in the Sikh Sangat are doing great harm to the Sikh community and the Sikh Sangat needs to be aware of these forces. The solution to the problems of Punjab and the Sikhs is not to be resolved through confrontational behavior but through dialogue. The Narendra Modi government, which has been in power for the last 10 years, has conscientiously promoted dialogue with Sikh community.
Th Sikhs of North America will warmly welcome PM Modi on his recent visit, as he personifies self confident and rising India.
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Maninder Gill, Managing Director Radio India, Surrey (Canada)
msgill@radioindialtd.com
Phone No. : 1111111111
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