NO ASSURANCE GIVEN TO SANT FATEH SINGH

HARYANA C.M.’S ASSERTION
Undertaking & Arbitration Cannot Co-Exist

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, December 28

MR. BHAGWAT DAYAL SHARMA, Chief Minister of Haryana, made it clear today that there was no commitment or assurance given to Sant Fateh Singh in respect of Chandigarh, the Bhakra complex or the territories which the Sant claimed as Punjabi-speaking. “I have made enquiries from the highest quarters in the Government, and I want to state categorically that no assurance has been given to the Sant either orally or in writing by any responsible person from the 'Government. If anyone in his individual capacity has made any promise or given anything in writing, neither the Centre nor the Haryana Government is responsible for it or bound by it,” Mr. Sharma said.

The Haryana Chief Minister who was addressing a Press Conference here, added: “Undertaking and arbitration cannot co-exist. We have accepted arbitration, but there is no undertaking whatsoever given to any party on any point. 

“The proposal of arbitration had, in fact, been initiated by me. Some Akali leaders came to me and said that some Punjabi-speaking areas had been included in Haryana and this had given rise to a dispute. I told them that some Hindi-speaking areas had been illogically included in Punjab. Then the Punjab Chief Minister and I had a meeting. We agreed that there was some dispute and that the parties concerned should refer it to an arbitrator.

“There is no question of any commission or committee. All disputes are to be referred to the Prime Minister for arbitration”. 

GROUSE

Referring to the Chandigarh issue, Mr. Bhagwat Dayal said: “Our grouse is that Chandigarh was given to Haryana by the Punjab Boundary Commission. But it was erroneously made a Union Territory. In our own house we are living as tenants. Therefore, we want to end this anomalous situation, Chandigarh must be returned to us. We are confident that an impartial arbitrator cannot but give Chandigarh to Haryana and thus rectify the mistake which the Central Government had made by reversing the decision of the Punjab Boundary Commission”. 

Similarly, Mr. Sharma said, the tehsils of Pathankot, Una, Naraingarh and Fazilka, 27 villages of Mansa tehsil, Dera Bassi, Lalru and some other Hindi-speaking areas had been wrongly given by the Boundary Commission to Punjab and they must be returned to us. He hoped that the arbitrator would do so. “These areas are ours by a criteria-geographical, cultural and linguistic”. 

If there was any doubt, a referendum could be held to ascertain the wishes of the inhabitants, he said. He knew certain communal parties and individuals were trying to cloud the issue. Some of them had already said that Chandigarh had been lost. This was very unfair to Haryana he said and warned them against indulging in such irresponsible talk. 

The rightful owner of Chandigarh, he asserted, was Haryana and the Commission had given it to it. He welcomed the appointment of an arbitrator so that Chandigarh and the other areas became part and parcel of Haryana and played their rightful role in the new State, he added. 

CABINET MEETING 

The Haryana Cabinet is meeting here tomorrow to consider the situation arising out of Sant Fateh Singh’s demands. The Executive Committee of the Haryana Congress will also meet here tomorrow.

Replying to pressmen’s question Mr. Bhagwat Dayal said he did not get any information about the proposed meeting of the three Chief Ministers. When he was informed, he would attend the meeting and the first thing for him to demand would be that all the parties concerned, including the Akalis, should sign a declaration to accept the verdict of the Prime Minister. 

He hoped that the Sant would also sign the declaration. He said he had met the Prime Minister and the Home Minister and showed them the statement made by Sant Fateh Singh. Nothing in writing had been exchanged by the Sant and the Punjab Chief Minister. 

Mr. Sharma said he did not know what Mr. Hukam Singh, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, had told the Sant. He (Mr. Sharma) was concerned only with his talks with the Central leaders. 

Mr. Sharma said the question of arbitration was discussed, first between him and the Punjab Chief Minister at their meeting last Sunday. He had told the Punjab Chief Minister and others who had come to see him that the matter could be submitted to arbitration. 

Mr. Sharma then declared: “I still say that Chandigarh is mine. But I shall abide by arbitration whatsoever be the verdict”. 

“Our points are strong and our case is also strong. So, these areas will come to us. We are the gainers in this and we will gain, rest assured,” he said.

He had agreed to arbitration by the Prime Minister or her nominee and none else, he added.