HOW I WAS PUSHED TO KHALISTAN MOVEMENT – Dr. Jagjit Singh Chohan

Dr.Jagjit Singh Chauhan a founder of Khalistan campaign wrote back in an article published in the Des Pardes weekly of London wrote that he was in fact pushed to the secessionist movement by the Akalis in their attempt to eliminate him politically. The article is reproduced here in toto.

ln 1970 the Akal Dal was agitating to secure the management of Delhi Gurudwaras. l was sent to U.K to generate the support of Sikhs in England. l was selected for this because "The Doctor had studied in U.K .knows the language and can spend from his own pocket." ln those days visiting England was not as easy as it is these days..........there were a few gurudwaras and Akali Dal U.K was then recently formed under the president ship of S.Charan Singh Panchhi..Motivated by the Akalis I agreed. l was not aware that I was in fact being removed from the Punjab political scene. l never thought that Singhs will first make an ascent and then pull the ladder from under me. Any way those were the days of adolescence and inexperience. l reached here and made emotional appeals and fir speeches and arranged demonstrations. Lo and behold we went to the extent of handing over a memorandum to the UNO. Facing the external pressure the Govt of India asked Sant Fateh Singh that they were ready to accede to all the Akali demands provided Dr. Chauhan is removed from the Secretariship of the Dal. lt was like killing two birds with one stone .The Sant immediately implemented the instruction which was conveyed through messers Jiwan Singh and Rawel Singh. The government of India immediately confiscated my passport. I was left high and dry. Here I had neither a room nor a penny to spend. l decided to submit to His will and pursue the goal of "Sikh Homeland" as resolved in the Batala Conference of the Akali Dal. ln England messers Charan Singh Panchhi, Giani Bakhshish Singh Sohan Singh etc. endorsed my views. These were the people who changed the goal from 'Sikh Homeland ' to Khalistan. With the passage of time more Sikhs joined us. How ever it was not possible to move around without any passport.

ln 1975 (Mrs.) Indira Gandhi imposed emergency to become a dictator. The British government then issued travel documents to me and there after there was no looking back .We started visiting USA and Canada to gather support from Sikhs and the governments there. We were able to pursue some US and Canadians senators and we succeeded in securing a debate in the US Congress over the Indian conditions.

(Mrs.) Indira lifted emergency to face elections where she was routed out and Morarjee formed a coalition government. Now there was an Akali government in the Punjab and by then I had completed 7 years of exile life. I packed up and landed at Amritsar airport.

My wife had already secured an anticipatory bail and the government's arrest warrants remained inaffective with slogan shouting mass crowds which received me all my past agonies and miseries I had faced vanished away in the air.

My pocket was empty but the people had an impression that I was a millionaire through the CIA and Pakistan payments. l preferred to maintain this illusion as I knew the temperament of these Jatts who would avoid to say even a Sat siri akal to their brother who is poor.

A relative of mine presented a new 'ambassador car' to me and a bank advanced some loan to me. We opened an office right in the heart of the Jalandhar city and unfurled the flag of Khalistan. l hardly had started sitting in my clinic and money started pouring in abundance.

We had the hot political material which the news papers wanted to publish. People like Harguranad Singh Banga and some youths of Chandigarh had kept the Khalistan issue alive in my absence from India

One day when I was in my office I saw a very simple and humble person outside my office .ln fact from the first sight of this person he became affectionate to me. I invited this man to my office and ordered the servant to bring tea. Before we could commence any introductory dialogue some journalist friends poured in .They asked me whether I knew the person who was sitting in my office. They informed me that the humble person was Mr. Balbir Singh Sandhu a renowned writer and journalist.

I had infact become the disciple of this sweet natured man. Next day he again visited and I offered him to take over the office to which he readily agreed. Now I had got a seasoned and enlightened person as a companion. l was now relieved of the office duties and started exploring new like minded friends. :

Some Sikhs like Kesar Singh Mand were in Punjab and suggested if a high powered transmitter was allowed to be installed in the Golden Temple the U.K Sikhs were ready to bear the costs. lt was good suggestion but why should the traditional Akalis support it? We started to launch the radio transmitter agitation. Like Gandhi had made a little salt in a bowl and awakened the whole of India we violated the Indian Wireless Act by installing a small transmitter. With a handful of supporters we were able to win the agitation and the whole credit goes to Mr. Sandhu.

Please also see a detailed interview with Dr Chohan