THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY June 13, 1964 Letter from Punjab Kairon and the Sikhs CONSISTENCY has never been a All this is not purely conjectural, to defeat the Sant group. strong trait of Indian politicians, and a very close follower of the Chief The fateful meeting, referred to except in the sense that while a mar­ Minister's patiently explained the 'phi­ above, took place in Amritsar on June riage of convenience lasts, they seek losophy' underlying his mentor's latest 1, and produced a crop of legal com­ to give an impression of conjugal har­ move. The Chief Minister was, in fact, plications. Firstly, the Sikh Gurdwara mony. But what is strange about the trying to kill so many birds with one Judicial Commission, which Sant sup­ present alliance between Sardar Pra- stone, But so open and bitter has been porters say is dominated by Kairon in tap Singh Kairon and his erstwhile their mutual dislike for each other that his capacity as Chief Minister, dis­ bete noire, Master Tara Singh, is not the alliance has upset many a stomach. qualified four pro-Sant members of the that the two have come together, but However, both Kairon and Tara Singh S G P C and ordered them not to at­ that the latter persists" in speaking ill, play the game of politics in the spirit tend the meeting or vote on the mo­ though in mellowed terms, of the in which it should be played and leave tion of no-confidence against the Pre­ Chief Minister. Said he on June 7, the squeamish to suffer qualms of con­ sident, Sant Chanan Singh. In retalia­ "Mr Kairon himself is corrupt, but science. tion, the Sant-dominated Executive of after all he is human". The qualifying Divine Mission the S G P C disqualified four pro-Tara clause is interesting. But what has Singh members as they had failed to Whatever Kairon's real motives in brought Kairon so near to Tara attend three consecutive meetings. The trying to prop up Master Tara Singh, Singh's heart is the former's determi­ Judicial Commission reversed this he claims at the moment that he is nation not to condone "all the vices order. The Punjab High Court directed acting from an irresistible urge to rid that are going on in the S G P C". the Commission to stay its orders the Gurdwaras of opium smugglers against the pro-Sant members of the Sardar Partap Singh, on his part, and other bad characters for whom S G P C for 15 days. This stay order seems to have been prompted to back the places of worship had become veri­ had not been probably received by up the Master vis-a-vis Sant Fateh table sanctuaries. Reports appeared in the Committee office by the time its Singh by a number of considerations. the Press some time ago that the Chief meeting was held. All the same, the Firstly, the Sant has been growing too Minister saw the Tenth Sikh Guru in four members in question were allow­ strong, particularly in the countryside, a dream early one morning and was ed to attend, but the other four, known for Kairon to feel very happy about it. exhorted by Him to cleanse the Gurd- for their pro-Tara Singh views were He would be anxious therefore to cut wara management. I have no reason kept out of the meeting. The Deputy the Sant 'to size' if it were in his to disbelieve the story but it is not Commissioner of Amritsar was present power to do so. Secondly, Tara Singh very clear whether the Guru specifical­ as an official observer. has become something of a non-entity ly ordered Kairon to select Master in Punjab politics, and has lost his Tara Singh for the purpose or gave But, before the motion could be dis­ nuisance value, which Kairon would him sufficient discretion to do what cussed, the pro-Tara Singh group mov­ like him to retain to ensure his own he pleased. Be that as it may, Kairon ed for the admission of its own mem­ indispensability. Thirdly, by enticing seems to have made up his own mind bers and the eviction of the other Tara Singh to accept aid from him, he in the matter and has chosen Tara : four. On the President's refusal to do could show to the people that the Singh for the noble job of restoring so, it declared the meeting as illegal Master was utterly lacking in political the Gurdwaras to their glory. and walked out: of the hall, and held morality. This should carry some Barely two years ago, having select- a meeting outside. So, on the one weight, as the Master had all along hand, 88 members staying inside the been condemning him of corruption ed the Sant to perform this holy task, Kairon had directed his supporters to hall 'unanimously' rejected the no- and was one of the prominent signa­ confidence motion and, on the other tories to the Memorandum presented back him. The two Akali rivals were almost evenly balanced in the S G P C hand, another 78 members outside to the President, on the basis of which passed the same motion 'unanimously'. the Das Commission was set up. For and Kairon's five or so supporters prov­ ed crucial in tilting the balance in The Deputy Commissioner remained Tara Singh to come to terms with inside the hall and certified the results Kairon, even before the result of the favour of the Sant. This support was given in the last year's no-confidence of the vote, though with the observa­ Das enquiry was out, would be quite tion, in writing, that some orders of damaging. But Tara Singh, obsessed motion also, and had caused Master Tara Singh to protest against govern­ the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Corrimis- with the growing stature of the Sant ment interference in Gurdwara affairs. sion had not been complied with by in Sikh politics, would find it impos­ Of course, the roles are now reversed the President. sible to resist Kairon's offer of sup­ and the Sant is protesting against the Besides, the 78, who 'unanimously' port. And, finally, the latter would same thing. Kairon has denied all passed the no-confidence motion, also like the Master and the Sant to be knowledge of such interference and in­ set up a 'genuine' S G P C and elected more or less evenly matched. Only sists that he is interested only in puri­ their own President, Sardar Kirpal then could his followers in the S G P fying Gurdwara administration. How­ Singh Sherewala. It will be recalled C, numerically too few, play a signifi­ ever, 23 anti-Sant members of the that on being expelled from the Akali cant role in the politics of that body. S G P C met in the Chief Minister's Dal by Tara Singh, the Sant also had For this purpose, it would, therefore, official residence in Chandigarh on the formed a 'legal' Akali Dal of his own be very good tactics to support one eve of the recent fateful meeting of some time ago. But while the two against the another by turns. that body and received his blessings Akali Dais could co-exist as two sepa- 975 June 13, 1964 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY rate political parties, the two S G P Cs peasantry was obvious. The two by- very comfortable position. He is re­ cannot. For, the S G P C is a statu­ elections to the Assembly which went ported to have backed the wrong horse tory body elected periodically, and in favour of the Congress, also demons­ at the Centre recently and is said to even before the next election takes trated clearly that Tara Singh was no­ be out of favour with the High Com­ place in January 1965, a legal verdict where in the picture. mand. So, one should not be surprised will have to be obtained as to which, For Tara Singh, then, the time is if he actually takes to Sikh politics. if any, of the two bodies now in exist­ up. Nor is Kairon's position very Whether this would advance the Sikh ence is legal. sound. Not for nothing did he say the Faith is a question on Which there is Legalities apart, therefore, the Sant other day that he intended to give up bound to be much difference of has benefited a great deal from the office and take to the advancement of opinion. Kairon-Tara Singh alliance. Already, the Sikh faith. Irrespective of the Das his growing influence among the Sikh Commission's findings, he is not in a — Narindar Singh .