THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY ANNUAL January, 1960

Our Delhi Letter Sikh Elections

The Gurdwara elections have given a rude shock to the Congress and to the Government. Master 's resounding victory means the revival of the agitation for a Punjabi Suba— a separate state for the in effect. The demand is couched in slightly different terms it is for a state for the Punjabi speaking people. Having agreed to the break up of the Bombay State on linguistic basis, the Congress might find it more difficult than in the past to counter this demand. More fearful is the prospect that the election results hold out of the movement faking an ugly form.

DESPITE protestations to the con­ Master Tara Singh has expected- dercerrent among its own followers trary, the results of the Gurd- ly lost no time in interpreting I his for the division of Uttar Pradesh, wata elections in Punjab which resounding victory as an endorse- on the ground that its size and popu­ were held on January 17 have come mejit of his demand for a separate lation are too unwieldy, and for the as a great shock to Congress leaders slate for Punjab for the Punjabi- creation of a greater Delhi Slate both in Punjab and in New Delhi. speaking people and the Akalis have comprising the -speaking dis­ The results can only be compared launched a movement forthwith for tricts of Punjab, western districts of with the rout of the Muslim League a Punjabi Suba from January 24. Uttar Pradesh and parts of Kaja- in Last some, years ago. The Congress has naturally been un­ sthau. The decision on the break up The Non-Akali Sikhs who were rul­ willing to accept this interpretation of Bombay State into two linguistic ing over the have been of the election results. The critics stales has provided these elements reduced to complete, insignificance. of the Punjabi Suba argue that the with the necessary ideological am­ munition. The figures speak for themselves. Gurdwara elections were fought and Of the 160 members of the Sikh won on the issue of keeping reli­ The Akali victory was not unex­ Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, gious institutions out of political in­ pected, though the wide margin by the supreme body vested with the terference and could by no means which Akalis have won has definite­ authority to manage the Sikh Gur­ be taken as an endorsement of the ly come as a surprise even to its dwaras, 140 seats are elective; fifteen demand for a Punjabi Suba which most optimistic supporters, perhaps are filled up by members co-opted was a purely political matter. to Master Tara Singh himself. The to represent the various Sikh shri­ Even assuming that a political in­ explanations offered for the igno­ nes; and the remaining five seats terpretation is warranted, doubt has minious defeat for the non-Akalis an- for ex-officio members. Out of been raised about the proportion of are various. One of them is that these 140 seats, there was a straight tlie Sikhs who supported Tara Singh. the alliance of the Sad Sangat Board contest for 108 seats between the For though the elections were fou­ with the Communist-backed Desh Shiromani , led by Master ght on adult franchise, many of Bhagat party at a lime when the Tara Singh. and the Sadh Sangat those entitled to vote were wrongly Communists were suspected on ac­ Board-Desh Bhagat Party alliance; excluded from the electoral rolls and count of their attitude to the and four seats were uncontested. some sections of the Sikh communi­ Chinese border incursions was a mis­ ty -- notably the — take, and that it antagonised some The Akalis have secured 132 seats did not participate in the elections of the secular Sikhs. This is rather including two uncontested ones at all. The number of Sikh voters difficult to believe. For the local while the Sadh Sangat Board could on the S G P C roll was 18,53,000 Congress leaders who were in the secure only four seats. The parly or about 30 per cent of the forefront in the fight against Akalis affiliation of the other two candi­ 62,00.000 Sikh population in Pun. surely would not have risked an al­ dates who have got in uncontested is jab. Of these, only 7.80,000 actual- liance with the Communists had not known; one of the uncontested ly voted for Akali' Dal. So if the they not seen some advantage in it. seats has gone to an Independent; votes in fovour of the Akali Dal There is the other view that if and the result of the election for were all votes in favour of a Pun­ Giani Kartar Singh, who had given the other seat has not yet been an­ jabi Suba, even then Master Tara up his seat in the Cabinet in order nounced. Singh's contention that the Sikh to contest the elections, had fought The Akali Dal has got 7.80,000 community was solidly behind him the elections independently of the votes out of a total valid poll of in his demand for a separate Pun­ Con press-backed Sad Sangat Board, about 11,50,000 — in other words, jabi State is not substantiated. he would have fared better. The they have secured 67.84 per cent of As things stand, however, there is association of the Sad Sangat with the votes compared with 59.3 per no doubt that this Akali victory the Congress smacked too much of cent five years ago. The votes would give a big boost to the de­ 'dirty polities'. This explanation polled by the. Sadh Sangat Board mand for a separate state for the fails to take into account the fact, total 2,61,000 or 22.57 per cent of Sikhs, and the Congress party as well that much of the resentment of the the aggregate votes as against 25.2 as the Governments would be hard Sikhs was directed against Giani per cent captured by the Dal, put to it to resist this demand. Kartar Singh himself. which was the main Opposition to The Congress uneasiness is bound The reasons for the eclipse of the the Akalis, in the earlier elections. to be accentuated by the strong un- non-Akali Sikhs have to be sought 111 January, 1960 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY ANNUAL

elsewhere. There is little doubt that Advisory Committee on Oil- of the economy and the effective­ the mass discontent against the Con­ A 15-MAN Committee has been ness of measures to curb or discour­ gress Government — and specifical­ set up to advise the Govern­ age consumption of such deficit ly against the Chief Minister ment on problems related to petro­ products. Pratap Singh Kairon and his poli­ leum products and, in particular, to Examination of ways and means cies — had brought much grist to assess the pattern of demand, sup­ to reduce or eliminate surplus in any the mill of the Akali charges of ply, distribution and consumption particular product through increase corruption and political interference in the country. Shri K D Malaviya, in consumption or exports or to in Gurdwara administration on the is the Chairman of the Committee. find means for new uses for such part of Government and Congress The terms of reference of the product (or distilate concerned.) leaders. Indeed the Punjab Gov­ Committee, among others, are: Preparation of productwise for­ ernment's last minute bunglings Preparation of forward estimates, ward estimates of refinery produc­ were in no small measure respon­ productwise and area-wise, of con­ tion and periodical review and as­ sible for the ignominious failure of sumption of various petroleum pro­ sessment of actual production. the Congress and its supporters. ducts which are to be reviewed every Punjab police arrested a number of year. Determination, first on freight leading Akalis on the eve of the Periodical determination of the basis, of the area of economic sup­ elections on dubious grounds and extent of likely deficit regarding ply for each refinery (existing and this was naturally played up by the particular products for the country future) and after assessing the rela­ Akalis to "prove" their charges as a whole as also for particular tive deficits and surpluses of each against the Government. There was areas after taking into account the product in the area which could be also much internal wrangling among likely effect of plans in other spheres linked to the refinery concerned. various factions of the Sikhs in the Congress camp, which kept immobi­ lized a number of the more active members of the party.

The defeat of the Communists is no less ignoble than that of the Con­ gress. The Communist-backed Desh Bhagat Party had put up 54 candi- dates, not one of whom has been returned by the electorate. In the previous elections, the Desh Bhagat Party and its allies had secured about 15.5 per cent of the votes polled, while this time their poll has been less than 10 per cent. Though the elections have proved to be a disappointment to the Com- munists, they can still point to one advantage which their alliances with the Sadh Sangal Board gave them, viz, much needed respite from being condemned by Congressmen on the Chinese issue. The sweeping victory of the Aka­ lis has brought to light how deep is the estrangement of the Sikhs from the Congress. Master Tar a Singh has already expressed his sympa­ thies for the Swatantra Party for its stand against the Congress; and he is soon going to meet Rajaji. Mean­ while the agitation for "the Punjabi Suba is being revived in a big way. Though Master Tara Singh has ask­ ed his followers to pursue their goal in a peaceful manner, it is ex­ tremely doubtful if a movement of this type can remain peaceful for long, if it drags on indefinitely. Even the leaders may not be able to con­ trol the actions of their followers in such a situation. Difficult times are ahead, not only for the Congress, but also for the Sikhs and the peo­ ple of Punjab. 112