Politicians have to be blamed for the rise of terrorism in Punjab. All parties were equally responsible for the situation, says Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, former President of Indian Youth Congress and chairman of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front.
Mr. Bitta, a survivor of 14 assassination attempts on his life in mid-1990’s, was at Sitaram Ayurvedic Resort at Nattika for treatment of his legs, scarred with bullet injuries and splinters from bombs.
“The Pro-Khalistan insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s claimed around 36,000 lives in Punjab. However, with United efforts of State and Union governments and political parties, the State managed to control it then. Now, after years, there has been a rise in attempts to revive militancy in Punjab. The country and country’s flag have been disrespected in places like Canada, Germany, U.K. and U.S. Pakistan supported extremist elements based in Western countries are trying to trigger unrest in Punjab again with Khalistan sentiments,” Mr. Bitta said.
Giving his up-curling moustaches a twirl, he said with characteristic Sikh vigour “Khalistan was never built and will not be built in future too. It will be built only on our corpses.”
There are lots of misconceptions about the Operation Blue Star and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. “The Union government should come up with a White Paper on both to clear the air. The young generation should know who was behind the riots and what led to the Blue Star Operation,” said Mr. Bitta, who was a Minister in the Beant Singh government in Punjab.
The multiple attacks in the mid 90s made Mr. Bitta a crusader against terrorism and he founded the organisation the All India Anti-Terrorist Front for the welfare of war widows and their families.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his anti-terrorist policies and abrogating Article 370 in Kashmir, Mr. Bitta said, “After lifting Article 370, Kashmir has become peaceful. It should have been done before. Many of our soldiers were killed due to our wrong policies,” Mr. Bitta said.
When asked whether he will come back to mainstream politics, he said he was no more interested in power politics. Assisted with a walking stick but determined to run, he said his life is now devoted to the service of widows and children of the country’s martyrs.
Hailing the security system of Kerala, he said he feels safe here. The culture and communal harmony of Kerala is a model for the country. But he cautioned the government against alleged presence of terror organisations in the State. “The State and the Union governments should function together against such attempts.”
A biopic on Mr. Bitta, celebrating his courage and resilience is coming soon.
