People's Democracy

Raking Up Anandpur Sahib  Resolution Is Dangerous: CPI(M)

THE secretariat of the Punjab state committee of CPI(M) took strong exception to the raking up of Anandpur Sahib Resolution once again by the chief minister of Punjab, Prakash Singh Badal and Akali Dal president and deputy chief minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal. Terming the statement by the chief minister and his deputy as �most irresponsible�, the CPI(M) felt that it will only fuel the communal divide in Punjab.

CPI(M) acting state secretary Charan Singh Virdi has in a statement issued on January 27, 2009 charged that these statements were aimed at covering up the failure of the Akali Dal government in taking up the issue of more powers to states in the spirit of the principle of federalism along secular lines. The CPI(M) state secretariat felt that by raking up Anandpur Sahib Resolution, the state government was giving communal colour to the secular demand of more powers to the states. Moreover it provides fertile soil for divisiveness and secessionism. The state secretariat also observed that the issue is not of getting the demand of more powers to the states being incorporated in the common minimum programme (CMP) of the BJP-led NDA, the real issue is that of getting the demand of restructuring centre-state relations to give more powers to states conceded through mass struggle and through putting more pressure on the centre.

The CPI(M) state secretariat felt that Prakash Singh Badal owes an explanation to the people of Punjab as to why he has put this vital demand on the back-burner for the last so many years. More powers to the states is a major demand in Punjab since long and realization of which is a necessary pre-requisite for making the fragile peace in Punjab a durable phenomenon.

The state secretariat demanded from the central government that it should immediately transfer Chandigarh to Punjab, settle the territorial claims and counter-claims of Punjab and Haryana. The issue of just distribution of river waters in the framework of Rajiv-Longowal accord as also restructuring centre-state relations to give more powers to the states must be expedited. The Punjab state committee of CPI(M) will raise these demands as an important issue in the ensuing elections to the Lok Sabha.